Sir William Walton

Started by tjguitar, April 16, 2007, 09:15:49 AM

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Irons

Quote from: vandermolen on October 30, 2021, 02:38:38 AM
Never heard of it! Just ordered it. Thanks Lol.

A bargain, Jeffrey. A return favour for the Warlock book heads up, which I am enjoying very much.
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

vandermolen

Quote from: Irons on October 31, 2021, 01:52:30 AM
A bargain, Jeffrey. A return favour for the Warlock book heads up, which I am enjoying very much.
Pleased to hear it Lol! I'm hoping to sneak over to Down Ampney when I'm in my 'Glamping/Shepherd's Hut' in the Cotswolds next week to see VW's birthplace and visit the church where his father was vicar.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Irons

Quote from: vandermolen on October 31, 2021, 01:59:39 AM
Pleased to hear it Lol! I'm hoping to sneak over to Down Ampney when I'm in my 'Glamping/Shepherd's Hut' in the Cotswolds next week to see VW's birthplace and visit the church where his father was vicar.

Hopefully the book will arrive before you depart, Jeffrey. In case it doesn't - since 2001 a display at the church of a series of five boards "on which his life related and his musical output charted".
Have a great trip and fully report back on your return.
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

Roasted Swan

I was pleased to pick up some Walton Scores for my collection quite reasonably on ebay.  One of them is a real rarity - the "Hamlet and Ophelia - A Poem for Orchestra" arr. Muir Matheson.  Matheson of course made suites from Walton other 2 Shakespeare Films as well as arranging the funeral march from Hamlet.  This poem is a kind of suite but less sectional.  As such - it runs to around 13 mins - its a substantial but little known Walton score and one well worth hearing.  I can find only 2 recordings - one by Hickox as part of the Chandos Walton Edition

.

The other is much rarer.  It first appeared on an LP of Walton film music from Sir Charles Groves and the RLPO



As far as I can tell this has never made it to an individual CD release (I'd be delighted to be proved wrong) although much of the contents excluding Hamlet & Ophelia has appeared on other EMI/Warner Walton compilation discs.  It does appear in the Groves/EMI/British Music box of 14 CD's from around 2015 but already well OOP.  I no longer have the LP but would love to hear Groves' take on this score.  I looked at (expensive) 2nd hand versions of the box but I think this is literally the only track in there I don't already have on individual releases

vandermolen

Quote from: Irons on October 31, 2021, 05:56:14 AM
Hopefully the book will arrive before you depart, Jeffrey. In case it doesn't - since 2001 a display at the church of a series of five boards "on which his life related and his musical output charted".
Have a great trip and fully report back on your return.
I never got to Down Ampney in the end Lol although I saw a sign-post towards it. Maybe next time.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

Quote from: Roasted Swan on January 18, 2022, 10:43:40 AM
I was pleased to pick up some Walton Scores for my collection quite reasonably on ebay.  One of them is a real rarity - the "Hamlet and Ophelia - A Poem for Orchestra" arr. Muir Matheson.  Matheson of course made suites from Walton other 2 Shakespeare Films as well as arranging the funeral march from Hamlet.  This poem is a kind of suite but less sectional.  As such - it runs to around 13 mins - its a substantial but little known Walton score and one well worth hearing.  I can find only 2 recordings - one by Hickox as part of the Chandos Walton Edition

.

The other is much rarer.  It first appeared on an LP of Walton film music from Sir Charles Groves and the RLPO



As far as I can tell this has never made it to an individual CD release (I'd be delighted to be proved wrong) although much of the contents excluding Hamlet & Ophelia has appeared on other EMI/Warner Walton compilation discs.  It does appear in the Groves/EMI/British Music box of 14 CD's from around 2015 but already well OOP.  I no longer have the LP but would love to hear Groves' take on this score.  I looked at (expensive) 2nd hand versions of the box but I think this is literally the only track in there I don't already have on individual releases
There's this but it's not the same. The Columbus CD looks very interesting:
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

#706
I'm rather enjoying 'Christopher Columbus' and look forward to hearing 'Hamlet and Ophelia':

Annoyingly, the (second-hand) CD, which plays perfectly, arrived without the booklet featuring the notes etc  :(
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/july05/Walton_Columbus_CHSA5034.htm
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

relm1

Quote from: vandermolen on January 22, 2022, 09:25:38 AM
I'm rather enjoying 'Christopher Columbus' and look forward to hearing 'Hamlet and Ophelia':

Annoyingly, the (second-hand) CD, which plays perfectly, arrived without the booklet featuring the notes etc  :(
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/july05/Walton_Columbus_CHSA5034.htm

Jeffrey, you can download the booklet directly from chandos here: https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%205034

Leo K.

I only just heard Walton's First Symphony the last few days for the first time - two accounts - the Litton and the Haitink - and I am absolutely floored. I can't get enough of this work. I can't believe I didn't get to this years ago. Wow. This music is absolutely incredible. Now I've also dipped into his Violin Concerto and Belshazzar's Feast and can't believe how amazing his music is. I am stunned!

Mirror Image

Quote from: Leo K. on May 03, 2022, 07:48:06 AM
I only just heard Walton's First Symphony the last few days for the first time - two accounts - the Litton and the Haitink - and I am absolutely floored. I can't get enough of this work. I can't believe I didn't get to this years ago. Wow. This music is absolutely incredible. Now I've also dipped into his Violin Concerto and Belshazzar's Feast and can't believe how amazing his music is. I am stunned!

Great stuff, Leo K.! Walton is a favorite of mine and I believe you will find, as you go along, that his oeuvre is incredibly consistent. One of my favorite Brits. Give a listen to the chamber works, too, especially the String Quartet in A minor, Piano Quartet and the Violin Sonata. Three outstanding works.

vandermolen

Quote from: relm1 on January 23, 2022, 05:48:24 AM
Jeffrey, you can download the booklet directly from chandos here: https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%205034
Can't remember if I thanked you but v kind. I downloaded it. Many thanks Karim  :)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

#711
Quote from: Leo K. on May 03, 2022, 07:48:06 AM
I only just heard Walton's First Symphony the last few days for the first time - two accounts - the Litton and the Haitink - and I am absolutely floored. I can't get enough of this work. I can't believe I didn't get to this years ago. Wow. This music is absolutely incredible. Now I've also dipped into his Violin Concerto and Belshazzar's Feast and can't believe how amazing his music is. I am stunned!
Fabulous! It's one of the great British 20th Century symphonies - a masterpiece IMO. Actually I think that it's one of the great symphonies full stop (or period). My favourite recordings (I have about 30  ::)) are by Sargent, Thomson, Mackerras, Walton himself (EMI) and the legendary Heward first recording, which is in a special class of its own. Boult's early PYE recording was also great. I'm not so keen on Previn's RCA recording as most other people are. You might also try to hear the complete the Henry V film music, the Viola Concerto (much better than the Violin Concerto IMO) and the Sinfonia Concertante for Piano and Orchestra and the 'As you like it' film music.

The Symphony No.1 is also one of the great 'despair into defiance' symphonies. The first movement is like a symphony of its own. There's been much debate about the finale and if it lives up to the rest of the symphony (yes, it does) but, in point of fact, none of the other three movements are as good as the opening movement.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Leo K.

Quote from: vandermolen on May 03, 2022, 08:01:35 AM
Fabulous! It's one of the great British 20th Century symphonies - a masterpiece IMO. Actually I think that it's one of the great symphonies full stop (or period). My favourite recordings (I have about 30  ::)) are by Sargent, Thomson, Mackerras, Walton himself (EMI) and the legendary Heward first recording, which is in a special class of its own. Boult's early PYE recording was also great. I'm not so keen on Previn's RCA recording as most other people are. You might also try to hear the complete the Henry V film music, the Viola Concerto (much better than the Violin Concerto IMO) and the Sinfonia Concertante for Piano and Orchestra and the 'As you like it' film music.

The Symphony No.1 is also one of the great 'despair into defiance' symphonies. The first movement is like a symphony of its own. There's been much debate about the finale and if it lives up to the rest of the symphony (yes, it does) but, in point of fact, none of the other three movements are as good as the opening movement.

Thank you for your interesting comments! I am now listening to the Henry V film music via a broadcast from 2003 with Sir Neville Marriner and the Minnesota Orchestra. It's the "Henry V: A Shakespeare Scenerio" arrangement by Christopher Palmer. The narrator is the great Christopher Plummer. I like it but may seek out the full version as to avoid narration.

Mirror Image

#713
Quote from: vandermolen on May 03, 2022, 08:01:35 AM
Fabulous! It's one of the great British 20th Century symphonies - a masterpiece IMO. Actually I think that it's one of the great symphonies full stop (or period). My favourite recordings (I have about 30  ::)) are by Sargent, Thomson, Mackerras, Walton himself (EMI) and the legendary Heward first recording, which is in a special class of its own. Boult's early PYE recording was also great. I'm not so keen on Previn's RCA recording as most other people are. You might also try to hear the complete the Henry V film music, the Viola Concerto (much better than the Violin Concerto IMO) and the Sinfonia Concertante for Piano and Orchestra and the 'As you like it' film music.

The Symphony No.1 is also one of the great 'despair into defiance' symphonies. The first movement is like a symphony of its own. There's been much debate about the finale and if it lives up to the rest of the symphony (yes, it does) but, in point of fact, none of the other three movements are as good as the opening movement.

I agree, Jeffrey, although I'm not as hard on the other three movements as you are. I think the whole symphony congeals well enough, but, most importantly, it's a feast for the ears. Walton may have had a finale problem, but it seems many composers struggled with finales like Bruckner for example or Mahler's 7th. I've also never been fully satisfied with the ending of Sibelius' 5th and you know I'm a huge Sibelian.

vandermolen

Quote from: Leo K. on May 06, 2022, 08:16:57 AM
Thank you for your interesting comments! I am now listening to the Henry V film music via a broadcast from 2003 with Sir Neville Marriner and the Minnesota Orchestra. It's the "Henry V: A Shakespeare Scenerio" arrangement by Christopher Palmer. The narrator is the great Christopher Plummer. I like it but may seek out the full version as to avoid narration.
That is the full version (with narration) Leo.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

Quote from: Mirror Image on May 06, 2022, 09:51:51 AM
I agree, Jeffrey, although I'm not as hard on the other three movements as you are. I think the whole symphony congeals well enough, but, most importantly, it's a feast for the ears. Walton may have had a finale problem, but it seems many composers struggled with finales like Bruckner for example or Mahler's 7th. I've also never been fully satisfied with the ending of Sibelius' 5th and you know I'm a huge Sibelian.

While I like all the movements, relatively I prefer the 1, 2, and 4 to the 3rd mvt. Just in comparison though.

Mirror Image

Quote from: Dry Brett Kavanaugh on May 06, 2022, 09:59:44 AM
While I like all the movements, relatively I prefer the 1, 2, and 4 to the 3rd mvt. Just in comparison though.

Yeah, the third movement does seem rather restrained and would've been better if there were more musical meat in that particular movement's bones.

vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on May 06, 2022, 10:03:44 AM
Yeah, the third movement does seem rather restrained and would've been better if there were more musical meat in that particular movement's bones.
Apparently it was composed before the other movements.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on May 06, 2022, 09:50:21 PM
Apparently it was composed before the other movements.

Interesting. I'll have to read more about this symphony's conception.

kyjo

Quote from: Dry Brett Kavanaugh link=topic=324.msg1443791 #msg1443791 date=1651859984
While I like all the movements, relatively I prefer the 1, 2, and 4 to the 3rd mvt. Just in comparison though.

Agreed. The rather enigmatic slow movement is what prevents this otherwise marvelous work from entering my personal pantheon of top 10 favorite symphonies. It ranks somewhere in the top 10-15 range. 8)
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff