Sir William Walton

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Is that a thunderstorm in sheep's clothing....?

+1  😆😆😆

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

That's a great story! I wish a recording company would adopt an artwork I recommend some day. It's ironical that you have discussed many albums of the No.1, except the album you have substantially influenced. I agree, and I believe most people agree, that the Mackerras recording is a great performance. I have and like the Viola C/Partitas by Gardner. I will get his (and Brabbins) Symphonies albums.

I very much like Orb and Sceptre by Fremaux. I adore the composition, but strangely there are few recordings.

I enjoy both of those performances and ones by Brabbins and Karabits as well. I have a bit of a connection with the Fremaux recording, in its latest manifestation, as I was in a residential conference in Bournemouth (not on a packed beach like the silly people over the last few days) when I went into the nice small Russell Cotes museum and saw this extraordinary painting of terrified sheep and approaching thunderstorm (a bit of a metaphor for my life  ) and I thought that it would make a suitable cover image for a stormy British work like the Walton 1st Symphony or Vaughan Williams's 6th or 4th Symphony (although actually the scene is from Picardy in France); anyway I suggested it to the boss of Alto records who then made a deal with the museum to use some of the paintings for CD covers and then, hey presto, there it is - the only CD that I have ever chosen a cover for (I wrote the notes as well for that release). So, a nice bit of early-morning self-publicity for you all. 
One of my favourite versions of the Walton is the Charles Mackerras version:
[/img]

[Roasted Swan]

You are correct. Chronologically, the original/initial bagatelles was a solo-guitar piece written for Julian Bream and dedicated to Malcolm Arnold on his 50y/o birthday. Bream may have requested Sir WW for a guitar composition, but I forgot. I didn't know that WW himself made the orchestral version, Varii Capricci. For the guitar concerto version, I don't know if the arrangement was the Chandos producers' initiative, but it is such a good idea.  I really like the orchestrations of both the arrangements. It seems that there are other WW pieces successfully arranged by others, including Christopher Palmer.


P.S. It maybe a worthy topic for discussions if the various arrangements of Walton compositions by the third parties are artistically successful or not. If Walton had made a guitar concerto of Bagatelles, it would have been a more lush and sumptuous arrangement with many notes and passages and less space. I like the existent arrangement, which is minimalistic and almost Zen-like.


YT link for the guitar concerto.
https://youtu.be/X3KOIjhwIQo

Having sounded slightly "purist" in my comments regarding the 'concerto' version of the bagatelles..... I've just ordered a copy of the disc!  Looking forward to hearing it very much.  Christopher Palmer was a great restorer/orchestrator full stop.  His work on the Walton film scores is superb but he did so much other fine work.  His early death was a great loss to the world of score restoration.  I did not realise until very recently that Constant Lambert actually orchestrated several of the movements that make up the 2nd Facade Suite.  There is no indication to the effect in the score - and they certainly sound Walton-esque - but apparently Fanfare/Scotch Rhapsody/Country Dance and the iconic Popular Song are Lambert orchestrations.

Of course - as mentioned on this thread before - Walton got into a state writing the score for "The Battle of Britain" so he recruited Malcolm Arnold to help with the orchestrations.  More than that, Arnold both conducted the OST (which is stunning) AND wrote most if not all of the film's most famous musical sequence; "Battle in the Air".

[vandermolen]

That's a great story! I wish a recording company would adopt an artwork I recommend some day. It's ironical that you have discussed many albums of the No.1, except the album you have substantially influenced. I agree, and I believe most people agree, that the Mackerras recording is a great performance. I have and like the Viola C/Partitas by Gardner. I will get his (and Brabbins) Symphonies albums.

I very much like Orb and Sceptre by Fremaux. I adore the composition, but strangely there are few recordings.

Thank you! I must try to find an image of the original painting as you can only see part of it on the CD cover. Actually I did choose or recommend another CD cover - Shostakovich Symphony 11 on Alto (Rostropovich). Maybe I didn't mention it before because it is not as good, in my opinion, as some other recordings. However, I'm tempted to listen to it again.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

If I were a little younger, I would go to college to study orchestration and orchestrate works by Albeniz, Turina and Bach.
I guess the Columbus Suite was done by Palmer as well.
While I like the suite, I am not sure if it will be played or recorded again due to the correctional, or revisionist (depending upon your ideology), movement today against the racist legacy. I even suspect that Paul McCartney may not sing Penny Lane again.
I didn't know about Lambert at all.

Having sounded slightly "purist" in my comments regarding the 'concerto' version of the bagatelles..... I've just ordered a copy of the disc!  Looking forward to hearing it very much.  Christopher Palmer was a great restorer/orchestrator full stop.  His work on the Walton film scores is superb but he did so much other fine work.  His early death was a great loss to the world of score restoration.  I did not realise until very recently that Constant Lambert actually orchestrated several of the movements that make up the 2nd Facade Suite.  There is no indication to the effect in the score - and they certainly sound Walton-esque - but apparently Fanfare/Scotch Rhapsody/Country Dance and the iconic Popular Song are Lambert orchestrations.

Of course - as mentioned on this thread before - Walton got into a state writing the score for "The Battle of Britain" so he recruited Malcolm Arnold to help with the orchestrations.  More than that, Arnold both conducted the OST (which is stunning) AND wrote most if not all of the film's most famous musical sequence; "Battle in the Air".

[Symphonic Addict]

I enjoy both of those performances and ones by Brabbins and Karabits as well. I have a bit of a connection with the Fremaux recording, in its latest manifestation, as I was in a residential conference in Bournemouth (not on a packed beach like the silly people over the last few days) when I went into the nice small Russell Cotes museum and saw this extraordinary painting of terrified sheep and approaching thunderstorm (a bit of a metaphor for my life  ) and I thought that it would make a suitable cover image for a stormy British work like the Walton 1st Symphony or Vaughan Williams's 6th or 4th Symphony (although actually the scene is from Picardy in France); anyway I suggested it to the boss of Alto records who then made a deal with the museum to use some of the paintings for CD covers and then, hey presto, there it is - the only CD that I have ever chosen a cover for (I wrote the notes as well for that release). So, a nice bit of early-morning self-publicity for you all. 
One of my favourite versions of the Walton is the Charles Mackerras version:
[/img]

That was amusing to read, Jeffrey. What other recordings have your touch on notes and cover arts?

[vandermolen]

That was amusing to read, Jeffrey. What other recordings have your touch on notes and cover arts?

I also suggest this cover image (from online material) and wrote the notes. I worked it out the other day I wrote the notes for 22 CDs:
Miaskovsky x 6
Shostakovich x 4
VW x 3
Holst x 2
Walton x 1 (+ the cover)
Prokofiev x 1
Copland x 1
Barber x 1
Scriabin x 1
Novak x 1 (plus suggested the content)
Weinberg x 1

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I couldn't find a good picture, but the info is here. Thank you all for all these info and insights about Sir. WW.

https://www.wikiart.org/en/henry-william-banks-davis/approaching-thunderstorm-flocks-driven-home-picardy-france-1889

Thank you! I must try to find an image of the original painting as you can only see part of it on the CD cover. Actually I did choose or recommend another CD cover - Shostakovich Symphony 11 on Alto (Rostropovich). Maybe I didn't mention it before because it is not as good, in my opinion, as some other recordings. However, I'm tempted to listen to it again.

[vandermolen]

I couldn't find a good picture, but the info is here. Thank you all for all these info and insights about Sir. WW.

https://www.wikiart.org/en/henry-william-banks-davis/approaching-thunderstorm-flocks-driven-home-picardy-france-1889

Oh well done FBK for finding the image! You were more successful that I was. I love that painting. I always relate to scenes of looming threat   
As you can see, the full painting is much more impressive than the truncated image shown on the front of the Walton CD. When I walk in the countryside or look at a landscape painting or photo I often think about what piece of music the landscape in front of me would suit and here the dream became a reality!

[Daverz]

I also suggest this cover image (from online material) and wrote the notes. I worked it out the other day I wrote the notes for 22 CDs:

Has anyone ever used a still from Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin for the Shostakovich "1905" symphony?

[André]

Has anyone ever used a still from Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin for the Shostakovich "1905" symphony?

I don't think so. Although they are politically related in a way, the two events took place 6 months and a thousand miles from each other (January 1905 in St Petersburg and June 1905 in Odessa).

[Symphonic Addict]

I also suggest this cover image (from online material) and wrote the notes. I worked it out the other day I wrote the notes for 22 CDs:
Miaskovsky x 6
Shostakovich x 4
VW x 3
Holst x 2
Walton x 1 (+ the cover)
Prokofiev x 1
Copland x 1
Barber x 1
Scriabin x 1
Novak x 1 (plus suggested the content)
Weinberg x 1

Splendid, Jeffrey. Keeping that in mind, when I try one of those CDs, I'll think of you.

[Daverz]

I don't think so. Although they are politically related in a way, the two events took place 6 months and a thousand miles from each other (January 1905 in St Petersburg and June 1905 in Odessa).

Ah, I was going off a vague memory of BP from a film class 30 years ago.

[vandermolen]

Has anyone ever used a still from Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin for the Shostakovich "1905" symphony?

It would be a great choice!

[vandermolen]

Splendid, Jeffrey. Keeping that in mind, when I try one of those CDs, I'll think of you.

Thank you Cesar!

[Biffo]

I enjoy both of those performances and ones by Brabbins and Karabits as well. I have a bit of a connection with the Fremaux recording, in its latest manifestation, as I was in a residential conference in Bournemouth (not on a packed beach like the silly people over the last few days) when I went into the nice small Russell Cotes museum and saw this extraordinary painting of terrified sheep and approaching thunderstorm (a bit of a metaphor for my life  ) and I thought that it would make a suitable cover image for a stormy British work like the Walton 1st Symphony or Vaughan Williams's 6th or 4th Symphony (although actually the scene is from Picardy in France); anyway I suggested it to the boss of Alto records who then made a deal with the museum to use some of the paintings for CD covers and then, hey presto, there it is - the only CD that I have ever chosen a cover for (I wrote the notes as well for that release). So, a nice bit of early-morning self-publicity for you all. 
One of my favourite versions of the Walton is the Charles Mackerras version:
[/img]

I must revisit the Russell Cotes Museum when it re-opens, it is years since I last went in even though it is only just down the road from me. I would like to see the restored rooms again. Less so the galleries - too much Victorian soft porn - acres of flabby white flesh masquerading as 'biblical' or 'classical' subjects. I don't recall the sheep from previous visits.

[aukhawk]

... I would like to see the restored rooms again. Less so the galleries - too much Victorian soft porn - acres of flabby white flesh masquerading as 'biblical' or 'classical' subjects. ...

Just the way I feel about much of the Hyperion catalogue.

Oh well done FBK for finding the image! You were more successful that I was. I love that painting. I always relate to scenes of looming threat    ...

There are certainly some very concerned-looking sheep there.  However they're not looking at the gathering storm - I think someone out-of-frame to the left has just shaken a bucket of sheep-nuts. 

[vandermolen]

I must revisit the Russell Cotes Museum when it re-opens, it is years since I last went in even though it is only just down the road from me. I would like to see the restored rooms again. Less so the galleries - too much Victorian soft porn - acres of flabby white flesh masquerading as 'biblical' or 'classical' subjects. I don't recall the sheep from previous visits.

Oh, you must look out for those sheep! I like small museum like that one.

[vandermolen]

Just the way I feel about much of the Hyperion catalogue.

There are certainly some very concerned-looking sheep there.  However they're not looking at the gathering storm - I think someone out-of-frame to the left has just shaken a bucket of sheep-nuts. 

LOL

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I apologize my ignorance, are the sheep mainly for wool production?

Oh well done FBK for finding the image! You were more successful that I was. I love that painting. I always relate to scenes of looming threat   
As you can see, the full painting is much more impressive than the truncated image shown on the front of the Walton CD. When I walk in the countryside or look at a landscape painting or photo I often think about what piece of music the landscape in front of me would suit and here the dream became a reality!