Sir William Walton

[Roasted Swan]

Interesting read, @Roasted Swan . Thanks!

I must confess that, much as I like most of Walton's output, Ive never warned to Belshazzar's Feast. I should give the work anther try; the only recording in my collection is the one conducted by the composer included in EMI's "The Walton Edition"--the older 4 CD set--. IIRC, the soloist is Dennis Noble.

Re. Luxon, what happened to him is really sad, but saying that his life was "cut short", when he died aged 87, is perhaps an exaggeration. 

Spot the fact that wasn't checked...... (sorry!)  In his pomp he was a great singer.

[vandermolen]

Fine performance of the 1st Symphony from the Proms this evening (Bournemouth SO, Wigglesworth).

[kyjo]

Fine performance of the 1st Symphony from the Proms this evening (Bournemouth SO, Wigglesworth).

Nice, Jeffrey! I've been dying to see a live performance of this epic symphony, but I might have to fly all the way to the UK to do so. For a work that's so often mentioned as being one of the great 20th century symphonies, its absence from US concert programs is perplexing and frustrating. It's the perfect piece to show off a virtuoso orchestra and would bring the house down in concert...

[Brian]

Nice, Jeffrey! I've been dying to see a live performance of this epic symphony, but I might have to fly all the way to the UK to do so. For a work that's so often mentioned as being one of the great 20th century symphonies, its absence from US concert programs is perplexing and frustrating. It's the perfect piece to show off a virtuoso orchestra and would bring the house down in concert...

I've seen it live twice here in Dallas in the past decade! Our orchestra's artistic director is from Ireland so I sometimes wonder if her influence is felt in how we program Isles composers.

[kyjo]

I've seen it live twice here in Dallas in the past decade! Our orchestra's artistic director is from Ireland so I sometimes wonder if her influence is felt in how we program Isles composers.

Lucky you! Who is the artistic director of the Dallas Symphony? And what other English/Irish works have they programmed recently?

[Brian]

Lucky you! Who is the artistic director of the Dallas Symphony? And what other English/Irish works have they programmed recently?

Katie McGuinness. This is the role in charge of booking guest artists, commissioning new works, and balancing repertoire. This upcoming season we're getting Walton's Coronation Te Deum, MacMillan's new euphonium concerto, and Holst's Planets on one program (with Gardner conducting). We also recently gave the world premieres of MacMillan's excellent trombone concerto and Anna Clyne's piano concerto, and have had Britten's piano concerto and violin concerto in the same 23-24 season, and Elgar's cello concerto and Enigma (of course).

[johnhanks]

Fine performance of the 1st Symphony from the Proms this evening (Bournemouth SO, Wigglesworth).

Could have done with more malizia in the second movement, I thought.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Cello Concerto played by a viola. Nice change, good execution, and enjoyable music.

[Mapman]

Nice, Jeffrey! I've been dying to see a live performance of this epic symphony, but I might have to fly all the way to the UK to do so. For a work that's so often mentioned as being one of the great 20th century symphonies, its absence from US concert programs is perplexing and frustrating. It's the perfect piece to show off a virtuoso orchestra and would bring the house down in concert...

A quick search on Bachtrack shows that the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is playing it in May 2026! Maybe that's a little easier for you to get to.

[kyjo]

Katie McGuinness. This is the role in charge of booking guest artists, commissioning new works, and balancing repertoire. This upcoming season we're getting Walton's Coronation Te Deum, MacMillan's new euphonium concerto, and Holst's Planets on one program (with Gardner conducting). We also recently gave the world premieres of MacMillan's excellent trombone concerto and Anna Clyne's piano concerto, and have had Britten's piano concerto and violin concerto in the same 23-24 season, and Elgar's cello concerto and Enigma (of course).

That's all well and good of course, but still no sign of Bax, Alwyn, Lloyd, Rubbra, Tippett, Mathias, Moeran, etc. And not even any RVW?

[kyjo]

Cello Concerto played by a viola. Nice change, good execution, and enjoyable music.

As a cellist, I must ask "why?", especially considering Walton already wrote a masterful viola concerto which is arguably an even finer work...

[kyjo]

A quick search on Bachtrack shows that the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is playing it in May 2026! Maybe that's a little easier for you to get to.

That's wonderful news, thanks for bringing it to my attention! I live within reasonable distance of Chicago, so time permitting, I will definitely try to make it.

[Brian]

That's all well and good of course, but still no sign of Bax, Alwyn, Lloyd, Rubbra, Tippett, Mathias, Moeran, etc. And not even any RVW?

Oh, good point. We also had A Sea Symphony! The Dallas Chamber Symphony recently did both Five Variants on Dives and Lazarus and the Lark Ascending (on different programs), and the Fort Worth Symphony did RVW's Oboe Concerto last year. The obscure composers, no chance.

[Roasted Swan]

As a cellist, I must ask "why?", especially considering Walton already wrote a masterful viola concerto which is arguably an even finer work...

"Unnecessary" springs to mind.  Thanks goodness for a great cover picture though.......  I went to "Laday Walton's Garden" on Ischia a few years ago - a genuinely stunning place.  The only cafe where they have Walton's music on a loop......

[Brian]

The only cafe where they have Walton's music on a loop......

Ah, yes...a mug of tea in the garden as the finale of the Second Symphony begins... 

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

As a cellist, I must ask "why?", especially considering Walton already wrote a masterful viola concerto which is arguably an even finer work...

A complementary, rather than substitute.

[kyjo]

Oh, good point. We also had A Sea Symphony! The Dallas Chamber Symphony recently did both Five Variants on Dives and Lazarus and the Lark Ascending (on different programs), and the Fort Worth Symphony did RVW's Oboe Concerto last year. The obscure composers, no chance.

Good to know! I must (selfishly) say that all of those are among my less favorite RVW works, though. We need to be hearing his "meatier" works live such as the Symphonies 2, 4, and 6, Job, the (Double) Piano Concerto, etc. These works help to dispel the myth that RVW was exclusively a gentle composer of "cowpat" music. Okay, I'll stop being a Negative Nancy now!

[Roasted Swan]

Presto's "Recording of the Week" is the new Yamada/CBSO/DG Walton Symphonies.  The write-up on the Presto website is gushing to say the least;

"Kazuki Yamada has developed a deep bond with the players of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra"
"Yamada paces [the 1st movement] such that as the darkness that lies at the heart of this symphony emerges, it is all the more effective"
"The technical virtuosity of the CBSO players is dwarfed only by the musicianship on display"
"a reminder of why this work was so rapturously received on that night at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, when Harty finally got to conduct the full premiere." (to the bolded - oops - the QEH opened in 1967 - 30 years or so after the symphony was premiered at the QUEENS Hall).
"[Symphony No.2] is a more mystical work in tone[What!!??], widely considered to be less heavyweight and more of a synthesis of wider influences. There are certainly plenty of reminders of music by other twentieth century composers, but no direct excavations, and although perhaps not such a strong work as the first symphony, its case is made more strongly than ever by Yamada and the CBSO [a bold claim!]

I've listened to the streamed extracts - which of course are sonically compromised by the lo-res stream.  First impressions are the playing is - of course - very good indeed, the interpretation does nothing that exceptional in any of the excerpts offered.  Not sure the DG engineering sounds that good (apparently these are live recordings) - the Symphony Hall in Birmingham usually sounds better than this but this might be the stream....  I've not been that blown away by anything I've heard from Yamada - I find his choices often fussy or interventionist rather than revelatory.

Walton's a favourite composer of mine since I first started collecting LP's so I always welcome new discs such as this especially on a major international label and also from a non-British conductor. 

[vandermolen]

Presto's "Recording of the Week" is the new Yamada/CBSO/DG Walton Symphonies.  The write-up on the Presto website is gushing to say the least;

"Kazuki Yamada has developed a deep bond with the players of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra"
"Yamada paces [the 1st movement] such that as the darkness that lies at the heart of this symphony emerges, it is all the more effective"
"The technical virtuosity of the CBSO players is dwarfed only by the musicianship on display"
"a reminder of why this work was so rapturously received on that night at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, when Harty finally got to conduct the full premiere." (to the bolded - oops - the QEH opened in 1967 - 30 years or so after the symphony was premiered at the QUEENS Hall).
"[Symphony No.2] is a more mystical work in tone[What!!??], widely considered to be less heavyweight and more of a synthesis of wider influences. There are certainly plenty of reminders of music by other twentieth century composers, but no direct excavations, and although perhaps not such a strong work as the first symphony, its case is made more strongly than ever by Yamada and the CBSO [a bold claim!]

I've listened to the streamed extracts - which of course are sonically compromised by the lo-res stream.  First impressions are the playing is - of course - very good indeed, the interpretation does nothing that exceptional in any of the excerpts offered.  Not sure the DG engineering sounds that good (apparently these are live recordings) - the Symphony Hall in Birmingham usually sounds better than this but this might be the stream....  I've not been that blown away by anything I've heard from Yamada - I find his choices often fussy or interventionist rather than revelatory.

Walton's a favourite composer of mine since I first started collecting LP's so I always welcome new discs such as this especially on a major international label and also from a non-British conductor.

I'm really enjoying the new DGG disc. I agree with you about the recording but I regard the performance as sensational. I can tell within the first 30 seconds if I'm going to like the performance - it's all to do with that oboe passage near the start. It has to sound fragile, nervous and hesitant. It is played beautifully here. By contrast the much fabled Previn LSO recording sounds bland and perfunctory to me, which ruins the rest of the performance for me (and Previn is one of my favourite conductors).

[Roasted Swan]

I'm really enjoying the new DGG disc. I agree with you about the recording but I regard the performance as sensational. I can tell within the first 30 seconds if I'm going to like the performance - it's all to do with that oboe passage near the start. It has to sound fragile, nervous and hesitant. It is played beautifully here. By contrast the much fabled Previn LSO recording sounds bland and perfunctory to me, which ruins the rest of the performance for me (and Previn is one of my favourite conductors).

Always happy to be proved wrong!!