{"id":19688,"date":"2022-10-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-03T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=19688"},"modified":"2022-10-06T11:44:54","modified_gmt":"2022-10-06T09:44:54","slug":"building-a-library-william-walton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/2022\/10\/04\/building-a-library-william-walton\/","title":{"rendered":"Building a library: William Walton"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BUILDING A LIBRARY<\/h4>\n\n

William Walton
Cello Concerto<\/span><\/h2>\n\n

Jo Talbot<\/strong> <\/em>introduces one of the English composer\u2019s most beguiling yet underestimated scores, and finds the recordings which do it justice <\/p>\n\n

<\/div>
\n

The composer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In 1956, the intended year of his Cello Concerto\u2019s premiere, William Walton and his wife Susana decided to sell their London home and move to Ischia off the coast of Italy, where they would remain for the rest of their lives. By then, the 54-yearold composer was a firm part of the British cultural landscape, not only through works such as his Viola Concerto (1929), the cantata Belshazzar\u2019s <\/em>Feast <\/em>(1931) and his First Symphony (1935), but also as composer of film scores such as Henry <\/em>V <\/em>(1944), and of marches for the coronations of both George VI and Elizabeth II. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

\"\"
Fine partnerships:<\/strong> cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, for whom Walton (below, with his wife Susana) wrote his Cello Concerto <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

The work <\/h3>\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

\u2018You know I failed my composition exam at Oxford University,\u2019 laughed William Walton when he appeared on Desert Island Discs <\/em>in 1982. But Walton had the last laugh, penning one of the most glorious cello concertos of the 20th century. He had already composed a Violin Concerto for Jascha Heifetz in 1939, and his friend the Russian cellist Gregor Piatigorsky was not about to be left out, requesting that he write him a concerto too. Walton famously replied, \u2018I am a professional composer. I write anything for anybody if they pay me. Naturally, I write much better if I am paid in American dollars.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n

According to the memoirs of Walton\u2019s wife Susana, he was delighted a player of Piatigorsky\u2019s calibre had asked for a concerto and sent off the score in 1956 somewhat apprehensively. However, the cellist was thrilled to receive such a substantial work. In a letter to Piatigorsky, Walton admitted he regarded it as his finest concerto, \u2018but don\u2019t tell Jascha!\u2019 <\/p>\n\n

Such was his deference towards Piatigorsky that later in the letter Walton even suggested that \u2018if anything in the orchestration \u2013 that vibraphone, for instance \u2013 should irk you, just cut it out, because it\u2019s not absolutely essential, though I should miss it.\u2019 Happily, Piatigorsky altered nothing, as this is a magical piece of orchestral colour. The first performance, scheduled for 7 December 1956 with conductor Charles Munch and the Boston Symphony, was postponed \u2013 Piatigorsky was suffering from exhaustion \u2013 and took place instead at the end of January 1957. Its reception was mixed, with a critic from the <\/span>Boston <\/em>Globe <\/em>describing it as \u2018more a rhapsody than a concerto\u2019. While acknowledging the \u2018fine warm melodiousness\u2019 of the piece, the reviewer disparagingly condemned Walton\u2019s harmony as being too consonant, writing that \u2018what dissonance there is would not alarm an elderly aunt\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Harold Rutland, writing about the world premiere in the Musical <\/em>Times, <\/em>was far more positive, deeming the score to be \u2018a worthy companion to the composer\u2019s earlier two concerti for viola and violin\u2019. The London premiere took place in February that year. Once again, the critics failed to agree on the merits of the piece \u2013 the Manchester <\/em>Guardian <\/em>regarded it is as a modern masterpiece, but the Daily <\/em>Mail <\/em>complained that it was \u2018too quiet with too little movement\u2019. <\/p>\n\n

Despite these early misgivings, there have been numerous recordings of this work. It is, though, a rare visitor to the concert hall, which is surprising given the work\u2019s direct and mesmerising nature. Part of the reason may lie in the challenging orchestral part, which demands more rehearsal time than is usually allocated for a concerto. Equally, the initial reception, by stressing Walton\u2019s purportedly conservative harmonic language, suggested that the composer\u2019s style was old-fashioned at a time when serialism was <\/span>de <\/em>rigueur.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

A bewitching melody incants wistfully over a pulsating vibraphone and harp at the start <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

But this evaluation disregards Walton\u2019s originality. Like Sibelius, Walton evolved a highly individual musical language that is defined by a restless, searching tonality. Even the magical opening theme is cast with augmented intervals that defy conventional tonal categorisation. The keys are f leeting and this unstable tonality is part of the yearning quality that offers a melancholic hue to the first movement. Walton\u2019s style is tightly worked with a contrapuntal f luency that recalls Hindemith, a perfumed orchestral palette that is Ravelian in its allure, with the melodic weave recalling Prokofiev. The composer\u2019s brilliant ear for orchestral balance ensures the cello is never overwhelmed, but that we are constantly caressed by delicate timbres. <\/p>\n\n

Walton exerts a tight grip on the structure and the thematic unity of his Concerto. A bewitching melody incants wistfully over a pulsating vibraphone and harp in the opening, and this glorious wide-ranging melody forms the basis of the movement. A rhythmically rapid \u2013 almost spluttering \u2013 figure begins the fast second movement, but it quickly yields to a lyrical high melody that oscillates with the rhythmic figure, and high harmonic f lurries which, along with the pizzicato triple-stops, add a Mediterranean flavour.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

In the finale \u2013 a Theme and Variations \u2013 Walton explores the principle of pitching the soloist against the orchestra, with two variations allotted to the orchestra and two likewise to the soloist that are unaccompanied. The first of these, marked Risoluto, <\/em>opens with abrasive minor seconds and is rhythmically punchy. In contrast, the second solo variation is marked Rapsodicamente <\/em>and cascades of arpeggio-like figures lean into a lyrical melody written in two parts. A series of trills usher in the orchestra, with the mystical opening theme of the work returning in a haunting guise \u2013 a device also used in Walton\u2019s Viola Concerto and Prokofiev\u2019s First Violin Concerto. <\/p>\n\n

All in all, this unassuming concerto marries an elegant and compelling lyricism with a taut and passionate rhythmic invention, cast in searching tonality and bathed in glimmering orchestral timbres. It\u2019s a simply intoxicating mix. <\/p>\n\n

\n\n

The best recording <\/h4>\n\n

An ideal blend of energy and magic<\/h3>\n\n
\"\"
Fresh and expressive: <\/strong>Daniel M\u00fcller-Schott\u2019s performance is spellbinding <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Daniel M\u00fcller-Schott <\/strong>(cello) <\/em><\/span>
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra\/Andr\u00e9 Previn
Orfeo C 621061A <\/em><\/p>\n\n

During the 20th century, the nature of virtuosity changed, eschewing superficial display in favour of more timbral effects. Part of this is an elevation of expressive colour, something that Walton\u2019s Cello Concerto really demands in applying a vast range of nuance within a phrase. This is effected by a wide palette of vibrato coupled with a supreme control of the arm weight and bow speeds. Naturally, Piatigorsky was renowned for his expressive style, but Walton was less convinced initially about his tempos in the London premiere with Malcolm Sargent. He wrote to Piatigorsky, \u2018Of course, I don\u2019t expect you to adhere rigidly to my tempi, but the discrepancy between your timings and mine are a little too much.\u2019 <\/span>Walton wanted a robust and strong rhythmic definition, and these comments are illuminating regarding performance.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

His own recording with Pierre Fournier and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1959 (available on YouTube) goes at a very brisk pace, at the expense sometimes of clarity. Daniel M\u00fcller-Schott, in his 2006 recording with conductor Andr\u00e9 Previn, achieves exactly this forwardpropelling energy, but equally conjures a quite magical sense of expression, with the gloriously honed tonal palette generated <\/span>from this necessarily wide range of vibrato and bow weight. A simple phrase weaves from strong to a delicate whisper in a fraction of a second.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

His placing of the high notes at the return of the opening theme is exquisite<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

M\u00fcller-Schott\u2019s delivery of the tricky rhythmic material in the second movement is alert and precise with sprung energy, and his ability to fuse this with fast-changing, more lyrical material is quite fantastic. He handles the tempo fluctuations with an assured mastery that are absolutely natural within the musical invention. <\/p>\n\n

The solo variations in the last movement show a multi-faceted characterisation, from a bold depiction of the <\/span>Risoluto <\/em>with fervent double stops to the more ref lective delivery of the <\/span>Rapsodicamente. <\/em>Here, M\u00fcller-Schott\u2019s manipulation of rubato drives the momentum forward while his placing of the high notes at the return of the opening theme is exquisite.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

This is Andr\u00e9 Previn\u2019s second recording of the work (his first was made with Yo-Yo Ma in 1985) and he proves the perfect partner, completely under the skin of this work, securing great warmth and exquisite orchestral timbres from the Oslo Philharmonic, whose superb playing makes this a glorious rendition. <\/p>\n\n

\n\n

Three other great recordings<\/h3>\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n
Paul Tortelier (cello)<\/em><\/h5>\n\n

A composer himself, Tortelier proves acutely aware of the structural and motivic construction of this concerto, bringing great clarity to the interpretation. He follows Walton\u2019s performance style, taking the opening at a relatively swift speed, Paavo Berglund and the Bournemouth Symphony adding expressive and incisive partnership. The 1973 recording (remastered) has a bloom, unlike the early Piatigorsky versions. Tortelier really excels in the fast passages where the French school of bowing adds brilliance with a tangible energy. (Warner Classics 573 3712) <\/em><\/p>\n\n

\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n
Steven Isserlis (cello) <\/em><\/h5>\n\n

Isserlis is renowned for his poetic playing, and in this 2016 interpretation his ear for colour and tonal variety blossoms. The opening tempo moves the musical narrative forward while allowing for expressive nuance. Isserlis brings flawless rhythmic precision and energy to the fast second movement, but savours the flurries of harmonics and lyrical invention. The solo variations are vividly realised, and are both fiery and reflective. Conductor Paavo J\u00e4rvi brings much detail and colour to thePhilharmonia\u2019s orchestral partnership, though the recording sounds a little constricted. <\/span>(Hyperion CDA 68077)<\/em><\/p>\n\n

\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n
Jamie Walton (cello)<\/em><\/h5>\n\n

An ambient sound complements a warm and eloquent rendition from Jamie Walton, with a lovely ear for orchestral colour from conductor Alexander Briger and, again, the Philharmonia. By turns, Walton juxtaposes a cool beauty of tone with more impassioned playing in this 2010 recording. In the Rapsodicamente, <\/em>he brings the improvisatory element to the fore with great fluidity and lyricism. He hauntingly recalls the wistful return of the opening melody but elects to perform the 1975 revision, which largely removes the cello until the final nine bars with the orchestra taking the melodic line. (Signum SIGCD 220) <\/em><\/p>\n\n

\n\n

And one to avoid\u2026 <\/h4>\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

American cellist Mark Kosower\u2019s 2006 interpretation with the Oregon Symphony Orchestra and James DePreist offers some fantastic moments. The laboured opening, though, spoils the first movement\u2019s magical invention, and the second movement also feels a little deliberate, although the Lento <\/em>of the third movement has some fine expressive playing. The solo Risoluto, <\/em>however, lacks a sense of natural flow. <\/p>\n\n

<\/div>
\n

Continue the journey\u2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We suggest five further works to explore after Walton\u2019s Cello Concerto<\/em><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Hindemith champion:<\/strong> Johannes Moser plays a work Piatigorsky and Walton admired <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Piatigorsky wrote to Hindemith<\/span><\/strong> <\/em>in 1940, \u2018I believe your concerto is the greatest and most brilliant ever written so far.\u2019 Its totally idiomatic cello writing and supreme control of motivic texture and structure is complemented by its clear orchestration and expressive neo-classicism. Walton used the theme of the Concerto\u2019s second movement for his Variations on a Theme by Hindemith. <\/em>(Johannes Moser (cello); Deutsche Radio <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Philharmonie Saarbr\u00fccken Kaiserslautern\/ Christoph Poppen H\u00e4nssler HAEN93276) <\/em>In <\/span>Rautavaara\u2019s<\/span><\/strong> <\/em>second cello concerto, <\/span>Towards the Horizon <\/em>(2009), continuous mystic cello melodies soar over piquantly expressive orchestral harmonies. Divinely scrunchy doublestops open the work and return at the close, as the cello\u2019s last utterances climb way beyond the fingerboard, towards an ethereal close. (Truls M\u00f8rk (cello); Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra\/John Storg\u00e5rds <\/span>Ondine ODE 11782)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A perfumed shimmering impressionism graces the harmonies of Delius\u2019s<\/span><\/strong> <\/em>Cello Concerto (1921) \u2013 Delius likens these to \u2018the after-glow of the sun sinking in the west\u2026 the stars emerging and fainting away as the moon rises\u2019. It is an exquisite soundbath of colours with a melismatic cello melody magically sauntering above the orchestral timbres. (Paul Watkins (cello); BBC Symphony Orchestra\/Andrew Davis Chandos CHSA5094) <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A perfumed shimmering impressionism graces Delius\u2019s Cello Concerto <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The haunting opening cello melody of Weinberg\u2019s <\/span><\/strong><\/em>1956 Concerto eloquently expresses the loss and trauma of the preceding decades due to the ravages of war. An element of folk music also colours the melodic invention \u2013 the composer\u2019s Jewish background comes to the fore in a klezmer-like theme in the second movement. A robust rondo defines the Finale with an ascending scalic figure heralding a return to the mesmerisingly sad opening theme. (Nicolas Altstaedt (cello); Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin\/Michal Nesterowicz Channel Classics CCS 38116) <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Weinberg, Myaskovsky<\/span><\/strong> <\/em>endured significant personal trauma which likewise colours his achingly poignant, melancholic melodies. The gloriously melodic Cello Concerto (1945) is his best-known work, the chromatic Romanticism of its opening compelling, with a lighter vigorous Allegro <\/em>ensuing. A virtuosic cadenza leads to a return of the autumnal cello theme, which ends on a pianissimo <\/em>high G. Nostalgia and regret infuse the whole. (Mischa Maisky (cello); Russian National Orchestra\/Mikhail Pletnev Deutsche Grammophon 486 1020) <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Building a Library <\/strong>is broadcast on Radio 3 at 9.30am each Saturday as part of Record Review. <\/em>A highlights podcast is available on BBC Sounds.<\/p>\n\n

UWE ARENS, GETTY<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BUILDING A LIBRARY William WaltonCello Concerto Jo Talbot introduces one of the English composer\u2019s most beguiling yet underestimated scores, and finds the recordings which do it justice The work \u2018You know I failed my composition exam at Oxford University,\u2019 laughed William Walton when he appeared on Desert Island Discs in 1982. But Walton had the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":19679,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"80","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"80","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_80-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_80-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"November-2022","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"November-2022","purple_external_id":"November-2022-80-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"November-2022-80-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000086188||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000086188||","purple_android_product":"com.im.bbcmusic.380","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.bbcmusic.380","purple_ios_product":"com.im.bbcmusic.380","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.bbcmusic.380","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"5b9287a1-9911-4f59-a9d7-30a805560f3d","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2022-10-06T09:45:02Z","apple_news_article-theme":"","apple_news_api_id":"df718e2d-5125-4f33-834b-2e8b0a091e73","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2022-10-06T09:45:02Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/A33GOLVElTzODSy6LCgkecw","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":true,"apple_news_is_preview":true,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_article_theme":"","apple_news_sections":"[]"},"categories":[90],"tags":[13],"apple_news_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/2bc93c14-aea7-4bdb-83dd-0eb454ce6d68-e1664532544191.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"11","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/2bc93c14-aea7-4bdb-83dd-0eb454ce6d68-e1664532544191.jpg",644,432,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/2bc93c14-aea7-4bdb-83dd-0eb454ce6d68-e1664532544191-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/2bc93c14-aea7-4bdb-83dd-0eb454ce6d68-e1664532544191-300x201.jpg",300,201,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/2bc93c14-aea7-4bdb-83dd-0eb454ce6d68-e1664532544191.jpg",644,432,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/2bc93c14-aea7-4bdb-83dd-0eb454ce6d68-e1664532544191.jpg",644,432,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/2bc93c14-aea7-4bdb-83dd-0eb454ce6d68-e1664532544191.jpg",644,432,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/2bc93c14-aea7-4bdb-83dd-0eb454ce6d68-e1664532544191.jpg",644,432,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"BUILDING A LIBRARY William WaltonCello Concerto Jo Talbot introduces one of the English composer\u2019s most beguiling yet underestimated scores, and finds the recordings which do it justice The work \u2018You know I failed my composition exam at Oxford University,\u2019 laughed William Walton when he appeared on Desert Island Discs in 1982. But Walton had the…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19688"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19688"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19688\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20344,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19688\/revisions\/20344"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}