William Walton: Symphonies No. 1 & 2

On this CD:

1. Symphony No. 1 in B flat minor
Composed by William Walton
Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy

2. Symphony No. 2
Composed by William Walton
Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy

Tracks:

Symphony No.1 In B Flat Minor: I. Allegro Assai - Philharmonia Orchestra
Symphony No.1 In B Flat Minor: II. Presto, Con Malizia - Philharmonia Orchestra
Symphony No.1 In B Flat Minor: III. Andante Con Malinconia - Philharmonia Orchestra
Symphony No.1 In B Flat Minor: IV. Maestoso: Brioso Ed Ardentemente - Philharmonia Orchestra
Cello Concerto: I. Moderato - Paul Tortelier
Cello Concerto: II. Allegro Appassionato - Paul Tortelier
Cello Concerto: III. Lento - Allegro Molto - Paul Tortelier

Tracks:

Symphony No.2: I. Allegro Molto - Andre Previn
Symphony No.2: II. Lento Assai - Andre Previn
Symphony No.2: III. Passacaglia: Theme Variations, Fugata & Coda - Scherzando - Andre Previn
Overture: Portsmouth Point - Andre Previn
Comedy Overture: Scapino - Andre Previn
Violin Concerto: I. Andante Tranquillo - Ida Haendel
Violin Concerto: II. Presto Capriccioso A La Napolitana - Ida Haendel
Violin Concerto: III. Vivace - Ida Haendel

Customer Reviews:

Making a case for the curious Walton.......2006-05-24

The amusingly splenetic review listed below will mystify newcomers to Walton. He is revered as a pioneering modernist in England, aging into a thorny national institution. Walton's idiom was brash and macho, but touched by romanticism and forever faithful to tonality. In America his equivalent would be William Schuman, equally aggressive but timid as modernism goes.

Both composers survive through a handful of works. Depending on how you look at it, Walton was lucky or unlucky to strike gold once only in each genre: he wrote one great film score (Henry V), one march (Crown Imperial), one overture (Portsmouth Point), one concerto (for viola), and one symphony (the First). His multiple attempts to follow up these successes generally fell flat.

For some listeners, however, Walton's entire output is despicable. Either they are offended by his "ripoffs from Sibelius," as our raging reviewer calls them--Walton was a magpie of scraps from better composers. Or else his music just falls badly on the ear. I certainly feel that way about Belshazzar's Feast, a beloved choral staple in the UK that makes my skin crawl, as does Walton's sophisticated whimsy in Facade, set to poetic trifles by Edith Sitwell. Sit well is what his music often doesn't.

I find that Haitink's civilized version of Sym. #1 makes a good case for it by erasing some of its bluntness and malice (yes, Walton's harsher music strikes some critics as outright malicious). It is better recorded and played than Previn's Telarc version with the Royal Phil. I also enjoyed the brief Portsmouth Point, but you have to be a Walton fan to get much from the other works on this bargain two-fer. Even the beloved Ida Haendel couldn't get me to warm up to the violin concreto. I like Walton's first tries and that's about it.

Feeble and Embarrassing Eclecticism!.......2005-07-10

I had the great misfortune to listen to the Walton Symphony No. 1 recently. Although I am not generally a fan of English composers after Purcell, I wanted to be openminded and listened to the entire piece. It was extremely difficult not to burst out laughing at the beginning and end of the slow movement, since both are shamelessly plagiarized from the slow movement of the Sibelius Fourth. The finale began with a similarly laughable rip-off from a Sibelius finale, and proceeded to a deadpan academic fugato (!!!!) -- shades of neo-Victorianism, the ghost of Mendelssohn and Handel, no doubt? -- but most preposterous of all is the end of the finale. After bars and bars of deafeningly loud clangor, for little internal musical or logical reason, we are treated to yet another Sibelius rip-off: namely a borrowing of the end of the finale of the Sibelius Fifth (i.e. stark, individual chords isolated from each other by silences). The score is loaded with tawdry, agogic effects-for-effects' sake, reminding one that Walton made his bread by film music. This is the musical equivalent of "cold spaghetti on toast," something only consumed in the UK. If you can think this helpless eclecticism and cheap striving for effects is serious musical modernity, you obviously have no understanding of real modernism (i.e. Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, Stravinsky, Boulez... all coincidentally not English!). The sad thing is that Walton felt obliged to put these silly Sibelius rip-offs in to legitimize himself within a backward, anti-modern un-musical province whose idolatry of Sibelius is mystifying (although perhaps it fits with the equally mystifying English worship of Handel's Messiah and of poor academic Mendelssohn, who wrote his worst music in England, like the dreadful "St. Paul"). Even among English quasi-"moderns," this piece is inferior to Tippett's first two symphonies, or some of Britten's better work; nor can it hold a candle to Elgar at his best. If one wants "moderate modernism" (i.e. not atonality), there are still far better 20th century tonal composers to be discovered, like Roussel, Nielsen, Enesco, or some of Martinu... (I found myself longing for even the honest trashiness of, say, Copland's Third Symphony, which is vulgar but at least vividly so.) - A piece of sheer musical perversity. -

Great Music, Dumb Programming.......2003-09-09

First, the music on this set is very good. The proximate reason for my buying it was hearing Sym #2 in the car, and it was so interesting I stayed sitting in the car until the end to see what this wonderful, romantic yet modern music was. But this set, like most such 2-fers, and even many full priced discs, suffers from dumb programming. It's as though the manufacturers think merely cramming a bunch of music onto a disc creates a good value. On each of these discs, the big symphony is first and the concertos are last, making 2 decidedly anti-climactic and unsatisfactory listening experiences. I won't even go into 2 overtures in a row AFTER a big symphony! Silly will suffice. This all leads me to a couple of conclusions. One is that the folks who make classical CD's have never been to a concert, because if they had, they would know the big symhony is always last. Second, is that they never listen to the discs they make, again, because if they did, and possessed an ounce of common sense, they would notice how anti-climactically frustrating their programming is. They might also notice, big fluctuations in volume between pieces, adding to the annoying properties of their work. In short, this is still good music, but program it yourself.

FEW ALTONIAN ALTERNATIVES TO THIS RELEASE!.......2000-12-22

Yet another gem in the budget firmament: A riveting "two-fer" from the EMI Double Forte catalogue, completely cost efficient, fully-packed with absolutely prime Walton--- no, make that essential Walton--- top-notch performances of each and every work, and excellent sound throughout. Haitink's reading of Symphony No. 1, with the Philharmonia, is a taut, arching, powerfully sustained fifty-one minute excursion into orchestral flourish and color, held beautifully together by its "Andante Con Malinconia" third movement. The more generally moody, less exhuberant Symphony No. 2 finds complete empathy in Previn's hands, the LSO playing just gloriously.

Both concertos--- balancing Walton's romantic ideals with his pronounced 20th century leanings--- find warmly brilliant advocates in cellist Tortelier, violinist Ida Haendel, conductor Berglund and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

The overtures, rhythmically good-natured, are excellent additions and rollicking fun under Previn.

[Running time--- CD 1: 78:04 CD 2: 73:24]

Average customer rating:

William Walton: Symphonies No. 1 & 2

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000E4Y4
Release Date: 1993-03-16

Average customer rating:

Outstanding
A good CD, but could be better.
Phenomenal Recording

Organs of Duke Chapel

Manufacturer: Gothic Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000003J9Q
Release Date: 1997-03-18

Tracks:

Praise the Lord with Drums and Cymbals
Sinfonia from Cantata No. 29
Grand Choeur dialogue
Hymn to Joy
Rondeau
Variations on Simple Gifts
Fantasy in G major
Water Music: Allegro Maestoso from the Water Music
Water Music: Minuet and Trio from the Water Music
In dir ist Freude (In thee is gladness)
Meditation on Adoro te devote
Les Cloches de Hinckley
Crown Imperial
Toccata from Symphony No. 5

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2004-09-09

This is an outstanding CD of the two large organs of Duke Chapel. The Aeolian organ is very orchestral while the Flentrop organ is modeled after typical Dutch organs. I especially enjoyed the first three selections. The Grand Choeur is very well performed, and so is the Sinfonia to Cantata 29. However, there are times when it seems that the organ is a bit too powerful. I also enjoyed the performer's arrangement of "In thee is Gladness". I would recommend this CD to anyone who enjoys listening to organ music or anyone who visits the chapel in person but does not get the opportunity to hear the organs in person!

A good CD, but could be better........2002-11-13

I felt that the pieces played on the Flentrop organ were really nice, a testament to that famous Dutch organbuilder, but the pieces played on the Aeolian organ did not live up to my expectations. I think it might have been a bad placement of the microphones or the wrong type. It was an interesting contrast between the two organs but I felt that the Aeolian was not up to the challenge. I also did not like the final piece, the Toccata by Widor. This piece is played frequently and as such many organ lovers here it many, many times. Consequently, I think I have become an expert as to which recordings are good and which are bad. The Flentrop is a large organ but was not constructed with French Romantic music in mind and so really sounds out of place, especially in the pedal department. With out any 32' stops and manual stop action, as well as not being voiced in the French style, it is kind of hard to get the correct effect. A good CD, but could be better.

Phenomenal Recording.......2000-08-21

Gothic's reputation for wonderful recordings of church music, particularly organ music, will only be enhanced by this CD of music by Duke organist David Arcus. Dr. Arcus's excellent improvisational skills shine through in this unique and diverse combination of organ pieces, including a few of his own arrangements.

Dr. Arcus brings forth the best qualities of each instrument as well, and playfully interprets oft-recited pieces to give them newness and to emphasize the genius of their composers.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

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