Walton: Improvisations on an Impromptu of Benjamin Britten, Cello Concerto & Symphony No. 2

Featuring

Edward Gardner
Paul Watkins
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Sir William Walton

Did you know?

1/7

Composer's Artistic Vision

William Walton's later music, while appearing relaxed, often contains an undertow of disquiet and melancholy, requiring concentrated listening to reveal its inner meanings.

Recording & Production

This Chandos recording uses 24-bit / 96 kHz technology, which offers a dynamic range up to 48 dB greater and 256 times the resolution of standard 16-bit recordings.

Composition History

William Walton's Second Symphony was initially commissioned in 1955 by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society to mark the city's 750th anniversary.

Composer Biography

After World War II, William Walton, a British composer, settled on the Italian island of Ischia with his Argentinean wife, Susana.

Composer Biography

William Walton famously responded to the offer for his Cello Concerto commission with: 'I'm a professional composer. I'll write anything for anybody if he pays me' adding, 'I write much better if they pay me in dollars'.

Performer Biography

Paul Watkins, the cellist on this recording, plays a cello made by Domenico Montagnana and Matteo Goffriller in Venice around 1730.

Composition History

William Walton's Cello Concerto was commissioned by the great Russian-American cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, possibly at the suggestion of Jascha Heifetz, who had commissioned Walton's Violin Concerto.