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Walton: Viola Concerto, Sonata for String Orchestra & Partita for Orchestra

4/6/2018, 10 Tracks, 1:05:43

Featuring

  • Edward Gardner
  • James Ehnes
  • BBC Symphony Orchestra
  • Sir William Walton

Did you know?

1/7

Critical Reception

The Viola Concerto was initially rejected by its intended performer, Lionel Tertis, who found its modernity disturbing, but he later became one of its distinguished advocates.

Source: Booklet

Recording & Production

The viola used by James Ehnes in this recording was made around 1740 by Carlo Bergonzi and is on loan from Beare Violins Ltd.

Source: Booklet

Composer Biography

William Walton, the composer, first gained recognition in the early 1920s as a 'bright young thing' with his 'entertainment' piece, Façade.

Source: Booklet

Composition History

Walton's Partita for Orchestra was commissioned for the 40th anniversary of the Cleveland Orchestra and composed between April and October 1957, after delays due to other works and a car accident.

Source: Booklet

Notable Performances

The first performance of Walton's Viola Concerto was given by violist-composer Paul Hindemith in October 1929 at a Promenade Concert in London, with the composer conducting.

Source: Booklet

Composition History

Walton's Viola Concerto was written in 1928–29 at the suggestion of conductor Thomas Beecham, with virtuoso Lionel Tertis in mind.

Source: Booklet

Compositional Technique

The Viola Concerto has an unusual shape, possibly influenced by Prokofiev's First Violin Concerto, featuring a moderately paced first movement, a central scherzo, and a fast finale that references the opening.

Source: Booklet

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©℗ 2018 Chandos