William Walton - Portsmouth Point Overture* • Siesta • Music for Children • Suite - The Quest • Sinfonia Concertante with piano obbligato • Scapino, A Comedy Overture • Capriccio Burlesco
London Symphony Orchestra
Label: Lyrita
No recording information available for this CD |
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"... a very valuable addition to the Walton discography, particularly when the sound is outstanding, among the finest of its period. The ten little pieces of the Music for Children are delightfully done, with the subtleties of the instrumentation beautifully brought out, so that the final ‘Alla Marcia’ becomes quite a demonstration piece with its contrasting fanfares for horns and trumpets. It is good too to have the suite which Vilem Tausky drew from Walton’s wartime ballet, The Quest … it certainly makes a colourful and very characteristic suite in this brief form, superbly played by the LSO. Walton in his late sixties may have been a more relaxed conductor than he had been earlier, but with his feeling for rhythms and line he still provides unique insights" Edward Greenfield, Gramophone
"Walton’s life-enhancing overture, Portsmouth Point, receives what must be the benchmark reading on this disc. Zappy and brimming over with life, the LPO plays its heart out for the composer. Rhythms are spot-on and angular melodies bristle with energy. The work was inspired by an etching by Thomas Rowlandson and the music captures to perfection the colourful hustle and bustle of the sketch. Portsmouth Point was Walton’s first successful orchestral work and it is not hard to hear why. The music is full of infectious, jazzy, spiky rhythms à la Stravinsky" Colin Clarke, www.musicweb-international.com Click here to read the full review
"The main work on the disc is the Sinfonia Concertante, given here in its (1943) revised version. This receives an outstanding performance - again, it is possible to envisage a sharper rhythmic profile, more driving tempi for the outer movements. Yet the opening echoes of Stravinsky come across vividly and the lyrical string writing is as expressive as could be wished for ..." Owen E. Walton, www.musicweb-international.com Click here to read the full review
"With the composer himself on the podium, these performances are as close to definitive as makes no difference. Most of the music here is mostly the young Walton at his funniest and friskiest, and these performances are unfailingly witty and delightful ..." James Leonard, www.allmusic.com Click here to read the full review |
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