Walton: Symphony 1

 

It gives me great pleasure to come back to this work and recording once again. In the review I posted below, I hadn't come to terms with William Walton's Symphony no. 1, however, I have nothing but praise for the work now.

Walton's symphony is a wonderful musical conception. It is both modern and approachable, filmic yet complex; altogether a marvelous 20th-Century statement in absolute symphonic terms. Despite inner-movement musical instructions of malice and melancholy, the music is not all doom and gloom either, and Walton's orchestrations are quite colorful and varied.

André Previn's 60's performance with the London Symphony Orchestra still stands as a wonderful tribute to both conductor and ensemble, never relenting in Walton's many musical turns and textures. I greatly prefer this one to Previn's later recording with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

The pairing of Ralph Vaughan Williams' Wasps Overture is unexpected. Perhaps this team-up were preparing these for performance at the time. It is certainly not unwanted. I still own the CD with the cover above, however, times have moved on and new covers have shown up on LP and through streaming. I included that image at the bottom of this post.

Despite my original review below, this recording and these performances are an unadulterated success. It certainly earns the concept of reference recording.

A review from 2020

Have recently listened to Sir Arthur Bliss’ Colour Symphony on Chandos, I hear many similarities between Bliss and Sir William Walton’s sound in his Symphony No. 1, although Walton is probably the more masterful composer. Both write in a late-Romantic symphonic style, although I find Walton gives in much more to dissonance, both are rather blustery, grim settings, although Walton’s b-flat minor key is angularly angrier than Bliss, and both composers are good with short motivic cells, Walton finding excellent material that returns in his outer movements.

I unfortunately find little joy in Walton’s biting, dour symphonic setting. Acerbic and stinging, this music is relentless in its moodiness, and with instructions of malice and melancholy, vividly showing Walton’s intent. I do enjoy a bit of the bustling first movement theme and the finale’s jazzy, syncopated melody is joyfully triumphant, but the fourth movement fugue is almost as unappealing as Bliss’ fourth movement tone row fugue. In admiration though, Walton does give a full-blooded experience that wears its heart on its sleeve and is never less than exciting throughout.

I unabashedly appreciate the singular vigour given to Walton’s Symphony by André Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra from the 60’s. Their playing thrusts forward and is acid etched by Previn’s leadership, a thrillingly spiky performance. The brass blasts forth from the ensemble for sheer thrills, and the ensemble really digs in throughout, the 2nd movement Scherzo being an experience for the ages. In Previn’s revisit of Walton’s symphony with the RPO on Telarc 20 years later, he does indeed buff the edges of the music, and while some might prefer Telarc's more luxurious reading, but I think miss the tooth and claw from this performance.

Through speakers, BMG/RCA’s sound shows some harshness, even in its remastering, but the hard edge does aid this performance’s cutting sound. On headphones however, the ensemble is forwardly clear, with plenty of space around the sound, and the taut playing is wonderfully captured, but this could have mixed results depending on how you listen. This recording did get another foreign remastering from RCA Japan, and it is coupled with Walton’s famous viola concerto with Yuri Bashmet on viola; a far more apt pairing than what is here.

Ralph Vaughan Williams Overture to The Wasps is an odd coupling to Walton’s Symphony, but it gets the same treatment from Previn and the LSO, here from the 70’s. More bubbly friendliness exudes from this overture, the buzzing wasps are an enjoyable treat, and VW’s tunefulness is never far away. Previn doesn’t just one-off this 8 minute filler, it gets just as much energy and colour from the LSO as Walton’s Symphony. Of course, now you can find the entire Wasps on Hallé with Mark Elder.

I need to spend more time with Walton’s first Symphony to gain appreciation of its qualities; time will tell if it grows on me. No appreciation is needed, however, to understand the high quality performance this music is given: no smoothing of edges, no held back reticence, just all-in stakes from everyone involved.

Works
Walton: Symphony 1 (43.00)
RVW: Wasps: Overture (8.54)

Ensembles
London Symphony Orchestra
André Previn, conductor

Label: RCA
Year: 1972; 1988
Total Timing: 51.54

Walton's First Symphony easily sits in a Top 10 of 20th Century symphonies.

Add to that a scorching performance from London and Previn, and you have a must-hear situation.

Find more Walton recordings HERE!