Walton: Ballets

 

In the physical media liner notes, Christopher Palmer really lays out the idea that Sir William Walton's only full ballet, The Quest, is a sub-par composition rather thickly. Walton was forced into a short time-frame, the subject of the ballet was nonsensical, the composer didn't much care for many of the aspects of the production, etc, etc.

Really, I don't think any apologies are necessary. After my first listening of this recording, my wife exclaimed 'I really enjoyed The Quest!', and I must concur with her assessment. It may not be the most memorable score, however it is quite exciting and adventurous, and the musical ideas sustained across its 40-minute runtime are solid and instantly attractive.

Sure, the symbolist, fantastical plot is strange, but who goes to a ballet for its strong storytelling features; audiences rely on the dancers and music for that. Plus, the third-scene Theme and Variations set to each of the Seven Deadly Sins is an wildly inspired choice, one I am surprised no one had come up with before this.

Dear reader, ignore the waffling and apologizing. The Quest is a perfectly wonderful orchestral ballet score, given plenty of life from the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Bryden Thomson for Chandos' Walton series.

The Wise Virgins is another ballet, but set to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, of which, Sir William orchestrated for the purpose of stage music. While I expected to sit through six Bach numbers, mostly taken from his cantatas, I didn't expect to enjoy myself so much. Sure, Bach, the Baroque Era composer, is elaborated into a 20th Century symphony orchestra, but it is done with so much love and color.

Bach is one of those composers who rarely specified instrumentations, thus his music can fit a wide array of treatments. Walton doesn't get too wild with percussion and unusual instruments, but strings, winds, brass, and harp are prevalent throughout. If Romanticized Bach is anathema to you, you might scoff at Walton's orchestration, but I find them fairly convincing, certainly for a 20th Century ballet setting.

I noticed David Lloyd-Jones edited a score of the complete Wise Virgins score in 2012, which came with nine numbers, whereas this recording only has six parts, with Thomson presenting the concert Suite. While it would be nice to have the complete version, found on ASV with Barry Wordsworth, what we are missing is the opening Wachet Auf!, The Savior is Born Today, and a complete repeat of the first movement from the Suite (third in the ballet), and repeated much later on in the ballet. Not even David Lloyd-Jones on Naxos recorded the complete ballet in his performance.

Speaking of David Lloyd-Jones, he recorded both The Quest and The Wise Virgins on Naxos, an almost identical duplication of Bryden Thomson's program here, but adds Siesta as a short intermezzo between the ballet scores. Some prefer the leaner, more incisive sound of the English Northern Philharmonia there, but I am generally allied to Thomson's LPO in the St. Jude's-on-the-Hill acoustic, making for a grand orchestral sound.

Either way, I think these under-performed ballets from William Walton are well deserving of hearing, especially The Quest, found here in its complete form. Your feelings of orchestrated Bach in The Wise Virgins will land on personal tastes, although I found them rather lovingly portrayed by Walton.

 

 

 

Works
The Quest (41.56)
The Wise Virgins (19.46)

Ensemble
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Bryden Thomson, conductor

Label: Chandos
Year: 1990
Total Timing: 61.49

 

 

 

I did not expect to enjoy this recording of William Walton's ballets quite as much as I did.

Check out David Lloyd-Jones' performance on Naxos as well, as I understand he is a little swifter than Thomson.

For me, I am happy with what is here!

 

 

 

 

Find more Walton recordings HERE!