Walton: Battle of Britain

 

If Sir William Walton's symphonic, orchestral, concertante, and choral music is all of high quality, not to mention pretty approachable by and large, it should come as no surprise that the composer's contributions to film music is a whole lot of fun.

A Wartime Sketchbook is a compilation by Christopher Palmer of smaller pieces from various films scored by Walton, ones which have long ago fallen by the wayside. In this way, the work is akin to the Waltz Suite by Sergei Prokofiev or the Ballet Suites and The Young Lady and the Hooligan from Dmitri Shostakovich. A Wartime Sketchbook offers a lighter side to WWII, including dances, jazz, and intimate moments not normally afforded serious wartime propaganda films. The curious Striptease movement is the only bit of exoticism on this entire recording.

The film suite taken from Escape Me Never is more atmospheric, musically setting the scenes in Venice and the Dolomites with shepherd's oboes and cowbells. The Three Sisters suite is much shorter, but offers up a familiar tune or two for the listener.

Apparently, Walton's music to the Battle of Britain film was wholly cut, although contractually, the two excerpts on this album were famously kept in the movie. I believe you can still find the original rejected Walton score on record elsewhere, for those interested.

The Spitfire Prelude and Fugue will be familiar to fans of Walton. I recently heard a performance from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra led by Sir Charles Groves, and I commented on how the Liverpudlians played as if their lives depended on it. Here, Sir Neville Marriner's Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields is a more polished group in comparison to Liverpool, yet the Academy doesn't lack any power whatsoever, even if they are one of the slowest performances on record comparatively.

The rest of the program is full of excitement and orchestral color, par for the course in the hands of Sir William Walton. Sir Neville does Sir William's music full justice, never feeling underplayed at any moment. The Chandos sonics make the Academy sound muscular and energetic as well.

Yes, I am starting with Volume 2 in Marriner's Chandos Walton series, but this volume is different from the others in its lack of narration. Thus, I though I would begin here.

 

 

 

Works
A Wartime Sketchbook (25.10)
Escape Me Never: Suite (11.21)
The Three Sisters: Suite (8.13)
Battle of Britain: Suite (11.28)
Prelude and Fugue 'Spitfire' (8.38)

Ensemble
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Sir Neville Marriner, conductor

Label: Chandos
Year: 1990
Total Timing: 65.06

 

 

 

I would not be surprised if all of the Walton film music series received full marks from me.

This volume contains no narration, so I think it will probably be the most preferred by a wide audience.

That, and these performances are excellent!

 

 

 

 

Find more Walton recordings HERE!