Walton: Christopher Columbus

 

Christopher Columbus was a 1940s 2 - 3 hour radio play starring Sir Laurence Olivier as the titular boatswain. As the liner notes explain, this was a large production meant to buoy spirits during WWII. This Musical Journey takes Sir William Walton's hour-long score and compacts the narration to fit a shorter runtime completely with music. As some of the orchestral music is simply underscoring, the choice of providing spoken word o'er top of the music was probably the correct one.

I love these sorts of works, although I will admit Christopher Columbus is both fun and silly. The fun comes from Walton's music, which is a mix of robust orchestral settings, Belshazzar's Feast-inspired choral music, and intimate vocal solos, much of which leans into the plot's Spanish locale. There are a few choral/vocal patter songs which are unusual, ones where the singers latch onto a word and sing or speak them rhythmically. An interesting choice...

The work itself is divided into two parts. The first follows Columbus as he attempts to get approval to find The New World, while the second portion deals with the travails of setting sail for The New World. 

I mentioned silly at the top, and that is where the 1942 spoken drama comes into play. Amidst Columbus' courting of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, the former aloof and the latter shrewd, a love story is thrown into the mix. I am oft reminded of Howard Keel in any of his movie musicals, where he plays a strong-armed lover.

When land is finally sighted, with Columbus having to continually raise the spirits of his crew, the listener is offered a cringe-inducing musical number from the native peoples on shore. This, I assume, leads to the future colonization of the pre-Industrial societies and the introduction of Christianity in The New World. Suffice to say, this production would not be suitable for Indigenous Peoples Day.

The portrayal of Christopher Columbus and the ever-present Voice of Doubt is covered by Julian and Jamie Glover, a father/son acting set. Columbus proclaims to everyone in a stentorian voice, again, not unlike Howard Keel, a musical actor who uses his loudest voice no matter how close those who he is speaking to is. The singers Jean Rigby and Caroline Carragher perform double duty as vocal soloists and spoken characterization. Carragher is a touch uncomfortably high-pitched in vocal tone as Queen Isabella, but both do a fine enough job considering they aren't voice actors. Plus, we have the presence of Thomas Randle and Roderick Williams in male singing roles.

The best news is the performing ensembles are excellent. The BBC National Chorus of Wales characterizes excellently, no matter whether they are singing robust sea shanties or devout Gregorian Chant. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales provides strong support to the proceedings, adding color and dramatics as needed. Of course, Richard Hickox is an expert in these sorts of large-scale cantatas, bringing off the music in the best light possible.

And that brings me back to my initial feelings. The music from William Walton is a lot of fun, nothing mandatory or serious, but fun. The music is tied to the rather silly spoken tale of Christopher Columbus from the perspective of 1942, the 450th Anniversary of the Columbus Voyage. The voice actors don't hold back the silliness either, yet the music is played for high drama, and effectively so. No, the narration isn't separately tracked, so entangled is the story with the music.

Lest I forget, as an extra, the listener is treated to Muir Matheson's arrangement of the 12-minute Hamlet and Ophelia. Of the three Sir Laurence Olivier Shakespeare films with Walton in the music score seat, Hamlet was my least favorite. This shorter excerpt certainly picks up on the tragic aspects of the characters and their relationship, thus its dour music lays in stark contrast to the huzzah of Christopher Columbus.

The Chandos SACD sonics are excellent and the complete spoken and sung texts are provided in full.

 

Works
Christopher Columbus (58.44)
Hamlet & Ophelia (12.27)

Soloists
Julian Glover, narrator
Jamie Glover, narrator
Caroline Carragher, soprano
Jean Rigby, mezzo-soprano
Thomas Randle, tenor
Roderick Williams, baritone

Craig Ogden, guitar

Ensemble
BBC National Chorus of Wales
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Sir Richard Hickox, conductor

Label: Chandos
Year: 2005
Total Timing: 71.15

 

For my own tastes, I could easily give this recording a top rating, yet I realize this presentation won't have wide appeal. The story and acting is silly, while the music is hit and miss, if not effective for its time and plot.

Hickox and the BBC Wales performers do an excellent job with the material nonetheless.

 

 

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