Walton, (Sir) William (Turner)

Walton, (Sir) William (Turner) (b Oldham, 1902; d Forio d'Ischia, 1983). Eng. composer. Son of choirmaster and singing-teacher. Chorister at Christ Church Cath. Sch., Oxford, 1912–18, during which time wrote anthems and songs. Wrote pf. qt. 1918–21. ‘Adopted’ as a brother by Osbert, Sacheverell, and Edith Sitwell, 1919, living with them in London and It. Comp. first version of Façade, instr. accs. to recited poems by Edith Sit-well, in 1921, f.p. London (privately) 1922. Str. qt. played at Salzburg 1923. Made jazz arrs. for Savoy Orpheans, 1923. Public perf. of Façade 1923 caused furore. Ov. Portsmouth Point perf. at Zurich 1926. Came into wider prominence in 1929 with va. conc., f.p. at Promenade concert with Hindemith as soloist. This was followed at 1931 Leeds Fest. by dramatic cantata Belshazzar's Feast. In 1934 1st Sym. was perf. without finale, which was added 1935. Next large-scale work was vn. conc. commissioned by Heifetz, 1939. Wrote mus. for film of Shaw's Major Barbara, 1940, followed by several other wartime film scores, best-known being that for The First of the Few (1942), story of building of Spitfire fighter aircraft, and Olivier's Henry V (1944). Next major work was str. qt., 1947. From 1948 to 1954 was engaged on large-scale opera, Troilus and Cressida, prod. CG 1954. Followed by vc. conc. for Piatigorsky, 2nd Sym., Variations on a Theme of Hindemith, a 1-act ‘extravaganza’ The Bear, based on Chekhov, and shorter works. From 1948 lived in Ischia, Bay of Naples. Knighted 1951. OM 1967.

Walton's mus., although it was at first regarded in Eng. as that of an enfant terrible because of Façade and the ‘jazz-age’ influence on his early works, remained remarkably consistent. It is fundamentally lyrical and romantic, with two basic ingredients: a pungent, spiky rhythmic impetus, with wide intervals and tangy harmonies, and a brooding melancholy. It is as if two influences were perpetually at war in his nature: the 20th-cent. Stravinsky-Prokofiev strain and the 19th-cent. Elgar. His true qualities can be discerned in Façade, a masterpiece which never ‘dates’, because it is musically so good and true. Almost alone among later Eng. composers, he successfully wore the Elgarian pomp-and-circumstance mantle, as in his two Coronation Marches, much of the film mus., and parts of Belshazzar's Feast, but the finest of his works—the 3 concs., the 1st Sym., the Hindemith Variations, Belshazzar, The Bear, and parts of Troilus and Cressida—have a powerful individuality in which the opposing strains are successfully reconciled. All his mus. is fastidiously fashioned and it has a Mediterranean luxuriousness which is reconciled to the robust qualities of a composer whose place in the history of 20th-cent. Eng. mus. is high and important. Prin. works:OPERAS: Troilus and Cressida (1947–54, rev. 1963, 1972–6); The Bear (1965–7).BALLETS: The First Shoot (1935); The Wise Virgins (transcr. of J. S. Bach) (1939–40); The Quest (1943); Façade (1929, 1931, 1935, 1940, 1972).ENTERTAINMENT: Façade, reciter and instr. ens. (1921, rev. 1926, 1928, 1942, 1951, 1978); Façade 2 (1979, after rev.).ORCH.: syms.: No.1 in B♭ minor (1931–5), No.2 (1957–60); concs.: va. in A minor (1928–9, rev. 1936, 1961), vn. in B minor (1938–9, rev. 1943), vc. (1955–6), Sinfonia Concertante for orch. with pf. (1926–7, rev. 1943); Portsmouth Point (1924–5); Siesta (1926); Façade, Suite No.1 (1926), No.2 (1938); Coronation March, Crown Imperial (1937, rev. 1963); Suite, The Wise Virgins (1940); Music for Children (1940, orch. of Duets for Children); Comedy Ov., Scapino (1940, rev. 1950); Spitfire Prelude and Fugue (1942); 2 Pieces for Strings from Henry V (1943–4); Coronation March, Orb and Sceptre (1952–3); Finale, presto giocoso, of Variations on an Elizabethan Theme (Sellinger's Round) (1953); Johannesburg Festival Overture (1956); Partita (1957); Variations on a Theme of Hindemith (1962–3); Capriccio Burlesco (1968); Improvisations on an Impromptu of Benjamin Britten (1968–9); Sonata for Strings (1971, transcr. of str. qt. 1945–7); Varii Capricci (1975–6, orch. of 5 Bagatelles for guitar); Prologo e Fantasia (1981–2).CHORUS & ORCH.: Belshazzar's Feast, bar., ch., orch. (1930–1, rev. 1931, 1948, 1957); In Honour of the City of London, ch., orch (1937); Coronation Te Deum, 2 ch., 2 semi ch., boys' ch., org., orch., military brass (1952–3); Gloria, cont., ten., bass, ch., orch. (1960).SONG-CYCLES: Anon in Love, 6 songs, ten., gui. (1959; ten., small orch. 1971); A Song for the Lord Mayor's Table, 6 songs, sop., pf. (1962; sop., orch. 1970).VOCAL (unacc. except where stated): A Litany (Drop, drop, slow tears) (1916, rev. 1930); Make we Joy now in this Fest (1931); Set me as a Seal upon thine Heart (1938); Where does the Uttered Music Go? (1946); What Cheer? (1960); The Twelve, with org. (1964–5); Missa brevis, double ch., org. (in Gloria only) (1965–6); All This time (1970); Jubilate Deo, with org. (1972); Cantico del Sole (Song of the Sun) (1973–4); Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, with org. (1974, rev. 1975); Antiphon, ch., org. (1977).CHAMBER MUSIC: pf. qt. (1918–21, rev. 1974–5); str. qt. (2 movts. 1919, rev. and central scherzo added 1921–2); Toccata in A minor, vn., pf. (1922–3); str. qt. (1945–7; version for str. orch. entitled Sonata 1971); vn. sonata (1947–8, rev. 1949–50); 2 Pieces, vn., pf. (1948, 1950); 5 Bagatelles, gui. (1970–1; transcr. for orch. as Varii Capricci 1975–6); Passacaglia, vc. (1979–80); Duettino, ob., vn. (1982).SONGS: The Winds (1918); Tritons (1920); 3 Songs by E. Sitwell (1931–2, rev. of songs written in 1923).PIANO: Duets for Children (duet 1940; orch. as Music for Children).ORGAN: 3 Pieces from Richard III (1955).BRASS BAND: The First Shoot (1979–80, re-scoring of ballet written for revue, 1935).FILMS: Escape Me Never (1934), As You Like It (1936), Dreaming Lips (1937), Stolen Life (1938), Major Barbara (1940), Next of Kin (1941), The Foreman Went to France (1941–2), The First of the Few (1942), Went the Day Well? (1942), Henry V (1943–4), Hamlet (1947), Richard III (1955), The Battle of Britain (1969), Three Sisters (1969).THEATRE & RADIO INCID. MUS.: A Son of Heaven ( L. Strachey) (1924–5), The Boy David ( Barrie) (1935), Macbeth (1941–2), Christopher Columbus (1942).