William Walton - Spitfire Prelude and Fugue; Sinfonia concertante (Paul Daniel)

Information

Composer: William Walton

• Spitfire Prelude and Fugue
• Sinfonia concertante (1927 version)
• Variations on a Theme by Hindemith
• March for 'A History of the English Speaking Peoples'

Peter Donohoe, piano

English Northern Philharmonia Orchestra

Paul Daniel, conductor

Date: 1999

Label: Naxos

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Review

No messing around - this is a cracking Walton collection.

The Spitfire piece begins in slow sunrise languor and the artists bring out a most touching and vulnerable quality in the big tune. At 2.28 the wraith of Elgar 2 passes across the loudspeakers. The fugue is resplendently active with wall-slapping impact.

After the violin concerto, the Sinfonia Concertante is my favourite Walton concerto. Now if he had only called it a Piano Concerto it might have made more headway. As it is people have to discover it despite its title. The three movements are dedicated to and inspired by members of the Sitwell family who had taken Walton under their wing: 1 Osbert; 2. Edith and 3. Sacheverell. That first movement has resonances with Ireland's Piano Concerto. How many memories are locked in the pages of these movements? This performance of the Osbert movement emphasises the Hispanic shadow and brilliance of the writing. The climax at 6.40 has all the snappy syncopation and emotional blitz of a choreographed thunderstorm. The second movement's peacefulness relates back to the romantic endeavour of the first movement. The finale has an infectious zest.

The Hindemith Variations are rather bright, spare and nervy, well demonstrating the tonal finesse of the recording. The march written for a TV adaptation of Churchill's history is a nice adjunct to the two famous Walton marches. By heck Walton was good at this sort of thing! At a less obvious level there is some nice work for the flutes too.

A winner - marked down only because of the limited playing time. There was room for more.

— Rob Barnett

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William Walton (29 March 1902 – 8 March 1983) was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera. His best-known works include Façade, the cantata Belshazzar's Feast, the Viola Concerto, the First Symphony, and the British coronation marches Crown Imperial and Orb and Sceptre. Walton was a slow worker, painstakingly perfectionist, and his complete body of work is not large. His most popular compositions continue to be frequently performed in the 21st century, and by 2010 almost all his works had been released on CD.

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Paul Daniel (born 5 July 1958) is an English conductor. He studied at King's College, Cambridge, then at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Adrian Boult and Edward Downes. Daniel has held major leadership roles, including Music Director of English National Opera (1997–2005), Opera North (1990–1997) and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (2009–2013). He later served as Artistic Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Galicia and Music Director of the Orchestre National de Bordeaux Aquitaine. He has conducted leading orchestras worldwide and produced numerous acclaimed recordings.

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