William Walton

Walton's music is characterized by restless rhythmic energy, wide-leaping melodies of passionate intensity, and an orchestral brilliance that draws on both Elgar's imperial grandeur and Stravinsky's motor-driven vitality. His harmonic language is richly chromatic, often building tension through insistent rhythmic figures that erupt into blazing climaxes. His concerto slow movements achieve a Mediterranean warmth and lyrical beauty that reflects his adopted home on Ischia.

Walton was largely self-taught but found early mentors in the Sitwell siblings, whose aristocratic patronage and literary connections gave him access to the latest Continental trends. Stravinsky's rhythmic innovations and Prokofiev's melodic boldness were major influences. Elgar's orchestral grandeur and ceremonial manner influenced his later works. His rivalry with Britten — the establishment favorite vs. the outsider genius — defined British music for decades.

Walton burst onto the scene with Façade and the overture Portsmouth Point, establishing his reputation for rhythmic brilliance. The Viola Concerto (1929) and First Symphony (1935) confirmed his stature as a major symphonist. His wartime film scores brought wider fame. The postwar decades saw the Violin Concerto, Second Symphony, and operas Troilus and Cressida and The Bear, though critics sometimes felt his style hadn't evolved enough. Late works regained critical favor with their autumnal warmth.

Walton's Façade — a brilliantly witty 'entertainment' for reciter and chamber ensemble, setting Edith Sitwell's nonsense poetry — caused a scandal at its 1923 premiere, with one outraged audience member shoving his fist through a painting in the lobby. The piece made Walton famous overnight at 21 and established his reputation for éclat that he maintained throughout his career. Noël Coward reportedly quipped that he wished he'd thought of it first.

Walton's film scores — for Henry V, Hamlet, and Richard III — are among the greatest ever composed for Shakespeare. They're so effective that most people who've seen Olivier's films hear Walton's music as inseparable from the plays, yet concert suites from these scores are far less frequently performed than they deserve.

Walton is a staple of British orchestral programming — the First Symphony, Viola Concerto, and Belshazzar's Feast are regularly performed. Façade is a perennial favorite for lighter programming. His music appears less frequently in American concert halls, which represents an opportunity. The film score suites deserve far more concert exposure. He's an evergreen whose music consistently excites audiences.