Walton Violin Concerto

[Barbirollians]

What is your favourite recording of this absolute masterpiece ?

I have just taken delivery of the Francescatti/Ormandy and it is a very " American " reading - more so than Heifetz. There almost sounds a touch of Korngold in the rendition . I have enjoyed it a great deal notwithstanding its slight Hollywood tendencies and Zino F's tone is remarkable .

I am very glad to have heard it but Ida Haendel, Kyung Wha Chung and Heifetz in that order are my three favourites .

Any others ?

[rauschwerk]

I'm very happy with Kennedy/Previn, but I don't rate the piece highly enough to want more than one version on my shelves.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I have just 2 versions - Kyung Wha Chung, which is almost perfect, and Menuhin which suffers from opressively close miking of the soloist.

[Barbirollians]

I have just 2 versions - Kyung Wha Chung, which is almost perfect, and Menuhin which suffers from opressively close miking of the soloist.

I have that Menuhin recording too - is it not rather slow . Must give it a spin sometime.

I had the Kennedy on cassette- it is ok but not a patch on Ida Haendel or Kyung Wha Chung as I recall.

[Tony Halstead]

Kyung Wha Chung

In the LSO concerts preceding the Kyung Wha Chung recording ( Decca) as I recall, André Previn did some slight tinkering with the orchestration in the 3rd mvt 'coda', where the flute part lies rather low in the register for it to project over the tutti.
André got the piccolo to double the flute an octave higher and it worked very well indeed.
In the recording - where W.W. was present, the maestro obviously forgot to ask the flute players to revert to the 'authentic' version and they played the ‘Previn version’ on the first 'take'.
We were all expecting some grumpiness from the composer but he was very smiley and said (words to the effect)
'André, that's MUCH better, let's keep it like that!’

Menuhin

there was an infamous occasion when Sir Yehudi played the Viola and also the Violin concerto in the same concert at the Royal Festival Hall.
During the applause after what was something of a struggle by the soloist in the Viola concerto, Sir William was heard to say to Lady W 'That's the last time I'm going to let that b####r play my concerto!'

[salymap]

I have the Heifetz but have never heard that Ida Haendel recorded it. Lovely story Waldhorn

[visualnickmos]

...that Ida Haendel recorded it.

EMI CDM 7 64202 2

Bournemouth SO/Berglund

paired with Britten's violin concerto

Well worth searching out - both performances are gems

[amateur51]

In the LSO concerts preceding the Kyung Wha Chung recording ( Decca) as I recall, André Previn did some slight tinkering with the orchestration in the 3rd mvt 'coda', where the flute part lies rather low in the register for it to project over the tutti.
André got the piccolo to double the flute an octave higher and it worked very well indeed.
In the recording - where W.W. was present, the maestro obviously forgot to ask the flute players to revert to the 'authentic' version and they played the ‘Previn version’ on the first 'take'.
We were all expecting some grumpiness from the composer but he was very smiley and said (words to the effect)
'André, that's MUCH better, let's keep it like that!’

there was an infamous occasion when Sir Yehudi played the Viola and also the Violin concerto in the same concert at the Royal Festival Hall.
During the applause after what was something of a struggle by the soloist in the Viola concerto, Sir William was heard to say to Lady W 'That's the last time I'm going to let that b####r play my concerto!'

Lovely stories, waldhorn - many thanks!

[Barbirollians]

Lovely stories, waldhorn - many thanks!

Very funny stories . I must get Chung's recording out and listen for that piccolo !

Such a shame that Menuhin was so inconsistent later in his career and had such technical issues . I heard a Beethoven violin Concerto performance with Norman del Mar and the LSO I think when he was in his late sixties which was absolutely marvellous - yet six months before it had seemed much less convincing with Rsotropovich conducting on his 70th birthday.

Ida Haendel's version is stupendous as is her Britten which led to the outrage on here at it only being long listed on BAL !!! . An HMV Greensleeves LP coupling was my introduction to both composers when I was a teenager .

[LeMartinPecheur]

...Ida Haendel, Kyung Wha Chung and Heifetz in that order are my three favourites .

Any others ?

Them's precisely my three versions and it'll take a bit to persuade me I need another one. But keep trying guys!

The Chung was my LP introduction to the work soon after leaving school, and probably my sentimental favourite

[richardfinegold]

I'm very happy with Kennedy/Previn, but I don't rate the piece highly enough to want more than one version on my shelves.

OK, glad I'm not the only one. I reviewed a recent concert performance with Gil Shaham as the soloist on the performance section. At least as presented in Chicago last Saturday, I found the work to be episodic and never quite jelling into a satisfying whole. I know that Barbirollians couldn't disagree more strongly, and I have valued his opinion elsewhere on the forum very highly, so I will search my shelves for the unplayed recording that I know I have somewhere and give it another go.
It may have to wait a bit, however. My first grandchild was just born a few hours ago and I will be busy for a while!

[Nick Armstrong]

My first grandchild was just born a few hours ago and I will be busy for a while!

to wet the baby's head; and a for grandpa! Congrats!

[Barbirollians]

OK, glad I'm not the only one. I reviewed a recent concert performance with Gil Shaham as the soloist on the performance section. At least as presented in Chicago last Saturday, I found the work to be episodic and never quite jelling into a satisfying whole. I know that Barbirollians couldn't disagree more strongly, and I have valued his opinion elsewhere on the forum very highly, so I will search my shelves for the unplayed recording that I know I have somewhere and give it another go.
It may have to wait a bit, however. My first grandchild was just born a few hours ago and I will be busy for a while!

Warmest congratulations Richard . Perhaps he or she might one day become a Walton fan !

[antongould]

OK, glad I'm not the only one. I reviewed a recent concert performance with Gil Shaham as the soloist on the performance section. At least as presented in Chicago last Saturday, I found the work to be episodic and never quite jelling into a satisfying whole. I know that Barbirollians couldn't disagree more strongly, and I have valued his opinion elsewhere on the forum very highly, so I will search my shelves for the unplayed recording that I know I have somewhere and give it another go.
It may have to wait a bit, however. My first grandchild was just born a few hours ago and I will be busy for a while!

Warmest congratulations I have been blessed with two granddaughters in the last year and can promise you endless happy hours.

[richardfinegold]

So I dug out my Walton CD. It is on the Carlton Classics Label, and features the Viola Concerto with Peter Schidlof and Colin Davis, and the Violin Concerto with Iona Brown and the LSO conducted by Edward Downs. I'm playing it now and really liking the Violin Concerto more than I did in the concert. These artists seem to shape the musical argument better.
On the way back from the Hospital (short visit --all the principals were exhausted from last nite's exertions) the radio was playing the Korngold Violin Concerto. These two Concertos were both written for Heifetz and are contemporaneous. I love the Korngold and perhaps that has made me more receptive to the Walton. Or perhaps Walton's music responds better to British performers than it did to a Swiss Conductor leading a U.S. Orchestra and soloist?