Our Summer BAL 71: Walton Symphony 2

[Pulcinella]

Premiered by the RLPO under John Pritchard on 2 September 1960 at the Usher Hall, as part of the 14th Edinburgh Festival, Walton’s Second symphony, coming some 25 years after the first, actually uses a larger orchestra than its predecessor. It has a three-movement structure (Allegro molto, Lento assai, Passacaglia).

RPO/Ashkenazy (D)
BBCSSO/Brabbins (CD/D)
New Haven SO/Boughton (CD/D)
English National Philharmonia/Daniel (CD/D)
BBCSO/Gardner (SACD/D)
Orchestre National de Lille/Hughes (SACD/D)
Bournemouth SO/Karabits (CD/D)
Bournemouth SO/Litton (D)
LSO/Mackerras (D)
LSO/Previn (D)
Cleveland SO/Szell (D)
LPO/Thomson (D)

Information from Presto website.
D=download

[LeMartinPecheur]

Oh dear, on checking the shelves under W, only the Szell on LP here! (Unless there's one filed under its coupling somewhere... ) Still, Szell should see off quite a bit of the opposition methinks

[Bryn]

Oh dear, on checking the shelves under W, only the Szell on LP here! (Unless there's one filed under its coupling somewhere... ) Still, Szell should see off quite a bit of the opposition methinks

For my money, it just about sees them all off, though early impressions may have something to do with that. It was, after all, written for Szell and his band.

[Pulcinella]

For my money, it just about sees them all off, though early impressions may have something to do with that. It was, after all, written for Szell and his band.

That was the Partita, Bryn.
The second symphony was written for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society.

[Petrushka]

Not a work I play very often but I have the Ashkenazy, Szell and Previn. Ashkenazy would be my choice of these three here and he has the dual advantage of an excellent account of the 1st as coupling on the CD and vintage Decca sound.

[Bryn]

That was the Partita, Bryn.
The second symphony was written for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society.

Ah, my misremembering. Szell certainly took to it very early and was, IIRC, the first to record it. I have always associated it with him.

[edashtav]

Ah, my misremembering. Szell certainly took to it very early and was, IIRC, the first to record it. I have always associated it with him.

Szell rescued the work's early reputation as a disappointment compared with the hugely successful first symphony. I seem to remember that the recording by the Cleveland Orchestra caused a sensation as the first recording by 'foreign forces' which showed us Brits how our music should sound. I have that George Szell interpretation on LP in my basement reserve collection. I have a number of more recent recordings on CD, including a Naxos issue from 1996 with Paul Daniel directing the English Northern Philharmonia, and two others listed by pulcs. I must listen again to my discs and compose a comparative review.

[teamsaint]

Hmm, I think I must have missed that BSO / Karabits double header of 1 and 2, so thats lined up for a listen.

There were some comments recently on WCMAYLTN about this work, which might be relevant

[edashtav]

Desk Research Walton Symphony no 2 ( three CDs)

Historical Performances:
[ John Pritchard (1st Perf. ) 1960 RLPO 28' 22" : I 8' 01" II 10' 16" III 10' 05"]
(Geo Szell (1st LP) 1961 Cleve. 26' 57" : I 8' 20" II 10' 10" III 8' 27")

Paul Daniel Naxos 1996 EN Phil 27' 41" : I 9' 08" II 9' 12" III 9' 21"
Edward Gardner Chandos 2015 BBC SO 28' 10" : I 8' 32" II 10' 07" III 9' 22"
Kirill Karabits Onyx 2017 BSO 30' 15" : I 9' 49" II 10' 27" III 9' 59"

[Pulcinella]

Szell rescued the work's early reputation as a disappointment compared with the hugely successful first symphony. I seem to remember that the recording by the Cleveland Orchestra caused a sensation as the first recording by 'foreign forces' which showed us Brits how our music should sound. I have that George Szell interpretation on LP in my basement reserve collection. I have a number of more recent recordings on CD, including a Naxos issue from 1996 with Paul Daniel directing the English Northern Philharmonia, and two others listed by pulcs. I must listen again to my discs and compose a comparative review.

Looking forward to reading it!

[edashtav]

Looking forward to reading it!

It may take me a few days, I fear.
I must complete some reading to prepare myself for a Local Radio Interview re breaking news on Iron Age discoveries in Bucks. I live a couple of hundred metres from a very important site: well, it should be but its artefacts seem to have been spirited away, possibly to avoid delaying a building scheme.

[antongould]

Excellent choice, if I may say so, pulcers ....... one of my very favourite symphonies ..... haven’t listened for a while so will remedy that this weekend .......
Sitting in sheep stealing country between Scotland and Yorkshire I have only one CD Daniel and the oddly named English Northern Philharmonia .....

[teamsaint]

Useful summary of the work from Michael Kennedy here.

https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dw.asp?dc=W13719_67794

( Really love the cover on that Brabbins disc) .

[Pulcinella]

Useful summary of the work from Michael Kennedy here.

https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dw.asp?dc=W13719_67794

( Really love the cover on that Brabbins disc) .

Oh dear, that sounds too tempting to resist.

I have the Daniel, Litton, Mackerras, Previn, and Szell versions, and a BBC MM cover CD (coincidentally by Brabbins and the BBCSSO in a 1995 performance).
It's a piece I don't know that well, but enjoy every time I do put it on (most often the Szell recording, but mainly because of the couplings on that CD making a satisfying programme; I first got to know the piece through the Previn recording on LP).

I'm glad that there has already been some interest: you never know when you start a thread like this.

[Barbirollians]

Oh dear, that sounds too tempting to resist.

I have the Daniel, Litton, Mackerras, Previn, and Szell versions, and a BBC MM cover CD (coincidentally by Brabbins and the BBCSSO in a 1995 performance).
It's a piece I don't know that well, but enjoy every time I do put it on (most often the Szell recording, but mainly because of the couplings on that CD making a satisfying programme; I first got to know the piece through the Previn recording on LP).

I'm glad that there has already been some interest: you never know when you start a thread like this.

I have Szell ,Previn and Daniel too. I must express a preference for Szell - much the most exciting to my ears.