Search - Walton, Shrley-Quirk, Previn :: Belshazzar's Feast / Portsmouth Point Overture

Walton's Masterpiece and Other Fun Stuff

Christopher Forbes | Brooklyn,, NY | 04/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"William Walton is a late interest of mine. Of course I've known his work for years, mostly through the film music for the Olivier Shakespeare plays, but I had never developed much of an interest until recently. All I can say, now having developed the taste for this composer, is that Sir William is definately worthy to be mentioned in the same breath with RVW and Benjamin Britten as England's greatest composer. The large work on this CD is Belshazzar's Feast, for soloists chorus and orchestra. The work is a classic of the choral repertoire but one that I had not heard previously. This is not in the liturgical oratorio tradition. Rather it is a full scale exotic wonderland. Walton's idiom is vibrant...tonal, spiced with unusual harmony, lively and infectious. The choral writing is a marvel of balance. Not a deeply moving work, this is rather a feast for the senses and joyous to listen to.The rest of the disc is comprised of orchestral music. The Portsmouth Point overture is familiar to me. This is often one Walton work that gets a fair amount of play, as it makes a terrific curtain opener on a concert program. It is jazzy, bold and vivacious, a truly enjoyable work. Likewise Scapino, wholely enjoyable work that makes an art of high spirits. The Improvisation is another story. Taken from a rather somber Britten work, this is Walton in an elegaic mode. It's a haunting work and very beautiful, showing that Walton was capable of great beauty and depth of feeling as well as high spirits. This CD, at a bargain price is a marvelous introduction to some of this composer's most interesting and appealing work. Highly recommended."