Biography and Chief Works of   

William Walton

1902.

Bom in Oldham, Lancashire.  Father a musician.

1912.

Sent to Christ Church Choir School, Oxford, and had lessons from Sir Hugh Allen.  Began to compose.

1918.

Entered Oxford University.  Wrote piano quartet, which was later published by Carnegie Trust.  Became friendly with the Sitwells (a famous family of writers, two brothers and a sister).  They encouraged him to leave Oxford, to live with them and to devote himself to composition.  Traveled abroad with them also.

1922.

Composed string quartet, which was performed at the Salzburg Contemporary Music Festival in 1923.  Also wrote 'Fagadc', an " entertainment " for speaking voice and six instrumentalists, to Edith Sitwell's words.  Contained parodies of jazz, popular songs and Rossini, as well as some beautiful numbers.  Shocked audiences, who were not used to humour in concert music.  Several revisions later, and more poems added.  Later again turned into two suites for full orchestra, and also into ballets.

1925.

Overture 'Portsmouth Point', first work for full orchestra.  Gay and lively.

1927.

'Sinfonia Concertante' for piano and orchestra (revised in 1943).

1929.

Viola concerto-begins with a slow movement.  A fine, romantic and well-knit work.

1931.

Oratorio 'Belshazzar's Feast'.  Uses large orchestra, and is full of pagan colour.

1934.

First symphony performed without the finale, which had not yet been written.  Again begins with a slow movement.  Began to write for films.

1937.

'Crown Imperial March', for coronation of George VI.  Also 'In Honour of the City of London', for chorus and orchestra.

1939.

Violin concerto, another romantic work, again beginning with a slow movement.  

During the war was commissioned to compose music for films.  'Spitfire' prelude and fugue, for film "The First of the Few", and music for the film of "Henry V" have lived outside their ephemeral medium.  

1945.

Toured Scandinavia, as conductor, for British Council. 1947.  Quartet in A minor.

1948.

Opera 'Troilus and Cressida', based on Chaucer's version of the story.  Visited Argentina, and married an Argentinean.  

1951.

Knighted.

1953.

'Orb and Sceptre' march for coronation of Elizabeth 11.

1957.

'Cello concerto.  Johannesburg Festival Overture.

1958.

Partita for orchestra.

A slow worker, with a relatively small output but a very high standard of workmanship.  Early works tended to be discordant, but very alive rhythmically.  

A romantic vein appeared in his later work.  Always virile.  Not a devotee of any modemism.  

Shows a consistent development from the music of the past.  Most of his music is tonal (based on major and minor scales), though using modem discords.

Orchestral works:

1 symphony; 'Sinfonia Concertante' for piano and orchestra; viola concerto; violin concerto; 'cello concerto; overtures 'Portsmouth Point', Scapino' and Johannesburg Festival Overture; two 'Facade’ suites; marches 'Crown Imperial' and 'Orb and Sceptre'.

Choral works:

  'Belshazzar's Feast'; 'In Honor of the City of London'; 'Te Deum' for coronation of Elizabeth II; and a few others.  

Opera:

 'Troilus and Cressida'.  

Chamber music:

piano quartet; string quartet; violin sonata.

Film music, from which has been rescued 'Spitfire' prelude and fugue, from "The First of the Few"; and concert suite and two pieces for strings from " Henry V”.