Walton's New Cello Concerto

Author(s): Harold Rutland

Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 98, No. 1368 (Feb., 1957), pp. 69-71
Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/936915
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February 1957 THE MUSICAL TIMES 69

genuinely affected at our departure. How long, physical reconstruction of West Germany is
we wonder, must it be before such friendly impulses astonishing in its scale and momentum. We
as these can be renewed in a saner world? played, more often than not, in new concert halls
And how long before the gulf between East and with seating capacities between 3,000 and 4,000,
West Germany is bridged? In the latter we played, but the acoustic properties were not always of the
on the return half of our tour, to fully 8,000 people best. Our reception everywhere was no less appre-
in the Sportpalast in Berlin, with Hoogenstraat ciative than it had been in Russia. We wondered,
Ney as conductor, and his wife, Ella Ney, who is however, whether Nuremberg is as firm a citadel
seventy-four, playing the piano in Beethoven's as it was for high musical taste, for it was a little
'Emperor' Concerto. This was a great, heart- shaking to find that in one week's fare at the Opera
warming occasion, which symbolized for us all House Oberon and Aida were to be followed by
the strength of our common musical heritage with Kiss Me, Kate.
the German people. When we reached Paris, where we gave two
This German tour was strenuous and intensive, concerts, the shadow of Hungary's fate had deep-
with concerts at Cologne, Essen, Freiburg, Neu- ened and Brahms's Requiem was being given new
stadt, Badkissingen and Badgodesberg. The and tragic poignancy in Budapest.

Walton'sNew Cello Concerto

By HAROLD RUTLAND
HE recently published collection of essays From From a study of the score, I would say that
the World of Music, by Ernest Newman, Walton's new Concerto for cello and orchestra
reprinted from The Sunday Times, contains was a characteristic and attractive work, afford-
one written in 1926, dealing with a performance ing plenty of scope for the soloist; it is
of Facade in Chelsea. After praising Edith likely to prove a worthy companion to the com-
Sitwell's poems and the way they were recited poser's two earlier concertos. Written at Ischia
through a megaphone, Mr. Newman went on to during the months February to October last year,
say that ' the entertainment owed a great deal also the Concerto was commissioned by Gregor
to Mr. Walton's music'. 'All I knew of this Piatigorsky, to whom it is dedicated, and who is
young man's before Tuesday,' he added, 'was a due to play it for the first time in Boston, U.S.A.,
horrible quartet of his that was given at the Royal on 25 January with the Boston Symphony Orches-
College three or four years ago. On the strength tra conducted by Charles Munch. Piatigorsky
of this, I take leave to dislike intensely Mr. Wal- will also be the soloist at its first performance in
ton's serious music-if, indeed, that quartet was this country at the Royal Philharmonic Society's
serious and was music, both of which I doubt. concert on 13 February, when Sir Malcolm Sargent
But as a musical joker he is a jewel of the first will conduct the B.B.C. Symphony Orchestra. The
water.' concert is to be broadcast in the Home Service.
Sir William Walton; who will be fifty-five on The Cello Concerto, like Walton's two other
29 March, has travelled far since 1926. Although concertos, begins with a movement whose main
he can still write music of wit and brilliance, the appeal is lyrical. Those familiar with the com-
desire to shock and stun has left him, as it usually poser's music will recognize one of his 'finger-
does with the passing of years. On the other prints' in the first four notes of the opening
hand, as a composer of serious music he has won theme, played by the soloist after the orchestra
world-wide fame, and Mr. Newman himself is has initiated a delicate accompanimental figure
among his warmest admirers. In Belshazzar's which continues with changing harmonies. Ex. 1
Feast and in Troilus and Cressida he has demon- shows the theme.
Ex.1
Moderato

pespress. Ainor C major (E in the bass) G Dminor

C major

_~-e - - ^ Gmajor
Gflat major

strated his dramatic power; his Symphony, one (In the score this is written in the tenor clef,
of the most memorable large-scale instrumental but it is given here in the treble, for convenience
works of our day, has a tension and a feeling of in reading. I have also indicated the changing
excitement that few contemporary composers can harmonies.) Presently a secondary melodic idea
match; and in his concertos for viola and violin (beginning in E major) is introduced by the soloist
he has revealed a vein of bitter-sweet lyricism that and taken up by the horn, after which the music
is as attractive as it is individual. He has, more- comes to rest in B flat major, to admit a further
over, wooed and won the popular ear with resplen- theme a tempo tranquillo (poco meno mosso). A
dent marches and highly effective (and distin- climax is reached with a series of chords of the
guished) film music. sixth, clearly related to the opening theme, which
A2
70 THE MUSICAL TIMES February 1957

[Photo by Douglas Glass

returns in full, in due course, but slightly varied. movement the music retains its energy, mercurial
A quietly expressive episode, with high notes on quality, and clarity of texture.
the strings, leads to a muted version of the chief The last movement begins with variations on an
melody, and the movement ends with double- extended theme, of which Ex. 3 is the first part.
stopping for the soloist (based on the secondary, In the first variation, marked con moto, the orches-
E major, theme, played now in C major and in tra outlines the theme while the soloist weaves a
canon) and reminiscences of the opening phrase. decorative pattern round it. He has the second
Allegro appassionato is the marking of the variation (Brioso) to himself, and towards the end
second movement. There is no key signature, of this there occurs a succession of sixths which
but the basic tonality is C sharp minor (already throws further light on the opening theme of the
anticipated in the E major of the second theme Concerto. After a short pause the orchestra
of the previous movement). The orchestra sets breaks in Allegro molto with a variation in six-
going a dance-like figure, by way of introduction eight time, in which the soloist is silent. An
to the soloist's theme, which begins thus: elaborate cadenza for him, Rapsodicamente, fol-

Ex.2
Allerro abbassionato
I
-- y a -r-
.# -_ ff -# I - - f- 1
- - L
fZ

4C) i-Y - I-I II

I IF-F f- i I I I-1 vf
-- I
+44 -
fz fz

Another, quieter melody (though with a synco- lows. Then, in a kind of epilogue, some of the
pated, dancing rhythm) is soon heard; the tail- music of the opening movement is recalled: the
piece of this brings to mind the music of Pandarus tranquil theme, with the violins and violas playing
in Troilus and Cressida. Lively work for the in a high register; part of the initial melody,
soloist then leads to a march-like theme, which now marked Adagio; and the double-stopping in
merges into a version of Ex. 2; an additional which the secondary theme is disposed in canon.
feature of the movement is a series of pizzicato This merges into a reminiscence of Ex. 3. Finally,
chords for the soloist. Almost throughout the the opening of Ex. 1 is recollected in the utmost
 February 1957 THE MUSICAL TIMES 71

Ex.3 Lento
Vcl. solo con sord.

Vle.,Vcl. P1ZZ-
con sord. rg » ' t » r s

- U: ly~ ~~t

ser
$> t
^ 4e7
i

tranquillity, and the last note, a low, sustained C, The music examples are reproduced by permission
is sounded by the soloist. of the Oxford University Press.

Pen Portrait:Dame Myra Hess

By JOAN CHISSELL
N the twenty-fifth of this month, Dame Myra pany of a former fellow-student, Irene Scharrer,
Hess will celebrate her sixty-seventh birth- as a two-piano team) before recognition of her
day in Los Angeles, her penultimate stop real stature became widespread. Holland was
in a three months' coast-to-coast concert tour of the first country to appreciate her at her true
America. To some people it might seem hard to worth, and, as a very recent recital tour proved yet
spend so notable an anniversary not in relaxation, again, she is still today just as near and dear to
but in the hard work of giving a recital. But the heart of the Dutch public as ever (in 1946,
as was once remarked, musicians are fortunate in incidentally, Queen Wilhelmina conferred on her
that their work is usually also their chief pleasure. the honour of Commander of the Order of Oranje-
Certainly of no one is this more true than of Dame Nassau). England followed suit, and then
Myra; her life has been one of whole-hearted America, where she has always been particularly
dedication to her art, with no conflicting loves or revered as someone akin to a high priestess of the
duties to deflect her for one instant from her piano as opposed to so many of the speed-breaking
chosen path. virtuosi of the present day. Now she can be said
Born in Hampstead, she was the youngest of to have the whole world at her feet, with the
four children. Her family was not a musical additional satisfaction of knowing of her own
one, nor do we hear of her startling the world country's pride in her achievement through her
as an infant prodigy when scarcely out of her award of the C.B.E. in 1936 (the first time the
cradle. Her first lessons came from Julian Pascal honour had ever been conferred on an instru-
and Orlando Morgan at the Guildhall School of mentalist) and in being created 'Dame' Myra
Music, but the crucial moment in her youthful Hess in 1941. She also belongs to the Royal
development was when she won a scholarship, Philharmonic Society's select company of Gold
at the age of twelve, to the Royal Academy of Medallists, and has been awarded honorary
Music. Here she was placed for piano lessons degrees by no fewer than seven English universi-
with the late Tobias Matthay, whose well-known ties.
technical and psychological approach to the And what does she play, and how does she play
keyboard proved exactly what was needed to it, to explain this triumphant journey through
unlock and release all the rich potentialities of life? Though she has given the first performances
this intuitively musical child. Thus it was that of nearly all the piano works of her close friend,
at seventeen she was able to make her debut in Howard Ferguson (to whom the writer of this
a recital at the Aeolian Hall, a recital which led article is greatly indebted for much valuable
in the same year of 1907 to an engagement to play information in Dame Myra's absence in America),
Beethoven's Piano Concerto in G with 'Mr.' and has also done sterling service to Frank Bridge
Thomas Beecham and his orchestra at Queen's and one or two others of her contemporaries,
Hall. Among all the great keyboard giants of her heart is not really in the twentieth century.
that epoch, however, it was by no means easy Nor can we associate her at all closely with music
for a young girl to earn her living as a soloist, whose prime purpose is virtuoso display. Her
and many years were divided between teaching and first allegiance has always been to the great Ger-
recital-giving (the latter a great deal in the com- man and Austrian masters of the past, such as
A3