William Walton (1902-1983) Episode 5 of 5: Reputation Restored?
Donald Macleod looks at William Walton's later years, a period that became a time of ease and prosperity for him.
Walton's reputation may have fallen in Britain, but he was still respected in the USA and enjoyed regular commissions from orchestras in New York, Washington, San Francisco and Chicago.
During the 1960s, Walton and his wife Susana built a stunning place of their own on the Mediterranean island of Ischia. In her words: "...it was now time to let the music speak for itself...". But still the British critics hammered his work. Suspicious of his jet-setting, expatriate life they could not bring themselves to appreciate his compositions as much as they had twenty years earlier. Not only did Walton clash with classical music journalists he also fell out with the BBC.
Eventually Walton's work was to become appreciated again. His achievements were recognised with gala concerts in London arranged for his 75th birthday and then his 80th, a year before he died in 1983.
00:01 Sir William Walton 5 Bagatelles For Guitar - Lento Performer: Tom Kerstens
00:07 Sir William Walton Partita For Orchestra - Partita for Orchestra Orchestra: The Cleveland Orchestra Conductor: George Szell
00:14 Sir William Walton Symphony No. 2 - Passacaglia: Theme & Variations – Fugato – coda (scherzando) Performer: London Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Sir Charles Mackerras
00:26 Sir William Walton The Bear - Extravaganza In 1 Act Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra Conductor: James Lockhart Singer: Monica Sinclair Singer: John Shaw Singer: Norman Lumsden
00:35 Sir William Walton Variations On A Theme By Hindemith Performer: English Northern Sinfonia Conductor: Paul Daniel
First broadcast: 07 Aug 2015 (b06407r4) http://vk.com/wall-71199334_93