This “enfant terrible of English music” was largely self-taught, apart from his training as a chorister and student at the college of Christ Church, Oxford. It was through contact with musicians such as Busoni, Ansermet, Berg, and Schoenberg that he honed his craft as a composer. In 1923, he caused a sensation with Façade, a work for narrator and orchestra with texts by Edith Sitwell. His vast output encompasses all genres, from opera to chamber music and film scores.
At the suggestion of conductor Thomas Beecham, Walton composed his Viola Concerto in 1928. The work was originally intended for the great English violist Lionel Tertis, whose playing inspired many composers. Put off by its modernity, Tertis rejected it; he bitterly regretted his decision and subsequently performed the concerto on numerous occasions. Walton then offered it to Paul Hindemith, a renowned composer and accomplished violist, who agreed to give the first performance. This took place on October 3, 1929, at Queen’s Hall in London, conducted by Walton, as part of the Promenade Concerts (the famous Proms).
With a rather dramatic tone that exploits the warm, resonant sounds of the viola, the work opens with a slow movement (Andante comodo) of a melancholic character, in which the main theme is presented from various perspectives, often in dialogue with the orchestra. The airy central movement (Vivo, e molto preciso) is energetic and showcases the virtuosity of both the soloist and the orchestra in a style reminiscent of Hindemith. The more developed third movement begins with a rather dance-like theme introduced by the bassoon, before the themes from the Andante reappear, bringing back the elegiac atmosphere of the work’s opening. A magnificent epilogue, in which the composer layers the various themes, leads to a simple and contemplative conclusion.
