Music
' [WILLIAM WALTON'S " SINFONIA CONCERTANTE "1
AMONG English composers still in their twenties, two are already notable, William Walton and Constant Lambert. A new work by the former was given at the last Philharmonic concert under Ansermet. It is a Sinfonia Concertante for orchestra with pianoforte (quasi obbligato). The performance was better than I expected after the listless playing of the "Un- finished "Symphony iminediately before.
There is nothing unfinished about Walton's work. The pointedness and extreme clarity of his writing give him a distinction whieh almost amounts to a definite style. " Almost " is a necessary qualification, because' even in this work he has not been able to disguise the sundry " influences " which have beset his career. Even so, the work is in no sense immature, While the technical process is full of assurance.
The Scoring it singularly effective. It is significant that, although a large orchestra is used, the sonority is never over- whehning. This, of course, could be used as criticism against the composer, Were it not the result of a deliberate and skilful treatment. Walton's counterpoint is centrifugal, and this quality is further emphasized by his exploitation of instru- mental times. For this reason, his music (the Allegro spiritoso Of this work, for example) sounds more complex than it actually is, and calls for a high degree of musical attention front the audience—a degree hardly attained on this occasion, If! aril to -judge from the remarks overheard in my vicinity.
The essential simplicity of Walton's music can be more easily'appreciated in the slow movement of the Sinfonia, since the texture here is more finely composed. On paper, the theniatic material is Elgarian, but the effect reveals how Utterly opposed the young man is to his elder. Elgar's devotional moods are always coloured by institutional prac- tices, Whereas the mood of this Andante is merely the Outcome Of the human need for rest. It is the passive result of the liveliness of the first Movement, and the quiet preparation fcir the strenuous activity of the last. It is also very beautiful
Previous page
