William Walton (1902-1983) spent his early years as a chorister and then an undergraduate at Christ Church, Oxford.
Born into a musical family, William showed his musical talent at a young age, playing the piano and violin as well as singing. At the age of ten, William was admitted as a chorister at Christ Church, Oxford after a slight problem with getting from Manchester to Oxford. You see, his father had spent the fare money intended to get William and his mother to Oxford by train, and they subsequently missed it. She had to borrow the money from a greengrocer and when they finally arrived Mrs. Walton had to plead with the powers that be for William to be heard as they had missed the entrance trials. William remained at the school for six more years during which time Charles Hubert H Parry (who had seen some of William's early compositions) saw a bright future for him.
William was admitted as an undergraduate to Christ Church, Oxford, at the age of 16, among the youngest ever admitted. While an undergraduate, he was exposed to the music of Stravinsky, Debussy, Sibelius and Roussel. He also tended to neglect his non-musical studies and while passing his music classes with ease failed subjects that were required for graduation. The only piece that still survives from his student years is a choral piece, A Litany, written at the ripe old age of 15.
While in Oxford, William became friends with several poets, among them, Sacheverell Sitwell. When William left Oxford without any degree he was invited to stay in London with Sitwell and his other literary siblings (Osbert and Edith). In London, the siblings not only assured he had a place to stay, they also continued his musical education. Among his tutors in London were Ernest Ansermet and Ferruccio Busoni. He also attended the Russian Ballet and met Stravinsky and Gershwin. He wrote his first work, a String Quartet, which so impressed Alban Berg that he took Walton to meet Arnold Schoenberg. He would live with the Sitwells for 15 years.
Edith Sitwell was the oldest child and only daughter of the 4th Baronet of Renishaw Hall; Sir George Sitwell. Along with her two brothers they formed a literary collaboration generally called "the Sitwells". Edith published her first poem in 1913.
In 1922, Walton collaborated with Edith Sitwell on the work that brought William his first great success, Façade - An Entertainment.
The first poems that would make up Façade were published in 1918 in Wheels, an annual anthology of poetry she compiled with her brothers. The premiere performance took place in 1922. The original work called for a reciter and four instrumentalists and featured 18 numbers. A second performance took place a year later, this time with two more instrumentalists and 28 numbers. The reciter was Edith herself, who declaimed her poetry from behind a screen through a megaphone. The press loathed the work but nonetheless called it memorable. Noel Coward, the noted playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, was so disgusted with the work that he walked out of the performance.
Throughout Walton's life, he returned to Façade and issued new versions. Among the versions included two orchestral suites (1926 and 1938) minus the poetry, a ballet (1929) also minus the poetry, the definitive version of 1951 (first published edition), Façade Revived (1977) and Façade 2 (1979).
The final definitive edition of 1951 consisted of 22 numbers, 2 reciters with an accompaniment of flute (doubling piccolo), clarinet (doubling bass clarinet), alto saxophone, trumpet, percussion, and cello. While much of the work is original, Walton quotes a few other tunes and composer's works in it including Rossini's William Tell Overture.
This website provides a great description of Sitwell and her poetry.
Felicity Palmer, reciter
Thomas Allen, reciter
Britten Sinfonia conducted by Nicholas Cleobury
London, March 2002
Part 1 includes:
Hornpipe, En famille, Mariner Man, Long Steel Grass, Through Gilded Trellises
Part 2:
Tango-Pasodoble, Lullaby for Jumbo, Black Mrs. Behemoth, Tarantella, The Man from a Far Countree, By the Lake
Part 3:
Country Dance, Polka, Four in the Morning, Something Lies beyond the Scene, Valse
Part 4:
Jodelling Song, Scotch Rapsody, Popular Song, Fox-trot, Sir Beelzebub
In addition to Facade, Walton is known for the cantata Belshazzar's Feast, his First Symphony, the Viola Concerto, the Violin Concerto, Crown Imperial (March) and the film scores for many of Laurence Olivier's Shakespeare films (Henry V, As you Like It, Richard III and Hamlet)
Here's a treat, several numbers from Facade, the reciters on the recording are Edith Sitwell herself and Peter Pears:
From one of the Orchestral Suites: Polka
One of Three Songs based on Sitwell's Poetry from Facade also by Walton
Next Week: Gian Carlo Menotti: Various works
Coming Weeks: Liszt: Either the Dante Symphony or the Faust Symphony, Andreas Hammerschmidt, Music for Halloween, Lesser known ? (lesser known works by a well known composer TBD), Bernstein Symphony #3 Kaddish, Music for Christmas (4 separate diaries)