WALTON CELLO CONCERTO Walton as Gershwin and Stravinsky. Eager to move on SHOSTAKOVICH CELLO CONCERTO NO.1 Cello Concerto to matters more serious than Façade, Walton in the later 1920s and 30s began to develop his own After leaving Oxford University in 1920, having take on more traditional classical forms with his William Walton (1902 - 1983) failed to pass his degree, it didn’t take William overture, Portsmouth Point, the First Symphony, Cello Concerto Walton more than a couple of years to make his the oratorio, Belshazzar’s Feast and the Viola first indelible mark on the British musical scene. Concerto – all of which made speedy inroads into 1 Allegro moderato [8.06] ‘As a musical joker, he is a jewel of the first permanently entering the standard repertory. 2 Allegro appassionato [7.02] order’ wrote the eminent critic Ernest Newman, 3 Lento – Allegro molto (1975 Revision*) [14.23] after a performance of the young composer’s During the Second World War, Walton set aside his ‘entertainment’, Façade. Still only in his early ‘serious’ compositional side and set to work on Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975) twenties, Walton threw in to this miscellany for a number of patriotic film projects, the most Cello Concerto No.1 in E flat major, Op.107 speaker and instruments every influence he could memorable being Henry V and The First of 4 Allegretto [6.17] find in the musical palate of the day: cabaret, the Few. The latter of these dramatised the 5 Moderato [11.49] the fox-trot, charleston and other popular dances, development of the Spitfire fighter plane, and 6 Cadenza [5.19] all the rage at the time, were mixed with ragtime, from it Walton extracted the spectacular Spitfire nascent jazz. Even Stravinsky and Schoenberg Prelude and Fugue, which stands beside his 7 Allegro con moto [5.08] make their presence felt through influences from two coronation works, Crown Imperial and Solo horn – Nigel Black The Soldier’s Tale and Pierrot lunaire respectively. Orb and Sceptre as stalwarts of any celebration During this period, Walton had been staying of Britishness to this day. After the war, Walton’s Bonus Track – Walton, Cello Concerto: with Edith, Osbert and Sacheverell Sitwell. As an fame as arguably Britain’s key composer since 8 Lento – Allegro molto (1956 Original) [14.14] elected family member of these well-connected Vaughan Williams was gradually eroded by the literary types, Walton was introduced to many inexorable rise of Benjamin Britten who was Total timings: [56.15] of the most glittering figures on the arts scene achieving great success with his operas. On a * World Première Recording between the wars. He could count Cecil Beaton, level of acquaintance and musical respect, Siegfried Sassoon, Lytton Strachey, Noel Coward Walton and Britten were generally on good and Constant Lambert as friends or, at very terms, but there was also a little sliver of envy JAMIE WALTON CELLO least, sometime acquaintances and also met in Walton for the younger composer’s level of PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA ALEXANDER BRIGER CONDUCTOR some of the major composers of the age, such fame and perceived protean productivity. Walton www.signumrecords.com - 3 - himself often complained about the difficulty he other than Paul Hindemith. Composed between The first movement’s opening ‘tick-tock’ vacillation construction’. In 1936, with the arts now under experienced when trying to set a work down on February and October 1956, the Cello Concerto immediately makes the listener think of Walton centralized control under the All-Union Committee manuscript paper. But he was steadily broadening was likewise commissioned and first performed the film composer, such is its portentous effect. on Artistic Affairs, the tide was turning against his own niche with subtle developments in tone by another instrumental titan, in this case Gregor But before long the cello slowly unwinds a any composers with ‘formalist’ tendencies. Stalin and sophistication which the Cello Concerto and Piatigorsky. The premiere took place in Boston, beautiful, long, dark melody which, together attended a performance of Lady Macbeth in other works, such as the opera Troilus and on 25 January 1957, with Charles Munch conducting with the ‘ticking’, provides the main meat and January of that year and was offended by the Cressida, the Variations on a Theme by Hindemith the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Walton’s reputation mood of the movement. The following Allegro forthrightness of the subject matter and and the Second Symphony attest. As to the in America was immediately vastly enhanced is a very nervy affair with virtuosic writing for Shostakovich’s advanced musical language. Two perception that Walton did indeed find composition by the occasion. However, back in London, there the soloist in music which flashes and flickers days later, the now notorious Pravda editorial a painful process, his wife Susana seems to was a rather mixed reception to it, as there had in a manner akin to many of Walton’s earlier appeared describing Lady Macbeth under both confirm and deny this in the same sentence been to the composer’s previous work, Troilus and compositions. The finale, a theme with variations, the headline ‘Muddle instead of Music’ as a when writing about the Cello Concerto itself: Cressida. For his part, Walton was very happy with or ‘improvisations’ as the composer labelled ‘discordant, confused stream of sounds … the the work. Piatigorsky, though, entered into lengthy them, has the solo cello and orchestra essentially music cracks, grunts and growls’. A few days ‘[Walton] thought of the cello as a melancholy correspondence with Walton over the matter of alternate the variations. A spectacular array of later, his ballet, The Limpid Stream, which was instrument, full of soul; accordingly, he wrote how the concerto should end, and the composer, moods, from tender to fierce and rhapsodic to in the repertory of the Bolshoi Ballet at the a rather sad tune to the opening...He certainly interviewed in 1977, admitted that, ‘I didn’t have restrained, are essayed before the cello ends the time, fared no better under the banner, ‘Balletic had a special affection for the Cello Concerto as any [doubts] till many years later. Then I thought, drama by dropping down to its lowest open string, Falsehood’. Although now seen as preposterous and it had come very spontaneously, and he felt it ‘Perhaps he’s right’.’ The present recording allowing the orchestra to conclude the work in a philistine, at the time these were unprecedented was the closest to his personality’. resurrects a 22 bar replacement conclusion to mood of easeful repose. articles. Pravda, the official organ of Soviet the work, which was composed in 1974, fulfilling Communism, disapproved in language verging Following the success of the Viola and Violin Piatigorsky’s request for ‘a less melancholy Shostakovich upon the violent; the ‘cheap clowning’ of Lady Concertos, Walton must have had high hopes ending’. Approved by Piatigorsky, he alas did Cello Concerto No.1 in E flat, Op.107 Macbeth being chillingly described as ‘a game of for his third essay in the genre. After all, the not live long enough to publicly premiere the clever ingenuity that may end very badly’. The extrovert, vivid Violin Concerto had been revision and it has remained unrecorded and As a 27-year-old, in 1934, Shostakovich had party had spoken - this music was not to be commissioned by the great Jascha Heifetz, who unperformed until now. In a recording first, a runaway, worldwide success with his opera, imitated and the works in question disappeared both premiered it and recorded it for the first Jamie Walton has elected to restore William Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, which from the repertory forthwith. time. The earlier Viola Concerto had been written Walton’s final thoughts on the concerto whilst was regarded as a high-water mark in Soviet for the virtuoso, Lionel Tertis, but was eventually also setting down the original ending, which opera and was praised by the authorities as, Although the ramifications of the editorials were performed, to much critical acclaim by none appears in this recording as a bonus track. ‘the result of the general success of socialist not immediately clear, the aftershocks rippled

- 4 - - 5 - rapidly through Soviet culture. With Stalin gearing Krushchev now in power and de-Stalinisation in entered Shostakovich’s composition class in 1943. Shostakovich was no different from all great up for the first of the infamous Moscow show the air, the dark Winter of Stalin appeared to be Their good friendship seems to have remained composers who are moved by the great talents trials later in the year, and the Great Purge thawing into a new spring for the Soviet Union. In tinged with a master-pupil relationship, though of performing artists to write for them, and so hot on their heels, everyone had to watch their 1958 Shostakovich was awarded the Lenin Prize Shostakovich was not short on kindnesses such Rostropovich eventually got his concerto and step. Shostakovich had been working on his for his Eleventh Symphony, despite it often being as helping to fund the young man’s first concert performed it with the Leningrad Philharmonic colossal, modernist Fourth Symphony for some thought of as apparently disguised protest suit. That both of Shostakovich’s concertos were Orchestra under the direction of Evgeni Mravinsky time, but it no longer suited the mood of the against Russia’s brutal demolition of the written specifically for Rostropovich is testimony on 4 October 1959. One of the great cello concertos times and he was forced to withdraw it during Hungarian uprising of October 1956. It appealed enough to the esteem in which the composer held of the last century or so, Shostakovich, when asked rehearsals, in December 1936. Neither the Fourth to the authorities, despite its dark, meditative the cellist. Rostropovich, in interviews, speaks about meaning in the piece countered gnomically Symphony nor Lady Macbeth would be heard nature, and was made palatable to the public of his older friend with a mixture of awe and that he merely ‘took a simple, tiny theme and again for some 25 years. The golden boy of Soviet only through its many moments of painful beauty, admiration. On his days spent as a student tried to develop it’. This is a spine-tingling, music had become a degenerate corrupter. some Tchaikovskian touches and very knowing playing duets and learning composition from neurotic work, from one who was prone to nerves Shostakovich managed to claw his way out of deployment of melodies from famous revolutionary Shostakovich he opines, ‘That was a real and paranoia, and understandably so given the this horror by presenting his Fifth Symphony – ‘a songs. Shostakovich’s return to fame, and, if not musical university for my life’. And in interview privations he had suffered under such a highly Soviet artist’s creative response to justified fortune, then the ability to lay claim to the benefits after interview similar emerges Shostakovich’s paranoid regime. But it is also remarkably spirited criticism’. The triumph was immediate and the of once again being the great Soviet composer of ‘deep humanity towards everything - in life, in rather than depressive in character and holds applause tumultuously greeted Shostakovich’s choice, were not to be sniffed at. But, times were his relationships and in his art’. On his plans the listener enthralled throughout. rehabilitation as a truly great Soviet artist. still difficult, and in 1957, after Boris Pasternak’s to ask the composer to write a concerto for him, Even the critics were eventually effusive in their Western publication of his novel Doctor Zhivago, Rostropovich later recalled: The first movement, according to Shostakovich, praise, affirming that the composer was being which truthfully depicts Stalin’s years, life became is a ‘jocular march’ – but there’s not a lot of invited back into the party fold. once again stressful for the whole artistic Once, when talking with Nina Vasilyevna, straight-ahead humour to be found here. Instead, community. Unable or unwilling to protest, [Shostakovich’s] late wife, I raised the question an electric, frenetic energy which sparks up After a second period of fresh charges of Shostakovich retreated into composition and of a commission: ‘Nina Vasilyevna, what should immediately from the cello’s opening spiky ‘formalism’ in 1948, Shostakovich was again cast produced one his finest large-scale works, the I do to make Dmitri Dmitriyevich write me a four-note motif. The only brass instrument in the into the wilderness until a relaxation of the artistic Cello Concerto No.1 in E flat, Op.107. cello concerto?’ She answered, ‘Slava, if you score, a lone French horn plays an important, manacles followed the death of Stalin in 1953. By want Dmitri Dmitriyevich to write something almost concertante role in the whole work - late 1954, Shostakovich’s yo-yoing career was Shostakovich and the great cellist, Mstislav for you, the only recipe I can give you is this - sometimes shadowing the solo cello, sometimes back in the ascendant after being awarded the Rostropovich first met at the Moscow conservatory never ask him or talk to him about it.’ commentating, but never straying too far from title of People’s Artist of the USSR. With Nikita where the cellist (then also a budding composer)

- 6 - - 7 - the soloist. The three remaining movements are played without a break; the slow movement opening with the horn in lyric mode, setting the elegiac tone for the section. This leads directly into the cadenza, which is long enough to constitute a movement in itself. The finale is a driven affair in which Shostakovich ironically quotes the Georgian song Suliko, apparently much favoured by Stalin. Grimness and frenzy are the touchstones again, with the horn returning to reclaim the opening four-note motif of the work which then entangles with the finale’s main theme and worked on every more stridently until the bang of the timpani brings the concerto to a sudden close.

© M Ross

- 8 - - 9 - gaining a reputation as a supreme interpreter Prokofiev, Myaskovsky, Schumann and Janácek.v BIOGRAPHIES of the repertoire. Regularly voted CD of the Future recording projects include the Dvorak month and given 5 stars by the likes of the and Schumann concertos with the Philharmonia Telegraph, the Times and BBC Music Magazine, and to record/film the three solo suites by Britten JAMIE WALTON the start of his concerto series with the as part of a box set to celebrate Britten’s complete Philharmonia (Saint-Saëns concertos) was voted works for ‘cello. Becoming renowned for his purity of tone and onto Radio 3’s listening booth, going on to receive uncompromising musical nature, Jamie Walton further ecstatic reviews – Classic FM magazine He studied at Wells Cathedral School and the is now being compared by critics to some of the described his Saint-Saëns as “The finest around”. RNCM with Margaret Moncrieff before taking great ‘cellists of the past. He has appeared Developing a strong rapport in both performance private tuition with William Pleeth who wrote of throughout much of Europe, the USA, New and recording with this great orchestra, his Jamie: “He is a cellist of outstanding performance Zealand, Australia and the UK in some of the Elgar and Myaskovsky disc was internationally ability. Combining warmth of tone with a technical world’s most prestigious concert halls and praised, comparing Jamie to Rostropovich command that reaches dazzling proportions, he festivals. He has also given regular appearances (International Record Review) and Tortelier. As leaves little doubt as the success that lies ahead and broadcasts in chamber music, concertos part of an Anglo-Russian trilogy that is completed of him – he is a musician of great integrity whose and recitals in Vienna. During a recent with this recording, in October 2008 Signum performance gives great pleasure.” antipodean tour of recitals and concertos Classics also released Shostakovich Concerto broadcast on national radio and television No.2 and Britten’s Cello Symphony with the As a member of the Worshipful Company of Jamie was the first ‘cellist to give a solo recital same forces. His recording career has also taken Musicians, he was recently elected into the in the new Melbourne Recital Centre. off with his pianist Daniel Grimwood; their recent Freedom of the City of London, having performed Signum Classics release of the Rachmaninov for HRH The Prince of Wales. Passionate about He and his pianist Daniel Grimwood appear and Grieg sonatas was Chamber Choice CD of chamber music and the landscape of North regularly at Wigmore Hall and Symphony Hall, the month in BBC Music Magazine. A JCL CD Yorkshire, Jamie launched the first North York Birmingham where their debut was a recital of of Brahms, Strauss and Thuille added to the Moors Chamber Music Festival in August 2009 and St John’s, Smith Square regularly as well as at Chopin for the Chopin festival, sharing the evening Romantic sonata series which is to be to sell out audiences and is now an annual event the Chateauville Foundation, Virginia – a personal with Krystian Zimerman. These led to concertos continued with Signum Classics releases of having sold out in its second year. For more invite from Maestro Lorin Maazel. there with the English Symphony Orchestra and sonatas by Chopin and Saint-Saëns (No.2), a information please visit the Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera. They French disc of Vierne, Debussy and Poulenc www.nymchambermusicfestival.org and have also appeared in recital at the Bridgewater Jamie’s increasing discography is consistently as well as sonatas by Britten, Shostakovich, www.jamiewalton.com. Hall, Fairfield Hall, Kings Place, Cadogan Hall receiving the highest critical acclaim and he is

- 10 - - 11 - THE PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA is committed to presenting the same quality, live ninth year as Orchestra in Partnership at the Anvil music-making in venues throughout the country in Basingstoke and the second year of a new The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the world’s as it brings to London and the great concert halls residency in Kent and the Thames Gateway, great orchestras. Acknowledged as the UK’s of the world. In 2008/09 the Orchestra performed based in Canterbury. The Orchestra’s extensive foremost musical pioneer, with an extraordinary more than 200 concerts, as well as presenting touring schedule also included performances recording legacy, the Philharmonia leads the field chamber performances by the Soloists of the in more than 40 of the finest international for its quality of playing, and for its innovative Philharmonia Orchestra, and recording scores concert halls in Europe and the Far East, many of approach to audience development, residencies, for films, CDs and computer games. For more them as part of Salonen’s major project, City of music education and the use of new technologies than 13 years now the Orchestra’s work has been Dreams, exploring the music and culture of Vienna in reaching a global audience. Together with its underpinned by its much admired UK and between 1900 and 1935. relationships with the world’s most sought-after International Residency Programme, which artists, most importantly its Principal Conductor began in 1995 with the launch of its residencies ALEXANDER BRIGER and Artistic Advisor Esa-Pekka Salonen, the at the Bedford Corn Exchange and London’s Philharmonia Orchestra is at the heart of British Southbank Centre. During 2008/09 the Orchestra Alexander studied in Sydney and Munich and musical life. not only performed more than 45 concerts at won 1st prize at the International Competition Southbank Centre’s refurbished Royal Festival for Conductors in the Czech Republic in 1993. Today, the Philharmonia has the greatest claim of Hall, but also celebrated its 12th year as Resident He later worked closely with Sir Charles any orchestra to be the UK’s National Orchestra. It Orchestra of De Montfort Hall in Leicester, its Mackerras and Pierre Boulez and made his debut with Opera Australia in 1998 conducting Jenufa. Operatic work has since included Madama Butterfly, Cosi fan tutte, Cunning (Royal Swedish Opera), Pique Dame (Komische Little Vixen, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Le Oper, Berlin), La Boheme (State Opera of South Nozze di Figaro (Opera Australia), The Rape of Australia), Bartok ballets (Opera du Rhin) as well Lucretia (ROH, Covent Garden), Die Zauberflöte as the premiere of Simon Holt’s Who put Bella in (Glyndebourne Festival), Rigoletto and Makropulos the Wych’elm for the Aldeburgh Festival. Case (English National Opera), Cunning Little Vixen (Aix-en-Provence), From the House of He has performed regularly with the Philharmonia, the Dead (Canadian Opera Company), Tales of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, opening their Hoffmann (Royal Danish Opera), Bartered Bride 2003 ‘Friday Series’ in London and touring with

- 12 - - 13 - them to China in 2003/4; and the Birmingham Alexander is also Artistic and Music Director of Contemporary Music Group, with whom he made The Australian World Orchestra, which he his BBC Proms and Berlin Festival debuts. founded in 2009.

He has also worked with the Orchestre de Paris for the opening of the 2004 “Musica Festival”, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, with whom he conducted the final concert of the 2004 Edinburgh Festival, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Konzerthaus Orchester, Berlin, Rotterdam Recorded at Henry Wood Hall, London, 22-23 December 2009 Producer & Editor - John H West Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Recording Engineer - Andrew Mellor Radio France, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Assistant - Alex Foster

Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Photos of Jamie Walton - Wolf Marloh Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony, Swedish Design and Artwork - Woven Design Radio Orchestra, Danish Sinfonietta, Orchestre www.wovendesign.co.uk National du Capitol de Toulouse, Frankfurt Radio P 2010 The copyright in this recording is owned by Signum Records Ltd. © 2010 The copyright in this CD booklet, notes and design is owned by Signum Records Ltd. Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Any unauthorised broadcasting, public performance, copying or re-recording of Signum Compact Discs constitutes an infringement of copyright and will render the infringer liable Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Salzburg to an action by law. Licences for public performances or broadcasting may be obtained from Phonographic Performance Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this booklet may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, Mozarteum, Salzburg Camerata, Ensemble without prior permission from Signum Records Ltd.

InterContemporain, London Sinfonietta, SignumClassics, Signum Records Ltd., Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middx UB6 7JD, UK. collaborating with Peter Sellars and pianist +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 E-mail: [email protected]

Helene Grimaud for the premiere of Arvo Pärt’s www.signumrecords.com Lament Tate, Sydney, Melbourne and Western Australian Symphony Orchestras and Japanese Virtuoso Symphony, Nordwestdeustsche Philharmonie and Monte Carlo Philharmonic.

- 14 - - 15 - ALSO AVAILABLE on signumclassics

Elgar – Cello Concerto Shostakovich – Cello Concerto No.2 Rachmaninov – Cello Sonata Myaskovsky – Cello Concerto Britten – Cello Symphony Grieg – Cello Sonata Jamie Walton, cello Jamie Walton, cello Jamie Walton, cello Philharmonia Orchestra, Alexander Briger Philharmonia Orchestra, Alexander Briger Daniel Grimwood, piano SIGCD116 SIGCD137 SIGCD172

“One of the more remarkable and admirable aspects of Walton’s playing is his deep and penetrating musical maturity.” International Record Review, 2009

“Walton is a superb and unflashy exponent…there’s no ego here, just consummate musicianship.” The Times, 2009

Available through most record stores and at www.signumrecords.com For more information call +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 CTP Template: CD_INL1 COLOURS Compact Disc Back Inlay CYAN MAGENTA Customer SignumClassics YELLOW Catalogue No.SIGCD220 BLACK Job Title Jamie Walton

SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD220

WALTON CELLO CONCERTO

SHOSTAKOVICH CELLO CONCERTO NO.1 WALTON/PHILHARMONIA 1 CONCERTO CELLO SHOSTAKOVICH: CONCERTO CELLO WALTON:

William Walton (1902 - 1983) Cello Concerto 1 Allegro moderato [8.06] 2 Allegro appassionato [7.02] 3 Lento – Allegro molto (1975 Revision*) [14.23]

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975) Cello Concerto No.1 in E flat major, Op.107 4 Allegretto [6.17] 5 Moderato [11.49] Jamie Walton completes his Anglo-Russian 6 trilogy on Signum with these stunning Cadenza [5.19] performances of concertos by William Walton 7 Allegro con moto [5.08] and Dmitri Shostakovich with Alexander Briger and the Philharmonia Orchestra - featuring Solo horn – Nigel Black the World Première Recording of Walton’s 1975 revision of the Cello Concerto’s Bonus Track – Walton, Cello Concerto: final movement. 8 Lento – Allegro molto (1956 Original) [14.14] JAMIE WALTON CELLO Total timings: [56.15] PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA ALEXANDER BRIGER CONDUCTOR * World Première Recording WALTON: CELLO CONCERTO SHOSTAKOVICH: CELLO CONCERTO 1 WALTON/PHILHARMONIA

LC15723

Signum Records Ltd, Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, SIGCD220

CLASSICS Perivale, Middx UB6 7JD, United Kingdom. P 2010 Signum Records DDD SIGCD220 © 2010 Signum Records www.signumrecords.com 24 bit digital recording 6 35212 02202 3 SIGNUM