William Walton: Symphony No. 2: Orchestra: Score

William Walton Edition-This edition of Walton's first symphony has been offprinted from the William Walton Edition full score and combines the scholarship of the Edition with the practical benefits of a study score format.

Hardback-This volume contains newly edited versions of four important later orchestral works by William Walton: Capriccio Burlesco Improvisations on an Impromptu of Benjamin Britten Prologo e Fantasia and Varii Capricci. The first three works were written for American orchestras: Capriccio Burlesco was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra for its 125th anniversary year in 1968; the Improvisations based on a theme from Britten's Piano Concerto No. 1 was written in 1969 and dedicated to the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra; Prologo e Fantasia was written in 1981-2 for the National SymphonyOrchestra of Washington DC. The last work Varii Capricci was a free transcription for orchestra by Walton of his Five Bagatelles for Guitar and written for the opening of the Royal Festival Hall in 1976.

Belshazzar's Feast by William Walton is a powerful and imposing member of the choral canon. Punctuated by Walton's characteristic pauses and silences the piece is tense and dramatic with hauntingly lyrical Baritone solos. The biblical tale has been adapted as a libretto for this quasi-oratorio by Osbert Sitwell. The work was first performed on the 8th October 1931 at the Town Hall Leeds with the Leeds Festival Chorus and The London Symphony Orchestra.Available here is the vocal score of Walton's powerful and imposing Belshazzar's Feast with a Piano reduction.

Pieces For Angela is a collection of eight exquisite miniatures for the Piano written in 1966 by Kenneth Leighton. Intended for children they are perhaps best suited for gifted amateurs. On the face of it they seem to be endowed with a simple charm and echoes of William Walton but are seen by some commentators to be hiding a darker more psychological side. Kenneth Leighton (1929-1988) was a Yorkshireman and one of the most distinguished post-war composers in Britain. While he is best known for his choral works he also wrote 3 symphonies for orchestra and being a fine pianist himself also wrote regularly for the Piano. Hisworks are often characterised by a warmth and sympathy for the ensemble he is writing for.