John Wilson recordings- what am I missing

[Barbirollians]

Albeit ES admits it’s not quite at the white heat of the Previn.

[Petrushka]

Albeit ES admits it’s not quite at the white heat of the Previn.

It seems weird to me that in nearly 60 years no-one has ever bettered this performance. Some have come close eg Ashkenazy, Slatkin and Bryden Thomson. There was a live Colin Davis broadcast in 1977 which might have counted had it ever been issued on disc but I can't think of another recording of anything that has remained unassailable for so long as the Previn Walton 1.

[Pulcinella]

It seems weird to me that in nearly 60 years no-one has ever bettered this performance. Some have come close eg Ashkenazy, Slatkin and Bryden Thomson. There was a live Colin Davis broadcast in 1977 which might have counted had it ever been issued on disc but I can't think of another recording of anything that has remained unassailable for so long as the Previn Walton 1.

Colin Davis' LSO Live recording (Barbican, 2005) is pretty impressive:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7944007--walton-symphony-no-1-in-b-flat-minor

[Petrushka]

Colin Davis' LSO Live recording (Barbican, 2005) is pretty impressive:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...n-b-flat-minor

It was set down too late in his career. He was on fire in that 1977 RFH performance I heard on R3 and it was one of the (probably many) occasions when his baton went flying into the air!

[LHC]

Colin Davis' LSO Live recording (Barbican, 2005) is pretty impressive:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...n-b-flat-minor

Pappano's performance with the LSO in February this year was very good. Unfortunately, I don't think it was recorded for later issue on LSO Live.

[Maclintick]

Yes I am looking forward to the Walton 1 having heard JW giving an excellent performance with the BBC Philharmonic.

Just streamed the new JW Walton 1 which is pretty damn fine. I haven't always admired unequivocally everything JW has done with this "super-orchestra" e.g. Daphnis, as opposed to work with the BBC Philharmonic such as the Copland Ballet Suites. Perhaps he's more attuned to the sound-worlds of Walton & Copland than early 20th cent French repertoire. Having said that, there are several very solid Walton 1s, apart from Previn, whose recording is now showing its age, by Gardner, Karabits. and of course the 1953 mono account by the composer himself with the Philharmonia which remains a touchstone.

[smittims]

I've always been a little disappointed with Walton's own recording. Apart from Previn, one interpreter I felt really understood this symphony was Sir Adrian Boult. I was privileged to see him conduct a truly monumental performance in Manchester around 1971 , and I treasure his Westminster recording , the first in stereo.

[Pulcinella]

I've always been a little disappointed with Walton's own recording. Apart from Previn, one interpreter I felt really understood this symphony was Sir Adrian Boult. I was privileged to see him conduct a truly monumental performance in Manchester around 1971 , and I treasure his Westminster recording , the first in stereo.

There's a BBC MM CD (Volume 17, Number 12) of a BBCSO/Boult performance, from the RFH on 3 December 1975.

[mikealdren]

Yes, ES also raves about Jarvi's Mahler and Rattle's Dvorak, is it really good month or ES going OTT, anyone listened to them?

[Petrushka]

I've always been a little disappointed with Walton's own recording. Apart from Previn, one interpreter I felt really understood this symphony was Sir Adrian Boult. I was privileged to see him conduct a truly monumental performance in Manchester around 1971 , and I treasure his Westminster recording , the first in stereo.

I've got that Boult Westminster recording which appeared on CD under the First Hand label a few years ago but haven't played it for a long time.

Another good interpreter of this symphony was James Loughran who I heard perform it in 1977. He also gave an absolute cracker at the Proms in 1982 which I believe can be found on YouTube.

[vinteuil]

ES going OTT

... Hasn't Mr Seckerson been 'going OTT' ever since he first met Mr ("Lenny to his friends" squirm) Bernstein?

You mean you didn't know Mr Seckerson had met "Lenny"? Surely he must have told you...

.

[Maclintick]

... Hasn't Mr Seckerson been 'going OTT' ever since he first met Mr ("Lenny to his friends" squirm) Bernstein?

You mean you didn't know Mr Seckerson had met "Lenny"? Surely he must have told you...

.

It's a shame Lenny didn't record Walton 1, which I'm sure would have suited him and the NYPO down to the ground. OTOH, we would then have to endure ES's gushing references in reviews of every new recording...

[Maclintick]

I've always been a little disappointed with Walton's own recording. Apart from Previn, one interpreter I felt really understood this symphony was Sir Adrian Boult. I was privileged to see him conduct a truly monumental performance in Manchester around 1971 , and I treasure his Westminster recording , the first in stereo.

There seem to be 3 recordings by Sir Adrian, including that live 1975 RFH. How do they stack up ? I did have Sargent's 1967 New Philharmonia Concert Classics LP, but that went to the charity shop some years ago. Uncharacteristically ragged, but understandably so as Sir Malcolm was quite ill at the time.

[Simon B]

Previn: 5:49, Wilson: 6:19 and too polite. It needs to be FURIOUS!!!!

Concur in all respects - except that merely putting "furious" in red underline with multiple exclamation marks is inadequate. It should be in 40 foot high letters of fire which are also dripping blood .

This movement ought to be akin to a musical evocation of someone (Walton, obvs) hurling a nest of angry wasps at you.*

Virtuosity, however impressive, is a necessary but not sufficient condition.

*Other lurid visual metaphors are available

[Simon B]

Unexplained duplicate post. Probably WW slamming his fist onto the table one more time from the beyond...