
Portrait of Walton
Kennedy(Author)
Oxford Paperbacks (Publisher)
Published on 22. October 1998
Book
Paperback/Softback
364 pages
978-0-19-816705-1 (ISBN)
Description
William Walton's place in 20th-century music cannot easily be decided only a few years after his death. Regarded in his youth as an experimentalist and then hailed as Elgar's successor, he was increasingly 'written off' by some critics for repeating himself and for failing to fulfil the promise of his early masterpieces. He was displaced by Britten and later by Tippett. Yet he had champions among international conductors and soloists and his works retained their popularity with audiences.
From Michael Kennedy's illuminating study Walton's personality emerges as complex and contradictory: appearing to deprecate himself, and to take life lightly, he was, in fact, profoundly conscientious and self-critical, easily hurt and depressed, prone to jealousy of others' achievements, and, at the end, frustrated by his creative impotence. But at the same time he was witty and generous, bore no grudges, and enjoyed the loyalty of a host of friends.
Michael Kennedy draws on the composer's correspondence with influential figures of the day - among them Siegfried Sassoon, Benjamin Britten, Malcolm Arnold, and Andre Previn - and assesses Walton's life and music candidly and compassionately.
From Michael Kennedy's illuminating study Walton's personality emerges as complex and contradictory: appearing to deprecate himself, and to take life lightly, he was, in fact, profoundly conscientious and self-critical, easily hurt and depressed, prone to jealousy of others' achievements, and, at the end, frustrated by his creative impotence. But at the same time he was witty and generous, bore no grudges, and enjoyed the loyalty of a host of friends.
Michael Kennedy draws on the composer's correspondence with influential figures of the day - among them Siegfried Sassoon, Benjamin Britten, Malcolm Arnold, and Andre Previn - and assesses Walton's life and music candidly and compassionately.
Reviews / Votes
likely to remain the standard biography for some time Music and MusiciansMore details
Series
Edition
1998. Auflage
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Oxford University Press
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
8 s/w Bildtafeln
8 pp black and white halftones
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
524 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-816705-1 (9780198167051)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Music critic of the Daily Telegraph, author of several books including Portrait of Elgar, The Works of Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Oxford Dictionary of Music
Content
Part I. Willie ; 1. Oldham and Oxford, 1902-20 ; 2. London and Salzburg, 1920-3 ; 3. Facade, 1921-79 ; 4. With the Sitwells, 1923-9 ; 5. Viola Concerto, 1928-9 ; 6. Belshazzar's Feast, 1929-31 ; 7. In Switzerland, 1931-3 ; 8. Unfinished Symphony, 1933-4 ; 9. Finished Symphony, 1934-5 ; Part II. William ; 10. Crown Imperial, 1936-7 ; 11. Violin Concerto, 1938-9 ; 12. War Films, 1939-42 ; 13. Columbus and Henry V, 1942-5 ; 14. Post-war Quartet, 1944-7 ; 15. Birth of an Opera, 1947-8 ; 16. Making an Opera, 1948-52 ; Part III. Sir William ; 17. Corontation Interlude, 1952-3 ; 18. Finishing an Opera, 1953-4 ; 19. Troilus and Cressida, 1954-76 ; 20. Cello Concerto, 1955-7 ; 21. Partita and Second Symphony, 1957-60 ; 22. The Bear, 1964-7 ; 23. Britten and Bagatelles, 1969-72 ; 24. Seventieth Birthday, 1972 ; 25. Roaring Fanfares, 1972-7 ; 26. The Haunted End, 1977-83 ; 27. Epilogue ; Appendices: I: Classified List of Works; II: Troilus and Cressida Synopsis; III: Discography: Walton conducts Walton; IV: Select Bibliography ; Classifed Index of Works ; General Index