William Walton - Symphony No. 1 (1935)

[@bobbycge]

one of my favorite symphonies! the first movement especially has some unbelievable brass writing.

[@Casio61]

26:57 - these few bars have always been for me one of the most sublime pieces of writing I've ever heard. First heard this when I was 16, I'm now 63 and feel no different.

[@valerieheinderyckx4506]

J'adore et j'adhère...❤merci.

[@eddiesikorski6673]

I like how there are no rests in the empty bars. The score looks so neat.

[@jacobmccoycomposer]

Wow, I didn’t notice that until you pointed it out! Wow, rests would never be notated that way today. That’s baffling!

[@rogernichols1124]

This is a masterpiece of 20th century symphonic writing. It should be part of the routine programming of all great orchestras. The rhythmic energy and intense passion of this work, its beautiful structure and its vivid orchestration are a marvel.

[@aramkhachaturian8043]

Amazing brass writing in the first movement!

[@pawdaw]

the timpani part is legendary

[@lennipollmi8248]

​@@pawdaw as a timpanist i can just love it

[@jgesselberty]

This work screams 20th Century like an anthem.

[@lennipollmi8248]

Finally! I love this symphony❤

[@whatafreakinusername]

Hoo boy, while listening alone is generally enough for someone to know that this piece is fiendishly difficult to play, especially for the strings, seeing the score will definitely drive the point home

[@musc.984]

34:29 amazing fugue and overall counterpoint, love this masterpiece

[@pierrefontenelle9271]

One of my absolute favorite symphonies!

[@noiselesspatient]

An absolute masterpiece of 20th-century music. Thank you 🙏🏻

[@piano_man7416]

Love it!! Great composition - so powerful!

[@TheMikkis100]

Finally a score video for this amazing symphony. Thank you!

[@rbbonotto]

Brilliant, but I don't envy anyone playing this, especially the string parts. They look like sheer murder.

[@prokofievisalegend]

Finally, a score video of this masterpiece.

[@Alejandro-stafe]

thanks for uploading the score!

[@slateflash]

OMFG you are amazing. Please do his 2nd symphony as well!!

[@agogobell28]

Wowwwww what a piece.

[@erikberndalen8384]

Thanks for the upload! It becomes increasingly clear to me that Walton seems to have hade quite the influence on John Williams, especially when you hear a masterpiece such as this.

[@that_oneguy_yt6329]

I just performed Hanson’s 2nd symphony recently and I felt the same way… I think there was a sort of international neoromantic tradition of sorts that Walton, Hanson, Korngold, etc. were part of. It absolutely had an influence on John Williams

[@AdamTorkelson]

Listen to the second symphony. It's even more so.

[@Archimusik]

THANK YOU SO MUCH. (Hope this doesn't get taken down for copyright . . . 😬)

[@coasterdragon155]

THANK YOU SO MUCH OMFG

[@steveegallo3384]

Monumental! and yet....not Pompous.....BRAVI from Acapulco!

[@aramkhachaturian8043]

12:38

[@natheniel]

11:40 the conductor didn’t “look at the trombone” enough!!

[@lionelmenguina658]

Thid fugue looks like the Bloch's Concerto grosso fugue.

[@vicb4901]

and thus spake the brass

[@rvaughanwilliams1988]

Great life affirming finale! And really not that much like Sibelius to my ear. The Moeran symphony on the other hand ...

[@notaire2]

Wunderschöne Interpretation dieser neoklassischen und perfekt komponierten Sinfonie mit farbenreichen doch perfekt entsprechenden Tönen aller Instrumente. Der dritte Satz klingt besonders schön und echt melancholisch. Im Kontrast klingt der letzte Satz echt lebhaft und auch majestätisch. Der intelligente und geniale Dirigent leitet das ausgezeichnete Orchester im veränderlichen Tempo und mit künstlerisch kontrollierter Dynamik. Wunderbar vom Anfang bis zum Ende!

[@rogernichols1124]

Ihre Bemerkungen über diese Symphonie sind genau. Ich hörte sie mit 15 Jahren zum ersten Mal, und sie wirkte sofort gewaltig auf mich, deshalb bleibt sie mit meiner Jugendzeit immer eng verbunden. Trotzdem halte ich dieses Meisterwerk für ein Beispiel des Spätromantischen eher als des Neoklassistischen Stiles.

[@robandwood57]

Superb performance! Which orchestra is this please and who is conducting?

[@Alejandro-stafe]

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy , It's in the comment

[@evanmisejka4062]

Sounds a bit like Hanson

[@rvaughanwilliams1988]

so much better though!!

[@georgeowen2553]

Having studied this work at university alongside many other contemporaries, I get why British composers often looked to Scandinavia and Finland, and to Sibelius in particular, but what I never understood, then - or a decade later listening fresh - is how Walton got away with being so derivative and imitative of Sibelius in the first movement. It sounds almost nothing like the Walton I know from the rest of his pieces until at least Figure 40.

[@LordInvictus-yt]

All composers imitate. Every single one. Artists and actors and singers too. Didn't your educators tell you that, or were they not paid to educate you with the truth?

[@tfpp1]

As much as I adore this piece, I still can’t get over how anti-climactic the last few bars are. 🫤

[@dominicfiacco]

They kind of echo the ending of the first movement, which also hammers out a strong, march-like rhythm

[@tfpp1]

@@dominicfiacco Yeah, I agree. My issue is the last movement builds up beautifully then "cuts" to a bunch of punchy chords with dead silence in between. Doesn't flow in my opinion.

[@rvaughanwilliams1988]

contradicting my previous comment ... blame the Sibelius 5th? (although Moeran's copy is more blatant!)

[@slateflash]

He was like "okay this symphony is already hard enough, i'll spare you from even more runs"