Author Description
The acclaimed English composer William Walton--enfant terrible of English music in the 1920s and '30s, composer of Façade, Belshazzar's Feast, and a host of other brilliant works--lived a long and accomplished life. Admitted as a nine-year-old Lancashire schoolboy to Christ Church Choir School in Oxford, he was discovered by Sacheverell Sitwell as an undergraduate at Christ Church, adopted by all three Sitwells, and early on discovered a publisher willing to back his unconventional music. He was, along with Ralph Vaughan Williams and Benjamin Britten, one of the giants of 20th-century British music.In this moving memoir, Susana Walton has created an intimate and revealing portrait of this great English composer, recounting his entire career and their thirty-five years of marriage. The book brims with colorful anecdotes of some of the people who played a part in Walton's life, including the Sitwells, Laurence Olivier (for whose three Shakespeare movies Walton composed the score), Benjamin Britten, Maria Callas, Lord Kenneth Clark, W.H. Auden, Yehudi Menuhin, and Julian Bream. Packed with numerous photographs, many of which have never before been published, this charming volume offers many insights into Walton, the composer and the man.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This memoir investigates the personal and professional life of William Walton, one of the most significant British composers of the 20th century, through the lens of his wife and companion. Susana Walton, who shared thirty-five years of marriage with the composer, provides a firsthand account of his development from a young choirboy to a celebrated musical figure. She utilizes her unique proximity to document his creative process, his social circles, and the private realities behind his public persona.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A chronological account of Walton's career from his early years at Christ Church to his later successes.
- Anecdotes involving prominent cultural figures such as the Sitwells, Laurence Olivier, and Benjamin Britten.
- A collection of rare, previously unpublished photographs documenting his life and work.
Scope Limits
- The text focuses primarily on personal experiences and social history rather than technical musicological analysis of his compositions.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Readers and music historians value this work for its intimate, anecdotal perspective on a major 20th-century figure. Experts note that while the prose is personal and informal, it serves as a vital primary source for understanding the social environment surrounding Walton's creative output.
Page Count:
270
Publication Date:
1988-04-14
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0193151561
ISBN-13:
9780193151567
Memoir
Biography
Music
20th Century
British Composers
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