Sir William Walton (1902-1983): Symphonic Suite from Troilus and Cressida (arr. Christopher Palmer 1987, opera composed 1947-54)
Sir William Walton (1902-1983): Violin Concerto (1939, rev 1943)
Sir William Walton (1902-1983): Portsmouth Point, Overture (1925)

For anyone who loves the music of Sir William Walton (I count myself in that group) this is a fascinating program, coupling a spectrum of his orchestral works, two of which are connected to the composer's lover from the 1930's until her death from cancer in 1948, Alice Wimborne. On the one hand, the Violin Concerto is justifiably one of the composer's best loved works and reflects his feelings for Alice during its writing. On the other hand, the opera Troilus and Cressida, after the Chaucer epic poem (an idea proposed by Alice Wimborne) was the opposite. It was and continues to be unjustifiably neglected, a fate the composer partly put down to it being unfashionably conservative in musical language. The disc is finished off with the glorious flourish of Portsmouth Point, an exuberant work from his early years in the 1920's, the years of Façade, sharing much of that work's sense of fun. The program is presented in reverse chronological order, latest composed first, and earliest last.

Kicking off the release is the opera, represented here by the four-movement orchestral suite compiled in 1987 by Christopher Palmer, giving a wonderfully warm flavor of this almost forgotten piece. There are moments that remind one of Puccini, even Rachmaninov at one point (listen to the start of the third section 'The Lovers'), and for any listener interested in investigating further there was a complete vision recorded under the baton of Richard Hickox (a sadly missed proponent of British music as a whole) and an older set of highlights focused (surprisingly) around soprano Elizabeth Schwarzkopf. The Symphonic Suite captures several of the key moments and it is given a red-blooded and clear recording here. There are a few alternatives. An older Bryden Thompson recording (Thompson had conducted the Suite's first performance), also on Chandos and coupled with Symphony No. 2. There is also a superb recording on DG, as part of 'The British Project', conducted by Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla, a highly recommendable collection of Britten, Walton, Elgar and Vaughan Williams.

The concerto's magical opening (the melody is a real earworm) presents the soloist with a challenge immediately, to capture the languorous, emotionally loving mood in a gentle andante from the start. There are many excellent violinists who have recorded this wonderful piece, amongst my favorite performances are those by Tasmin Little with Edward Gardner on Chandos and her performance on London conducted by Andrew Litton. I also like that of Thomas Bowes on Navona, with the Malmö Opera Orchestra conducted by Joseph Swenson. Charlie Lovell-Jones, leader of the London Sinfonia, in the current performance does a lovely job also, and I would have no hesitation in choosing this as one of the most recommended performances with those others mentioned.

The concerto was the result of a commission from Jascha Heifetz, who recorded it at least twice, although the less than modern recordings are a factor against those for me, though his performance has a unique authority given his connect and his artistry. In the current case under review, the performance and recording give a moving and exciting element to the listening experience a combination characteristic of the composer. That experience contains plenty of fireworks, and Lovell-Jones encompasses the expansive range of moods reflected in the whole piece with great conviction. In addition to the sensitively phrased opening, there are some other key highlights, like the finale, knitting the lyrical tune from the first movement with more march-like themes showing the soloist's ability to switch between the two moods quickly.

The release is perfectly rounded off by the Overture, showing off the excellent recording and playing. Good notes by Mervyn Cooke outline the music and its context for the composer. An excellent release.