Thanks for this historic upload. I love Walton’s music, very much out of fashion in the 50’s and 60’s but now we don’t have to be concerned about that nonsense, he was simply one of the greats of the 20th c.
A great upload. Thank you. This is Piatigorsky at his best, live and not messed around by technicians. The performance also shows Sargent's orchestral mastery, which was often overlooked until very recently perhaps because of association with his Proms Last Night shows. The generation now in their 70s+ saw these on TV and assumed that 'Flash' was really the Last Night persona in real life. Far from it and the carnation with impeccable appearance was actually to cover his shyness as a man and musician. Sargent and Walton had similar personalities and origins, both having to work hard to make music where they could and be creative when there was time for the new. We tend to forget how much new music Sargent introduced to the public at home and abroad slotted into a more conventional repertoire. It is also too easy to forget that Walton was so exact in composition that it made him slow and he dreaded the routine of actual writing down the sounds he wanted. His manuscript scores are similar to Stravinsky's in neatness because neither composer wanted to be reminded of 'mistakes' on a page. Walton and Sargent had met as organ scholars and their idea of a good afternoon (when Walton visited England) was to find a decent church organ and compete in improvisation, usually in Bach pieces. Holst and Stokowski had done the same in previous years. The BBC SO in the late 1950s had benefited from Boult's training and reconstruction after WW2 and when Boult was forced to retire at the BBC contract age (for messy personal reasons perpetrated by a BBC executive) and Sargent was asked by Boult and others take over. Sargent cautiously signed a partial contract, conducted other orchestras and projects so that there was solidarity with Boult and the composers and conductors who resisted the BBC's orchestra managerial ways. The music makers of that era were internally loyal to each other and similarly stood up to record industry businessmen who got too big for their boots. The version of the 'cello concerto played here is the full orchestra one which Walton later pruned for economy but both remain published and can be chosen from by the musicians participating. This is a truly great 'cello concerto and is more often given on the Continent than in the UK for some reason.
Wonderful. I heard this piece once before at the BSO while a student. The piece was so engaging that the fading notes at the end were so encapturing that the place was so still until the bow stopped for a moment and then the place exploded with applause.
Wow only had the warped LP. This to my ears is an example of a great performance where the great cellist's intonation is off! But still, it survives that. Very emotional.
Perfection is impossible in a live performance, nor would I ever respond to it. It’s the musicality, the artistry, and the risks true virtuosos take in live performances, all of which I expect and celebrate regardless of errors which, in the hands of a very great soloist as Piatigorsky was, enhance rather than detract from his or her performance.
Caviar to the general. That strange haunting opening sonority, however did he find it? And that ineffable wandering irregular tender personal self-portrait of a theme!
Thanks for this historic upload. I love Walton’s music, very much out of fashion in the 50’s and 60’s but now we don’t have to be concerned about that nonsense, he was simply one of the greats of the 20th c.
What a showman, great expression, he puts his own mark on the concerto, it must of pleased Walton.
A great upload. Thank you.
This is Piatigorsky at his best, live and not messed around by technicians.
The performance also shows Sargent's orchestral mastery, which was often overlooked until very recently perhaps because of association with his Proms Last Night shows. The generation now in their 70s+ saw these on TV and assumed that 'Flash' was really the Last Night persona in real life.
Far from it and the carnation with impeccable appearance was actually to cover his shyness as a man and musician. Sargent and Walton had similar personalities and origins, both having to work hard to make music where they could and be creative when there was time for the new. We tend to forget how much new music Sargent introduced to the public at home and abroad slotted into a more conventional repertoire.
It is also too easy to forget that Walton was so exact in composition that it made him slow and he dreaded the routine of actual writing down the sounds he wanted. His manuscript scores are similar to Stravinsky's in neatness because neither composer wanted to be reminded of 'mistakes' on a page.
Walton and Sargent had met as organ scholars and their idea of a good afternoon (when Walton visited England) was to find a decent church organ and compete in improvisation, usually in Bach pieces.
Holst and Stokowski had done the same in previous years.
The BBC SO in the late 1950s had benefited from Boult's training and reconstruction after WW2 and when Boult was forced to retire at the BBC contract age (for messy personal reasons perpetrated by a BBC executive) and Sargent was asked by Boult and others take over. Sargent cautiously signed a partial contract, conducted other orchestras and projects so that there was solidarity with Boult and the composers and conductors who resisted the BBC's orchestra managerial ways.
The music makers of that era were internally loyal to each other and similarly stood up to record industry businessmen who got too big for their boots.
The version of the 'cello concerto played here is the full orchestra one which Walton later pruned for economy but both remain published and can be chosen from by the musicians participating.
This is a truly great 'cello concerto and is more often given on the Continent than in the UK for some reason.
A wonderfully informative commentary. Thank you so much for sharing, Stephen!
The soundtrack of my youth, finally on video! Thank you very much GregNichols for posting it!
Agreed! I wore out three LPs of this! ❤
My favourite performance of this work, lost forever when LP broken - thank you!
Walton's concertos for me are up there with Beethoven. I love the violin concerto, even as a viola player.
Este concierto lo que escuchado docenas de veces, me encanta el estilo de Gregor Piatigorsky! Muchas gracias por compartirlo.
Great performance! A treasure to the ears and eyes 😀💗🎼
a Very Special kind of Greatness....BRAVO! from San Agustinillo, Oaxaca!
.....and even Greater now...two years later.....from Acapulco!
Heartbreakingly beautiful. Sigh
Wonderful. I heard this piece once before at the BSO while a student. The piece was so engaging that the fading notes at the end were so encapturing that the place was so still until the bow stopped for a moment and then the place exploded with applause.
It's like jazz mixed with space music miked with romanticism mixed with etudes - Walton is unique
Such command of the instrument and bow! Glorious!
И он элегантен. Люблю не только слушать, но и смотреть на него.
Thank you so much for uploading!!!
You can tell Gregor loves this piece - it is a masterpiece, as are both the violin and viola concertos.
The Walton played with such elegance and style!
Together with Debussy, I consider Walton one of the most ''original'' voices ever. That word is strained but Walton is truly unique.
Piatigorsky was without peer. His Dvorak Cello Concerto is the gold standard against which all others are measured.
Gorgeous playing!!
what a treat! thank you
I really like his left hand, immense strength and super fast vibrato, supple too. Very difficult to even approach what he can do.
Wow only had the warped LP. This to my ears is an example of a great performance where the great cellist's intonation is off! But still, it survives that. Very emotional.
Perfection is impossible in a live performance, nor would I ever respond to it. It’s the musicality, the artistry, and the risks true virtuosos take in live performances, all of which I expect and celebrate regardless of errors which, in the hands of a very great soloist as Piatigorsky was, enhance rather than detract from his or her performance.
Such a treasure.
padronanza assoluta. grandissimo
Untouchable...........
Caviar to the general. That strange haunting opening sonority, however did he find it? And that ineffable wandering irregular tender personal self-portrait of a theme!
Wow. A fabulous testament to the greatness
of Piatigorski.
A trick: watch series at flixzone. I've been using them for watching loads of movies lately.
@Judah Keith Definitely, I've been using Flixzone for years myself :)
GRAND ADMIRAL!!!
My favorite vibrato among cellists. Hoomeyow!!
When he hits the high notes and arpeggios - zero misses
The fast vibrato was in style back then and it needs to come back!
...thought lost forever!
BBC SO, Sargent with carnation in his buttonhole, RFH, 13/2/1957. First British performance. Correct?
As soon as I clicked on this, I thought the same thing, it must be the British première.
Is this the original instrumentation with triple winds and trumpets?
Who is conducting? Barbirolli?
Not certain, but I believe the accompaniment was the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent.
Piatigorsky is much too much underrated. Pau Casals is obviously much too much overrated.
Don't like his vibrato. Lynn Harrell any day!
Lynn Harrell is another extreme...Everything in moderation