William Walton : muse of fire / Stephen Lloyd.

Author/creator Lloyd, Stephen, 1944-
Format Book
Publication InfoRochester, NY : Boydell Press, 2001.
Descriptionxi, 332 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Subjects
Walton, William, 1902-1983.
Composers--England. --Biography.

Contents Oldham and Oxford -- Sitwellian patronage -- Poetry through a megaphone -- The white hope of British music -- 'Throw in a couple of brass bands' -- Unfinished: con malizia -- A reel composer -- Films again, and radio -- 'Terribly dull without the music' -- Troilus and Ischia -- 'Desperate to find a tune' -- Appendix 1. Lambert on Walton ; Appendix 2. Walton on Lambert ; Appendix 3. Walton and film music ; Appendix 4. The Facade poems ; Appendix 5. Reviews of Facade ; Appendix 6. List of works.
Abstract When in June 1923 a bewildered audience in London's Aeolian Hall heard Edith Sitwell declaim her Facade poems through a megaphone, the 21-year-old William Walton--conducting behind a painted backcloth--stood on the threshold of fame. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s his position as Britain's premier composer seemed assured, with a succession of works that included the Viola Concerto, Belshazzar's Feast and the First Symphony. He was also one of the first serious composers to be involved in films. His complex personality--'remote, removed, distant' in Laurence Olivier's words--was at odds, however, with his vital and dramatic music; composition for him was an arduous, often painful, process, riddled with difficulties, uncertainties and self-doubts, and further complicated by several love affairs (one being with Italy) that inspired his finest works. Using first-hand accounts, including contemporary correspondence, articles and interviews, this account of Walton's life also draws on material newly available relating to his friends and associates. The reception of Facade and Walton's work in both films and radio are fully explored.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references (pages 315-321) and index.
LCCN 00051947
ISBN085115803X (alk. paper)

Availability

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Music Music Stacks ML410.W292 L56 2001 ✔ Available Place Hold