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William Walton
British Composers of Our Time: 4
Valda Aveling (piano)
The BBC Symphony Orchestra (Leader, Paul Beard) Conductor: Sir Adrian Boult

7.45 Overture: Scapino (1940) Scapino is the name of the famous stock character of the old Italian comedy. The foibles of his character are closely paralleled in this brilliant overture. Scapino, whose name is derived from the word scappare to 'flee' or 'escape,' was a valet-cicerone and general handyman. If challenged to dagger-play he would take to his heels According to Pierre Louis Duchartre in his book on the Italian comedy he is very much like a starling. He skims away, swoops back again, twitters and warbles, pilfers right and left, flies off, but never fails to return. Scapino is bereft of all sense of logic: he makes confusion of everything he undertakes, and forgets everything except to hold out his hand for a gratuity. He is as amorous as the ' birds in spring, and for him it is spring the whole year round. He deserves some credit for his modesty, for he is not an ambitious Don Juan in his amours: he inevitably prefers to make off with a servant-girl rather than a king's daughter. He falls in love for the sheer joy of it. and. like a bird, flits from one love to another, never becoming deeply involved and always obeying every impulse that enters his flighty head. He is a liar by instinct, but his lies, like himself, are of slight importance.'

7.55 app. Sinfonia Concertante for piano and orchestra (1927) The Sinfonia Concertante is a symphonic/ work on a large scale. It was written during the years 1926-7-the beginning of Walton's career-and has been recently revised
8.15 app. Symphony (1935) This Symphony, first performed in 1935. consists of four movements. The first movement, in addition to its harmony and orchestration, is very modern in outlook in that it does not follow the traditional lines of first-movement form, but as in the case of Sibelius's symphonies the music grows naturally out of thematic groups that gain significance as the movement proceeds. The Scherzo, which is full of strong and vital rhythms that are subjected to ingenious treatment. has a certain ironical and malicious character about it (indeed the tempo marking is ' Presto con maliiia '). The slow movement is contemplative and deeply expressive in a manner thoroughly characteristic of Walton in his more romantic moods. The finale is a brilliantly executed piece of composition and provides an impressive climax.
=7.45 p.m.