Walton viola Concerto beyond the score

Alberto García Pérez

The Walton Viola Concerto is one of the most famous and recognized compositions in the viola repertoire. Apart from this, it is a compulsory piece in any viola orchestra audition. This research is focused on my practice and artistic process of the Walton Concerto, consequently subjective, to create an artistic choice. In order to achieve an ideal interpretation of this composition, I will investigate and analyze the first two recordings made of the Concerto, as both represent different versions of the piece with several differences between them. These recordings were made by Frederick Riddle in 1937, and by the famous violist William Primrose in 1946. This research aims to: (1) decide what details or alternatives I can recover from these recordings to inspire my own interpretation, and (2) find out what ideas from the first recording are reflected in the second one. Taking into consideration these recordings, I first drew up a list mentioning the differences found between them. Then, I classified these differences into different categories such as bowings, different notes, fingerings, orchestration, and so on. Finally, I recorded myself playing both versions of some passages. The main outcome I found is to discover that the sound-based approach (listening to recordings and experimenting with them) is a richer source of inspiration for a musician than a purely score-based comparison. I hope these artistic ideas can be a great stimulus and encouragement to other violists who want to play this wonderful Concerto.

CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSIONS

Without a doubt, doing this work was very helpful for me not only to broaden my knowledge about Walton and his Viola Concerto, but also to acquire multiple ideas and inspirations to translate them into my own interpretation of it. This has been the piece to which I have dedicated more time in terms of study and preparation, comparing different editions, and listening to multiple versions to obtain new ideas. I also consider that it is crucial to analyze all the pieces we play, as it allows us to have a more detailed vision of these works.

After reading all the literature I worked with, I really discovered the importance that the composition of Walton viola Concerto had for the world of the viola, as it was the first virtuosic Concerto for viola and the first one of the 20th century. If this piece had not been composed, Bartók viola Concerto would probably not exist, as it was written because Walton's already existed. Furthermore, composers took the initiative and began to write works for this instrument thanks to the appearance of the first viola virtuosos in the 20th century such as Lionel Tertis or William Primrose.

About the comparison of the first 2 recordings, I realized that their differences are not only in performance aspects, but also they are really different versions of the Concerto, even with different notes. That's why this topic is particularly interesting.

At the end of this research process, I reached the following conclusions. Firstly, working with these early recordings opened my mind and I was able to elaborate my own artistic choices. Second, it is simply astonishing to observe the changes in viola technique and interpretative resources through the studio recordings of this famous composition.

To conclude, the main outcome I found is to discover that the sound-based approach (listening to the recordings and experimenting with them) is a richer source of inspiration for a musician than a purely score-based comparison. This was a totally new experience for me.

This research represents an approach to engaging with the Walton Concerto. It also shows a study process for playing from recordings rather than just scores. I hope these artistic ideas can be a great stimulus and encouragement to other violists who want to play this awesome Concerto.

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