Walton / Watkins / Bbc So / Gardner Symphony No. 2 - Cello Concerto Super-Audio CD

Edward Gardner conducts the BBC Symphony in late music of Sir William Walton. This release follows the successful recording of Walton's First Symphony and Violin Concerto - one of Chandos' best-selling recordings for 2014. The Second (and last) Symphony was commissioned for the 750th anniversary, in 1957-58, of the founding of the city of Liverpool, but, delayed by the composition of the Cello Concerto, was only premiered in 1960. Scored for a large and colorful orchestra, it is of compact duration, in the key of G minor, and features angular melodies, sharply dissonant harmonies, and motoric rhythms. The BBC Symphony itself premiered the Cello Concerto in London in 1957. The cello soloist here, exclusive Chandos artist Paul Watkins, is highly praised as a member of the Emerson String Quartet. In this piece, the traditional structure of Walton's earlier concertos - a moderately paced opening movement followed by a central scherzo - ends in a rich finale consisting of a theme and four 'improvisations'. The concept of 'improvisation' occurs again in the last work on the disc, based on the 'Impromptu' of Benjamin Britten's Piano Concerto.

1. Lento - Movendo - BBC Symphony Orchestra 2. Vivo - Pi? Animato Poco a Poco - BBC Symphony Orchestra 3. Moderato - BBC Symphony Orchestra 4. Scherzando - Giocoso - BBC Symphony Orchestra 5. Moderato - Paul Watkins/Bbc Symphony Orchestra 6. Allegro Appassionato - Paul Watkins/Bbc Symphony Orchestra 7. Lento - Con Moto - Lo Stesso Tempo - Poco Meno Mosso - Paul Watkins/Bbc Symphony Orchestra 8. Risoluto, Tempo Giusto. Brioso - Meno Mosso - Allegro Molto - Paul Watkins/Bbc Symphony Orchestra 9. Rapsodicamente - a Tempo (Moderato), Ma Un Po' Pi? Lento - Adagio - Paul Watkins/Bbc Symphony Orchestra 10. Allegro Molto - Grazioso - Agitato - Vivace - Brioso (Poco Pi? Mosso) - Agitato - BBC Symphony Orchestra 11. Lento Assai - Poco Pi? Mosso - Poco Meno - Pochissimo Pi? Mosso - Passacaglia - BBC Symphony Orchestra 12. Tema. Risoluto - Variazione 1. Con Slancio - Variazione 2. Scherzando - Variazione 3. L'istesso Movimento - Variazione 4. Grazioso, Capriccioso -... - BBC Symphony Orchestra 13. Fugato - Coda. Scherzando (Pi? Mosso) - Presto - Maestoso - a Tempo Vivo - BBC Symphony Orchestra