JAVS Summer 2014

premiere the work! On October 3, 1929, Hindemith premiered the work in Queen’s Hall, London, with the Henry Wood Symphony and Walton at the baton.

this concerto and how deep the gratitude that we who play the viola should feel towards the composer. 15 Tertis then became the early champion of Walton’s concerto. Wellington estimates that Tertis performed the concerto some thirty times over a period of ten years. Prominent early performances include: • September 4, 1930—ISCM Festival at Liége. BBC Symphony Orchestra’s first European tour, William Walton, conductor. 16 • March 26, 1931—London Queen’s Hall, Ernest Ansermet, conductor. • September 10, 1931—BBC Promenade Concert, Sir Henry Wood, conductor. • November 1931—Zürich Tonhalle concert hall in Switzerland, Volkmar Andreae, conductor. • January 14, 1932—Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, Sir Hamilton Harty, conductor. • January 21, 1932—City of Birmingham Orchestra, Leslie Heward, conductor. • September 8, 1932—Worchester Three Choirs Festival, William Walton, conductor. • December 1, 1932—Reid Orchestra in Edinburgh, Sir Adrian Boult, conductor. The final of these concerts was so well received that Boult suggested that Tertis play it again on the second half of the program. Tertis wrote, “I am still amazed at the courage of Dr. Boult in suggesting to the audience a second performance.” 17 Tertis’s appreciation of the concerto extended to having Oxford University Press (OUP) publish his rendition of the solo viola part, fingerings and all, with a piano reduction. According to

Program from the premiere of Walton’s viola concerto Tertis, in the audience to hear Hindemith’s performance, immediately recognized the enormity of his error: One work of which I did not give the

first performance was Walton’s masterly concerto. With shame and contrition I admit that when the composer offered me the first performance I declined it. It took me time to realize what a tower of strength in the literature of the viola is

V OLUME 30 S UMMER 2014 O NLINE I SSUE

20