JAVS Spring 2022

All That Jazz Walton was clearly influenced by what he heard around him in 1920’s London—dance band music, early jazz, the music of Stravinsky, and of course Hindemith and Prokofiev. As English music critic Frank Howes explains, ‘[h]is early years as a musician coincided with the post Armistice conditions which were marked by a furious passion for dancing, the vogue of jazz, a cynical wit and an anti-Romantic outlook.’ 18 Even though later critics, like Desmond Shawe-Taylor, observed that in the Viola Concerto “the lyric poet in Walton, who had so far been hidden under a mask of irony, fully emerged,” the work still shares much of the character of other works Walton composed at this time—the whimsical humor of Façade , the boisterous energy of Portsmouth Point , and the rhythmic complexity of Belshazzar’s Feast . 19 That there is lyricism in the work is not in question; but even in the most lyrical passages, surely Walton’s articulation and expression marks produce a more parlando , a more enunciated, character than Riddle’s. More Smoothing and Streamlining If Tertis—in the Kreisler mold—brought a somewhat old-fashioned approach to his interpretation, and Primrose—in the Heifetz mold—a somewhat virtuosic, player-centered view, then Riddle represented a “new” English style: a gentler, more considerate style of playing that would exert a powerful influence on generations of English violists. Wellington sums up Riddle’s style as “disciplined and balanced.” 20 But does Riddle’s smoothing over of the solo part have a similar effect on the work as the “smoothing and streamlining” that was so criticized in Walton’s 1962 re-orchestration of the piece? Does it compromise the youthful vigor of the original? Walton always accepted practical advice from soloists: the violin and cello concerti each came under the influence of a star soloist—Heifetz and Piatigorsky respectively— during the process of their composition. But Heifetz and Piatigorsky were offering pre-publication input during the composing of works written expressly for them, whereas Riddle was a performer making an already published and widely performed work his own. It is worth noting that while Walton had been an accomplished singer, he played no musical instrument. He said he had “no aptitude for musical instruments at all.” 21

Hindemith and Walton It is easy to overlook Paul Hindemith’s influence—as both performer and composer—on the success of the Viola Concerto . The disparaging comments about Hindemith’s playing style by both Tertis and Walton are frequently quoted, yet the premiere was undeniably a success. There is no evidence that Walton sought Hindemith’s advice on the solo part, despite Hindemith being a renowned viola player and the twentieth century’s most prolific composer for the instrument. Even if he had, it’s unlikely that Hindemith would have tried to persuade Walton to smooth it over; Hindemith’s own music of the 1920s (e.g. Kammermusik no. 1) was angular and acerbic, and he railed against “the wretched romantic way of rubato playing and ‘expression’” that was popular at the time. 22 It is clear Hindemith held Walton’s Viola Concerto in high regard. After attending a 1938 performance of it by Riddle in Italy, in a program which also included his own music and that of Arthur Honegger, he reported that “Honegger (a small nocturne) got a very good reception whereas by far the most respectable piece on the program—Walton’s viola concerto, conducted by him and violed [sic] not quite adequately by Mr. Riddle— made little impression on the Italians; such things are not in their line.” 23 Misgivings and Doubts Walton was notoriously insecure, and his insecurities seemed to increase with age. His humble background, his lack of proficiency on any musical instrument, and a feeling that he was overlooked by the British musical establishment all conspired to undermine his self-confidence. Fickle critics that had once excitedly praised the originality and mastery of the Viola Concerto soon started to describe Walton’s music as dated and unadventurous. Susana Walton recalls: “[h]e was always full of misgivings and doubts, and the critics exacerbated his insecurity.” 24 In addition, the seemingly unstoppable rise of his nemesis Benjamin Britten—prolific composer, brilliant conductor and pianist, darling of the critics—weighed heavily on him. Writing for the Viola So, did Walton’s insecurity make him more likely to go along with performers’ changes to his works? Did he choose Riddle’s version simply because the changes

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Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 38, No. 1, Spring 2022