Walton: Symphonies Nos 1 & 2/Cello Concerto/Violin Concerto/Overtures

• HAENDEL / TORTELIER / BERGLUND
• MUSICA CLASICA
• INTERNATIONAL
• MUSIC

Amazon.co.uk Mouth-watering fare from the EMI vaults, and a must for all true Walton aficionados. Astonishingly, this is the first reissue in any form of Bernard Haitink's extraordinarily compulsive Philharmonia rendering of the First Symphony. The original 1982 LP always was a demonstration disc par excellence and the new CD transfer excitingly conveys the full lustre of those early digital mastertapes. With the Philharmonia on peak form, the Dutch maestro's massive conception brings with it an unswerving concentration and riveting cumulative power. Some may find it all too broad and wanting in nervous energy, but the symphonic thrust of Walton's hot-headed inspiration has rarely been more cogently realised. Andrè Previn displays similar perception in his 1973 account of the still underrated Second Symphony, the passion and pain at its core simmering just beneath the surface. Razor-sharp work from the London Symphony Orchestra both here and in the two fizzing overtures which ensue. As for the violin and cello concertos, Ida Haendel and Paul Tortelier respectively rise to their multi-faceted challenges with unimpeachable virtuosity and humanity, whilst cultivating a totally convincing rapport with Paavo Berglund and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. An essential package. --Andrew Achenbach Product description HAENDEL / TORTELIER / BERGLUND