William Walton Violin Concerto Premiered On This Day in 1939

The first performance was given by Jascha Heifetz with the Cleveland Orchestra – conducted by Artur Rodzinski.

William Walton Violin Concerto premiered on this day in 1939 – 85 years ago

The first performance was given by Jascha Heifetz with the Cleveland Orchestra – conducted by Artur Rodzinski.

Wartime conditions, which had already hindered the American premiere, also delayed further performances. The British premiere occurred on 1 November, 1941, by Henry Holst and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Walton.

The 3 movement concerto was composed for Heifetz, who had also commissioned the work. Walton and Heifetz first met in 1936, and shortly after the concerto was composed in 1938 and 1939. It was known that Walton composed at a frustratingly slow pace.

Part of the work was composed in Ravello, Italy, where Walton was bitten by a tarantula. He commemorated the incident by including a tarantella in the opening of the second movement, describing the passage as "quite gaga, I may say, and of doubtful propriety."

In mid-1939, he traveled to New York to collaborate with Heifetz on the piece, incorporating the violinist's suggestions to enhance the effectiveness of the solo part.

The Violin Concerto is the second of Walton’s three string concertos. The other two – for Viola (1928–9, revised 1936–7, 1961) and for Cello (1955–6, revised 1975) – follow a similar structure, having three movements, with more moderately paced outer movements surrounding a central scherzo.

KYUNG WHA CHUNG | WALTON VIOLIN CONCERTO | ANDRE PREVIN & PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA