Search - Walton, Leaper :: Scapino / Siesta / Symphony 1

Walton:Symphony No. 1, et. al.

12/08/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a first-rate performance of Walton's First Symphony, along with two shorter works. Leaper's performance of the symphony takes about three minutes longer than Walton's suggested timing of 43 minutes, yet Leaper's is a truly exciting, beautifully-inflected reading. Each movement builds to a powerful climax, the Orquesta Filarmonica de Gran Canaria plays impressively well, and the recorded sound, while not ideally resonant (as I have noticed before with many Arte Nova orchestral recordings), is completely acceptable. The second movement's "con malizia" fall just a bit short of Previn's RCA recording (who doesn't). On the other hand, the last movement builds up a real head of steam, has one of the most exciting codas among the half-dozen or so other versions I have heard. Both short works (Scapino, Siesta) come across well, too. Overall, this is a superb bargain, may be a preferable version of the Walton Symphony at any price, and certainly provides an outstanding introduction to this composer's music."