Partita for Orchestra

General Information – Instrumentation – Manuscript – Publication – Recordings

General Information: 

Composition:
1957

First Performance:
30 January 1958. Severance Hall, Cleveland. Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell conductor.

Duration:
About 16 minutes

Movements:

I.   Toccata Brioso
II.   Pastorale siciliana     Andante comodo
     III.   Giga burlesca Allegro gioviale

Dedication:
To George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra

Craggs Catalogue Number:
C67

Instrumentation:

3 flutes (third doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, cor anglais, 3 clarinets (third doubling bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (third doubling contrabassoon) – 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba – timpani, 4 percussion (snare drum, military drum, bass drum, cymbals, tambourine, castanets, triangle, glockenspiel, xylophone, vibraphone) – celesta – harp – strings

Manuscript:

Frederick R. Koch Collection. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Manuscript FRKF 631. Autograph full score. 113 pages.

Publication:

Oxford University Press. Study score, 1958, 019 3683350. Score and parts are available on hire.

Recordings:

Orchestra Conductor Year Compact Disc Timing
Philharmonia Orchestra Sir William Walton 1959 EMI Classics 65006 15'48"
Cleveland Orchestra George Szell 1962 Sony Classical 62753 15'12"
London Philharmonic Leonard Slatkin 1990 RCA Victor 60813-2 16'04"
London Philharmonic Bryden Thomson 1991 Chandos CHAN 8959 17'34"
English Northern Philharmonia Paul Daniel 1994 Naxos 8.553180 17'26"

 

WilliamWalton.net – Catalogue of Works – Orchestral Music