Façade

An Entertainment

for reciter and six instruments

General Information – Performing Forces – Manuscript – Publication – Arrangements – Adaptations – Recordings – Index

General Information:

Composition:
Begun in late November and December 1921. An initial version was ready for performance in January 1922, but Walton continued to add, revise, and discard numbers for many years. All of the numbers had been composed by 1927, though revisions still continued. Walton established a definitive version in 1942. Further revisions followed in 1947–8 in preparation for publication.

First Performances:
            First private performance:
Tuesday, 24 January 1922. Edith Sitwell reciter, Robert Murchie flute, Haydn Draper clarinet, Herbert Barr trumpet, Charles Bender percussion, Ambrose Gauntlett cello, William Walton conductor. The Sitwell home, 2 Carlyle Square, London
            First public performance:
Tuesday, 12 June 1923. Edith Sitwell reciter, Robert Murchie flute, Haydn Draper clarinet, F. Moss saxophone, Herbert Barr trumpet, Charles Bender percussion, Ambrose Gauntlett cello, William Walton conductor. Aeolian Hall, London.
            First performance, definitive version:
Friday, 29 May 1942. Constant Lambert reciter, William Walton conductor. Aeolian Hall, London.

Duration:
About 35 minutes

Text:
Dame Edith Sitwell (1887–1964)
Complete text can be found on the page which is allotted for each movement of the work.

Movements:  [including first lines, when different from title]

Fanfare instrumental
1.   Hornpipe [Sailors come]
2.   En famille [In the early springtime, after their tea]
3.   Mariner Man [What are you staring at, mariner man?]
4.   Long Steel Grass
5.   Through Gilded Trellises
6.   Tango-Pasodoblé [When Don Pasquito arrived at the seaside]
7.   Lullaby for Jumbo [Jumbo asleep!]
8.   Black Mrs. Behemoth [In a room of the palace]
9.   Tarantella [Where the satyrs are chattering]
10.   The Man from a Far Countree [Rose and Alice]
11.   By the Lake [Across the flat and the pastel snow]
12.   Country Dance [That hodnailed goblin, the bob-tailed Hob]   
13.   Polka ['Tra la la la la la la la la!']
14.   Four in the Morning [Cried the navy-blue ghost]
15.   Something Lies beyond the Scene    
16.   Valse [Daisy and Lily]
17.   Jodelling Song [We bear velvet cream]
18.   Scotch Rhapsody [Do not take a bath in Jordan, Gordon]
19.   Popular Song [Lily O'Grady]
20.   Fox-trot [Old Sir Faulk]
    21.   Sir Beelzebub [When Sir Beelzebub]

Dedication:
"to Constant Lambert"

Craggs Catalogue Number:
C12

Performing Forces:

Solo reciter
   Note: Walton frequently conducted the work using two reciters, generally one female and one male.

Flute (doubling piccolo), clarinet in B-flat (doubling bass clarinet in B-flat), alto saxophone in E-flat – trumpet in C – percussion (suspended cymbal, side drum, triangle, Chinese blocks, castanets, tambourine) – 1 or 2 cellos

Manuscript:

For more detailed information about each movement's surviving manuscripts, see that movement's page, which can be accessed from the index. The bulk of the Façade manuscripts are held in these two collections:

Frederick R. Koch Collection. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Manuscript FRKF 638a. Manuscript, photocopy, and printed scores of various movements. Some manuscripts are autograph, some in the hand of Constant Lambert. 145 pages.

Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas at Austin. Music Collection, among the papers of Edith Sitwell. Including manuscripts of various numbers.

Publication:

Oxford University Press. Full score, 1951, 019 3594005. Set of parts, 019 3593971. Reciter's part, 019 3593998. Reprinted in 1967 with minor corrections.
            [Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: Study score]

Oxford University Press. Deluxe limited edition, 1972: signed 019 359403X, unsigned 019 3594021. Also includes facsimile of 'Herodiade's Flea'.

Oxford University Press. Edited by David Lloyd-Jones. William Walton Edition, Volume 7, "Façade Entertainments", 2000, 019 3593858. Study score, 019 3593858. Set of parts, 019 3593866. Reciter's part, 019 3593874.
            [Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: Study score, and set of parts]
            [Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: Set of parts]
            [Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: Reciter's part]
            [Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: William Walton Edition, Volume 7]

Arrangements:

        The composer himself made several arrangements of the music from Façade:

Bucolic Comedies, five songs for voice and six instruments, 1924.

Façade: First Suite for Orchestra, arranged by the composer, 1926.

'Valse', arranged for solo piano, ca. 1928.

Three Songs, for voice and piano, 1932.

Façade: Second Suite for Orchestra, arranged by the composer, 1938.

Façade 2: A Further Entertainment, 1977–8.

        There are also many arrangements made by persons other than the composer

Façade: First Suite for Orchestra, arranged for piano duet, by Constant Lambert, 1927.
Publication: Oxford University Press. Score, 1927, discontinued.

Arrangements for two pianos, by Herbert Murrill, 1934–50
Comprising: 'Old Sir Faulk' (1949), 'Polka' (1949), 'Swiss Jodelling Song' (1949), 'Tarantella-Sevillana' (1950), 'Valse' (1934)
Publication: Oxford University Press. Years as given. Discontinued.

Four Dances from Façade, for small orchestra, arranged by Walter Goehr, 1939.
Duration: About 8 minutes
Comprising: 'Polka', 'Tango', 'Tarantella', 'Popular Song (Tap-dance)'.
Instrumentation: 1 or 2 flutes (both doubling piccolo), oboe, 1 or 2 clarinets (second doubling alto saxophone ad lib.), bassoon (ad lib.) – 2 horns (ad lib.), 2 trumpets, 1 or 3 trombones – timpani (ad lib.), percussion (ad lib.), xylophone (ad lib.) – harp (ad lib.) – strings // OR // strings and piano
Publication: Oxford University Press. Piano/conductor's score, 1939, 019 3681625, discontinued. Score and parts are available on hire.

'Popular Song', arranged for two pianos, by Matyas Seiber.
Publication: Oxford University Press. Score, 1939, 019 3739232. Discontinued.

Façade: Second Suite for Orchestra, arranged for piano duet, by Constant Lambert, 1939.
Publication: Oxford University Press. Score, 1939, discontinued.

Arrangements for piano solo, by Roy Douglas, 1942–8.
Comprising: 'Old Sir Faulk' (1943), 'Polka' (1943), 'Popular Song' (1942), 'Scotch Rhapsody' (1943), 'Swiss Jodelling Song' (1948).
Publication: Oxford University Press. Years as given. Discontinued.

A Façade Suite, for harmonica and orchestra, arranged by Roy Douglas, 1958.
First Performance: 7 June 1958. Royal Festival Hall, London. Larry Adler harmonica, BBC Concert Orchestra, Vilem Tausky conductor. BBC Light Music Festival.
Duration: About 11 minutes
Comprising: 'Polka', 'Tango', 'Swiss Jodelling Song'. 'Popular Song'.
Instrumentation: Harmonica solo – 2 flutes, 1 or 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 1 or 2 bassoons – 2 horns, 1 or 3 trumpets – timpani, percussion – strings
Publication: Oxford University Press. Score and parts are available on hire.

Three Pieces, for harmonica and piano, arranged by Roy Douglas, 1959.
Comprising: 'Tango-Pasodoblé', 'Swiss Jodelling Song', 'Popular Song'.
Publication: Oxford University Press. Score and harmonica part, 1959, 019 3594633. Discontinued.

Arrangements for concert band, by Robert O'Brien, 1969.

Façade Suite, for chamber ensemble, arranged by Christopher Palmer, 1987.

Six Songs to Poems by Edith Sitwell, for voice and chamber ensemble (or piano), arranged by Christopher Palmer, 1989.

Façade: Third Suite for Orchestra, arranged by Christopher Palmer, 1991.

Seven Pieces, for clarinet and piano, arranged by Christopher Palmer, 1992.
Comprising: 'Popular Song', 'Scotch Rhapsody', 'Polka', 'Something lies beyond the scene', 'Tango-Pasodoblé', 'Fox-trot "Old Sir Faulk" ', 'March'.
Publication: Oxford University Press. Included in William Walton: A Clarinet Album, 019 3593823.
            [Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: A Clarinet Album]

Three Pieces, for flute and piano, arranged by Christopher Palmer, 1992.
Comprising: 'Popular Song', 'Country Dance', 'Water Party'.
Publication: Oxford University Press. Included in William Walton: A Flute Album, 019 3594080.
            [Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: A Flute Album]

Prologue to Façade, edited by Pamela Hunter.
Performing Forces: Same as Façade (see above).
Publication: Oxford University Press. Score and instrumental parts available on hire.

Façade Suite, for brass quintet, arranged by Gout.
Instrumentation: Horn, two trumpets, trombone, tuba.
Publication: Oxford University Press. Score and parts are available on hire.

Five Pieces, for guitar quartet, arranged by Goss.

Adaptations:

The music of Façade has also been danced as part of the following ballets. Ballet adaptations have also been made of several of the Façade arrangements.

Recordings:

Reciter(s) Ensemble Conductor Year Compact Disc Timing
Dame Edith Sitwell, Constant Lambert   Sir William Walton 1929 Living Era AJC 8558 * 16'12"
Dame Edith Sitwell, Sir Peter Pears English Opera Group Anthony Collins 1953 Decca 468 801-2 36'56"
Fenella Fielding, Michael Flanders Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Sir Neville Marriner 1971 EMI Classics 5 73998 2 37'05"
Peggy Ashcroft, Paul Scofield London Sinfonietta Sir William Walton 1972 Decca 450 136-2 38'51"
Janet Bookspan   David Epstein 1980 Vox Allegretto 8153 35'00"
Susana Walton, Richard Baker City of London Sinfonia Richard Hickox 1990 Chandos CHAN 8869 39'47"
Pamela Hunter Melologos Ensemble Silveer van der Broeck 1993 Discover DICD 920125 34'51"
Eleanor Bron, Richard Stilgoe The Nash Ensemble David Lloyd-Jones 2000 Hyperion CDA67239 33'41"

* Selections only

Index:

Each of the settings in Façade, where surviving or not, has its own online page with more detailed information.  All settings, together with the first line when different from the title, are listed below in alphabetical order. Those marked with an asterisk have not survived completely.

* Ass Face [Ass-face drank]
* Bank Holiday I [The houses on a seesaw rush]
* Bank Holiday II [Seas are roaring like a lion]
Black Mrs. Behemoth [In a room of the palace]
By the Lake [Across the flat and the pastel snow]
* Clown Argheb's Song      [Clown Argheb the honey-bee]
Country Dance [That hobnailed goblin, the bob-tailed Hob]   
Daphne [When green as a river was the barley]
* Dark Song [The fire was fury as a bear]
En famille [In the early springtime, after their tea]
Fanfare      instrumental
Four in the Morning [Cried the navy-blue ghost]
Fox-trot [Old Sir Faulk]
* Gone Dry
Hornpipe [Sailors come]
* Interlude      instrumental
Jodelling Song [We bear velvet cream]
The Last Galop      [Gone the saturnalia]
Long Steel Grass
Lullaby for Jumbo [Jumbo asleep!]
The Man from a Far Countree [Rose and Alice]
Mariner Man [What are you staring at, mariner man?]
* Mazurka      [God Pluto is a kindly man; the children ran]     
* Overture      instrumental
Polka ['Tra la la la la la la la la!']
Popular Song [Lily O'Grady]
Scotch Rhapsody [Do not take a bath in Jordan, Gordon]
* Serenade      instrumental
Sir Beelzebub [When Sir Beelzebub]
Small Talk I [Upon the noon Cassandra died]
* Small Talk II [Upon the noon Cassandra died]
Something Lies beyond the Scene     
* Springing Jack [Green wooden leaves clap light away]     
* Switchback [By the blue wooden sea]
Tango-Pasodoblé [When Don Pasquito arrived at the seaside]
Tarantella [Where the satyrs are chattering]
Through Gilded Trellises
*  Trams [Castles of crystal]
Valse [Daisy and Lily]
The White Owl [The currants, moonwhite as Mother Bunch]     
* The Wind's Bastinado

 

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