Façade 2

A Further Entertainment

for reciter and six instruments

General Information – Performing Forces – Manuscript – Publication – Recordings

Note: See the Façade page for additional information, including an index to each movement's page.

General Information:

Composition:
The original Façade was 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. Only 21 numbers were incorporated into the definitive version of Façade in 1942. Walton revised several of the remaining numbers for performance in 1977, under the title Façade Revived. In spring 1978, Walton made extensive changes, re-titling the work Façade 2.

First Performances:
            First performance, Façade Revived:
Friday, 25 March 1977. Plaisterers' Hall, London. Richard Baker reciter, Sir Charles Mackerras conductor.
            First performance, Façade 2:
Tuesday, 19 June 1979. Aldeburgh Festival. Sir Peter Pears reciter, English Chamber Orchestra, Steuart Bedford conductor.

Duration:
About 12 minutes

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

Dedication:
"to Cathy Berberian"

Performing Forces:

Solo reciter

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, tam-tam, tenor drum, rattle, bongos) – cello

Manuscript:

See the Façade page for detailed manuscript information.

Publication:

Oxford University Press. 'Herodiade's Flea' only, as part of a deluxe limited edition of the original Façade. Score, 1972: signed 019 359403X, unsigned 019 3594021.

Oxford University Press. Facsimile of Walton's manuscript. Study score, 1979, 019 3594064.
            [Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: Facsimile score]

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] 

Recordings:

WilliamWalton.net – Catalogue of Works – Solo Vocal Music