2 languages
William Walton
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
William Walton, from Oldham, was one of the most important British concert composers. He also wrote for film, most often for Laurence Olivier. For Olivier's Shakespeare films Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1948) and Richard III (1955) he wrote music with solemn marches, old English dances and broad melodies. The charge at Agincourt in Henry V is built on a large crescendo in the orchestra. With Battle of Britain (1969) things went wrong. The studio replaced almost his entire score with music by Ron Goodwin. Only the piece Battle in the Air remained in the film.
Listening
Listening tip. Notice the brass fanfares and march rhythms set against soft, archaic string music that points to old English music.
Touch Her Soft Lips and Part · Academy of St Martin in the Fields & Sir Neville Marriner, 1944
Richard III: I. Prelude · Academy of St Martin in the Fields & Sir Neville Marriner, 1955
Battle in the Air · William Walton, 1969
Discography
Studio albums
- 1947Henry V: Scenes from the film
- 1963Twentieth Century Church Music
- 1965Violin Concertos
- 1967Symphony no. 1 (1935)
- 1972Belshazzar’s Feast / Improvisations on an Impromptu of Benjamin Britten
- 1973Walton: Violin Concerto / Stravinsky: Violin Concerto
- 1974Walton: Symphony no. 2 / Portsmouth Point & Scapino Overtures / Lambert: The Rio Grande
- 1983Music for Organ and Brass Band
- 1984Symphony no. 1 in B‐flat minor
- 1985Elgar: Cello Concerto, op. 85 / Walton: Cello Concerto
- 1985Violin Concertos
- 1985William Walton: Façade - An Instrumental Suite In The Original Scoring
- 1986Belshazzar's Feast / Suite From Henry V
- 1986Cello Concertos
- 1987Bridge: Cello Sonata / Delius: Cello Sonata / Bax: Rhapsodic Ballad / Walton: Passacaglia
- 1987Make We Joy: Christmas Music by Holst and Walton
- 1987Symphony no. 1 / Orb & Sceptre / Crown Imperial
- 1987Viola Concerto / Violin Concerto
- 1988Symphony no. 1 / Portsmouth Point Overture
- 1988Walton: Symphony no. 1 / Vaughan Williams: The Wasps Overture
- 1989Belshazzar's Feast / Chichester Psalms / Missa Brevis
- 1989Belshazzar's Feast / Coronation Te Deum / Gloria
- 1989Symphony no. 1 / Symphony no. 2
- 1989Symphony no. 1 / Variations on a Theme by Hindemith
- 1989Walton: Cello Concerto / Shostakovich: Cello Concerto no. 1
- 1989Walton: Façade / Stravinsky: Renard
- 1989William Walton: Sinfonia Concertante / John Ireland: Piano Concerto / Frank Bridge: Phantasm for Piano and Orchestra
- 1990'Spitfire' Prelude and Fugue / Crown Imperial / Orb and Sceptre etc.
- 1990Façade
- 1990Façade 1 & 2
- 1990Film Music, Vol. 1: Hamlet / As You Like It
- 1990Battle of Britain
- 1990Henry V
- 1990Symphony no. 2 / Suite "Troilus & Cressida"
- 1990The Quest (complete ballet) / The Wise Virgins (ballet suite)
- 1991Cello Concerto / Partita / Improvisations on an Impromptu of Benjamin Britten / Passacaglia for solo cello
- 1991Film Music, Vol. 4: Richard III / Macbeth / Major Barbara
- 1991In Honour of the City of London / Fanfares and Marches / Jubilate Deo / Antiphon / 4 Christmas Carols / Where Does the Uttered Music Go?
- 1991Piano Quartet / Sonata for Violin and Piano
- 1991Symphony No. 1 / Varii Capricci
- 1992Belshazzar's Feast / Coronation Te Deum / Cello Concerto
- 1992Kreutzer Sonata for Strings / Adagio for Strings / Sonata for Strings
- 1992Orchestral Favourites, Volume II: Respighi's "Ancient Airs and Dances Suite no. 3"
- 1992Symphony no. 1 / Cello Concerto
- 1992Violin Sonatas
- 1993Choral Works
- 1993Concierto de Aranjuez / Fantasia para un gentihombre / Five Bagatelles for Guitar and Orchestra
- 1993Elgar: String Quartet / Bridge: Three Idylls / Walton: String Quartet
- 1993Façade
- 1993Symphonies 1 & 2
- 1993Walton: String Quartet / Bridge: String Quartet no. 3
- 1994Ballets
- 1994Prokofiev: String Quartet no. 2 / Hindemith: String Quartet no. 3 / Walton: String Quartet
- 1994The World of British Classics VIII: Belshazzar's Feast / Violin Concerto / Te Deum
- 1995BBC Music, Volume 4, Number 3: Sibelius: Symphony no. 2 / Walton: Symphony no. 2
- 1995Belshazzar's Feast / Crown Imperial / Henry V Suite
- 1995Cello Concerto / Symphony no. 1
- 1995Symphony No. 2 / Violin Concerto / Scapino
- 1995Troilus and Cressida
- 1995Walton: Crown Imperial / Grainger: Molly on the Shore / Smetana: Vlatava / Borodin: Polovtsian Dances / Arnold: Concerto for Harmonica
- 1995Walton: Orb & Sceptre / Coronation March / Arnold: Four Cornish Dances / Farnon: Westminster Waltz / Coates: Dam Busters March / Farnon: Colditz March
- 1996Belshazzar's Feast / The Wise Virgins / Siesta
- 1996Britten: Spring Symphony, op. 44 / Walton: Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in A minor
- 1996Scenes From Shakespeare
- 1996Symphony no. 1 / Variations on a Theme by Hindemith
- 1996Symphony no. 2 / Viola Concerto / Johannesburg Festival Overture
- 1997Barber: Violin Concerto / Walton: Violin Concerto / Bloch: Baal Shem
- 1997Britten: Cello Symphony / Walton: Cello Concerto
- 1997Elgar, Walton: Cello Concertos / Delius: Caprice & Elegy
- 1997English Guitar Music
- 1997Symphony No. 1 / Partita
- 1997The English Song Series, Volume 2: A Song for the Lord Mayor's Table
- 1997Viola Concertos
- 1998Belshazzar's Feast / Symphony no. 1
- 1998Bruch: Double Concerto / Walton: Viola Concerto
- 1998Henry V
- 1999Battle of Britain (soundtrack)
- 1999BBC Music, Volume 7, Number 11: Walton: Belshazzar’s Feast / Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
- 1999Elgar: In the South / Walton: Partita / Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra / Sinfonia da Requiem
- 1999Hamlet / As You Like It
- 1999Spitfire Prelude and Fugue / Sinfonia Concertante / Hindemith Variations
- 1999Sweet Is the Guitar
- 1999Violin Concerto / Cello Concerto
- 1999Violin Concerto / Sonata for Violin & Orchestra / Two Pieces for Violin & Orchestra
- 2000Guitar Recital
- 2000Piano Quartet / String Quartet
- 2000Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending / Walton: Facade (Excerpts)
- 2000Violin Concerto / Viola Concerto / Partita for Orchestra
- 2001English Guitar Concertos
- 2001The Passionate Englishman
- 2002Coronation Te Deum and other choral music
- 2002Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 ‧ Siesta
- 2002The English Song Series, Volume 1: Anon in Love / Façade Settings / A Song for the Lord Mayor's Table
- 2002The Quest (Complete Ballet) / The Wise Virgins (Suite from the Ballet)
- 2002The Twelve / Coronation Te Deum / Missa Brevis / Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis
- 2003Britten: Violin Concerto / Walton: Viola Concerto
- 2003Violin Concertos
- 2003Walton Conducts Walton: The 1964 New Zealand Tour
- 2004Belshazzar's Feast / Crown Imperial
- 2005Christopher Columbus & Hamlet and Ophelia
- 2006Beethoven: String Quartet, op. 135 / Walton: Sonata for Strings
- 2006Cello Concertos
- 2006Violin Concertos
- 2007BBC Legends: Silvestri: Walton: Partita / Debussy: La Mer / Rachmaninov: Symphony no. 2 / Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks Suite / Beethoven: Symphony no. 8 / Delius: Paris / Strauss: Don Juan
- 2007Belshazzar's Feast
- 2007Elgar: Piano Quintet / Walton: Piano Quartet
- 2007O Clap Your Hands
- 2007Walton: Viola Concerto / Rubbra: Viola Concerto / Meditations on a Byzantine Hymn
- 2008BBC Music, Volume 16, Number 12: Great Proms Premieres
- 2010The Symphonies
- 2010Walton: Concerto for Violin / Vieuxtemps: Concerto no. 5
- 2010Walton: Facade / Siesta / Scapino / Portsmouth Point / Orb and Sceptre / Bax: Coronation March 1953 / Bliss: Welcome the Queen
- 2011BBC Music, Volume 20, Number 3: In dulci jubilo: Beautiful Christmas choral music by Walton, Poulenc, Howells and more...
- 2011String Quartets
- 2011Walton: Belshazzar’s Feast / Coronation Te Deum / Parry: I Was Glad / Jerusalem
- 2012Troilus and Cressida
- 2013British Violin Sonatas, Volume One
- 2013Nocturnal
- 2013Piano Quartets
- 2014Canticles from St Paul’s Cathedral, London
- 2014Cello Concertos
- 2014Cello Concertos / Four Sea Interludes
- 2014Symphony no. 1 / Violin Concerto
- 2014Works for Violin and Piano
- 2015Symphony no. 2 / Cello Concerto / Improvisations on an Impromptu of Benjamin Britten
- 2016Cello Concertos
- 2016Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending / Oboe Concerto / Delius: 2 Pieces for Small Orchestra / Intermezzo / Walton: 2 Pieces for Strings from "Henry V"
- 2017Façade / Mamzelle Angot
- 2017Symphonies 1 & 2
- 2017The Argo Organ Recordings: Simon Preston at Westminster Abbey
- 2017Violin Concerto / Variations on Theme by Hindemith / Partita for Orchestra / Spitfire Prelude and Fugue
- 2017Walton / Sinding
- 2017William Walton / Max Bruch / Arvo Pärt
- 2018Motherland
- 2018Prokofiev: Violin Concerto no. 1 / Walton: Viola Concerto / Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
- 2018Viola Concerto / Partita for Orchestra / Sonata for String Orchestra
- 2020Piano Quartet / Violin Sonata / Toccata
- 2021British Solo Cello Music
- 2021English Guitar Music Of The 20th Century
- 2021The British Project - Walton: Troilus & Cressida
- 2021The British Project: Elgar / Britten / Walton / Vaughan Williams
- 2022BBC Music, Volume 30, Number 13: Symphony no. 2 / Spitfire Prelude & Fugue
- 2022The Complete Façades
- 2022William Walton: A Centenary Celebration
- 2023Momentum 1
- 2023Walton: Cello Concerto (arranged for viola) / Molinelli: Viola Concerto 'Lady Walton’s Garden'
- 2024Bridge: Oration / Frances Hoad: Earth, Sea, Air / Walton: Cello Concerto
- 2024Cello Concertos
- 2024Façade: An Entertainment
- 2024Walton / Martinů
- 2025BBC Music, Volume 33, Number 8: Spring Symphony
- 2025Cello Concerto / Symphony no. 1 / Scapino
- 2025Orchestral Anthems
- 2025Tippett: Piano Concerto / Britten: Diversions / Walton: Sinfonia concertante
- 2025Violin Concerto / Symphonic Suite from 'Troilus and Cressida' / Portsmouth Point
- 2026Centenary of HM Queen Elizabeth II: 100 songs for 100 years
- ?Belshazzar's Feast / In Honour of the City of London
- ?Belshazzar’s Feast / Partita / Henry V: Two Pieces
- ?British Band Classics: Works by Walton, Holst and Jacob
- ?Elgar: String Quartet in E minor, Op. 83 / Walton: String Quartet in A minor
- ?Gloria / Te Deum / Façade Suites / Crown Imperial / Orb and Sceptre
- ?Henry V / Hamlet / Richard II / Spitfire Prelude and Fugue
- ?Piano Quartet / Violin Sonata / Five Bagatelles
Other work
- 1935Escape Me Never
- 1948Hamlet
- 1955Richard III
In School of Rock
The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.
- Film Music MapNL Map
- The Dream Factory: Film Reel 3NL Reader
Mentioned in other articles
- British concert composers (Denham and Ealing) Genre
For Laurence Olivier's Henry V (1944) William Walton wrote music with old English and French melodies.