Coronation March - Crown Imperial Following huge success with such iconoclastic works as Façade, Belshazzar's Feast and Portsmouth Point, William Walton quickly established a reputation in the 1920s and 30s for urbane music that was concise, vividly accessible and often tinged with sardonic wit. The Crown Imperial March, commissioned by the BBC for the coronation of Edward VIII but used for that of George VI, became similarly popular, but reflected a very different mood, following the abdication of Edward VIII and his brother's subsequent accession. Walton rose to the occasion and with great panache produced a quintessentially English ceremonial march with a swaggering start and broad processional theme to rival even Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance Marches. Ironically, and without the slightest hint of flippancy, Walton donned the mantle of his illustrious predecessor, paying him homage by adopting his winning structural formula almost to the letter. He even emulated Elgar's use of Shakespeare as the source of its title. Crown Imperial proved to be the first of many works in which Walton adopted the grand 'Elgarian' style. Others followed, notably a number of celebrated film scores and the equally famous Orb and Sceptre march, written for the Queen's coronation in 1953. Perhaps unfairly, he became so closely associated with the grand manner that he was once dubbed 'the finest Master of the King's Musick that never was'. Praise indeed, but hopefully not at the expense of the rest of his diverse musical output, which includes fine examples of symphonies, concertos, orchestral variations, choral music, chamber music and a grand opera, all worthy of our consideration.
Following huge success with such iconoclastic works as Façade, Belshazzar's Feast and Portsmouth Point, William Walton quickly established a reputation in the 1920s and 30s for urbane music that was concise, vividly accessible and often tinged with sardonic wit. The Crown Imperial March, commissioned by the BBC for the coronation of Edward VIII but used for that of George VI, became similarly popular, but reflected a very different mood, following the abdication of Edward VIII and his brother's subsequent accession. Walton rose to the occasion and with great panache produced a quintessentially English ceremonial march with a swaggering start and broad processional theme to rival even Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance Marches. Ironically, and without the slightest hint of flippancy, Walton donned the mantle of his illustrious predecessor, paying him homage by adopting his winning structural formula almost to the letter. He even emulated Elgar's use of Shakespeare as the source of its title. Crown Imperial proved to be the first of many works in which Walton adopted the grand 'Elgarian' style. Others followed, notably a number of celebrated film scores and the equally famous Orb and Sceptre march, written for the Queen's coronation in 1953. Perhaps unfairly, he became so closely associated with the grand manner that he was once dubbed 'the finest Master of the King's Musick that never was'. Praise indeed, but hopefully not at the expense of the rest of his diverse musical output, which includes fine examples of symphonies, concertos, orchestral variations, choral music, chamber music and a grand opera, all worthy of our consideration.