On the other hand, Primrose gives a more individual character to each note, playing with very few slurred notes. Apart from this, he plays with a more soloistic character, and his sound is quite open and powerful, richly expressive. In addition, in bars 13-14 and 17-18, the viola takes on the role of accompaniment with octaves that form some hemiolas, thus causing a change in the accentuation of the bar. Primrose slurs these hemiolas by two notes, unlike Riddle, who slurs them by three. In this way, Riddle breaks a bit the rhythmic character of these hemiolas by slurring them by three notes.

3.2  Sorting ideas into categories

In this section, I will expound on the differences I observed. In order to get a clear view of what type of differences are, I have classified them into different categories.

          3.2.1 Bowings

I have compiled a table with the bowings differences detected between both recordings, divided between the three movements of the piece. Most of the differences among both versions are in this category.

As previously mentioned, a clear example of these differences is the beginning of the Concerto. Both performers have a completely different conception of this opening and, in turn, convey a completely opposite feeling to the listener. Listening to Riddle’s recording, we will find a lot of portamento being used. He plays the whole beginning with maximum legato in the bow, respecting Walton's original idea, keeping a large number of slurred notes. His opening phrase has a very intimate character and a restrained sound, looking for the directionality of phrasing.

Examples 1 and 2. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 1st movement, bars 1-23.

Examples 1 and 2. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 1st movement, bars 1-23.

Examples 1 and 2. William Walton, Concerto for viola and orchestra, edited by Oxford University Press, 1st movement, bars 1-231.

Examples 1 and 2. William Walton, Concerto for viola and orchestra, edited by Oxford University Press, 1st movement, bars 1-232.

>

Another example of different bowings is the beginning of the second movement. In bars 10 and 11, Riddle plays each sixteenth note separately, as it appears in the score, as well as the last two sixteenth notes of bar 14. In contrast to Primrose, who plays them slurred by two notes. In this way, Primrose achieves a more fluid and swift character.

There are also different bowings designs at the beginning of the third and last movement. Primrose decides to separate the first triplet of bar 9 and the rest of the dotted quavers plus the sixteenth note. This movement begins with a simple melody in the bassoon, which is suddenly extended, enriched, and brought to a climax by the viola before giving way to the orchestra. Therefore, both interpreters develop this melody in different ways through their bowings.

Example 6. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 3rd movement, bars 8-21.

Example 6. William Walton, Concerto for viola and orchestra, edited by Oxford University Press, 3rd  movement, bars 8-21.

Examples 4 and 5. William Walton, Concerto for viola and orchestra, edited by Oxford University Press, 2nd movement, bars 9-14.

Example 8. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 3rd movement, bars 177-192.

Example 9. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 3rd movement, bars 265-272.

Example 3. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 1st movement, bar 81.

Example 7. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 3rd movement, bar 60.

Examples 4 and 5. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 2nd movement, bars 9-14.

Examples 4 and 5. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 2nd  movement, bars 9-14.

Example 6. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 3rd movement, bars 1-21.

Example 9. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 3rd movement, bars 265-272.

Example 8. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 3rd movement, bars 177-192.

Example 7. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 3rd movement, bar 60.

Example 3. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 1st movement, bar 81.

>

          3.2.2. Notes and sound register

We find quite a few differences in this category, due to Primrose added personal details to the piece, probably to enhance his tendency towards virtuosity. He plays some excerpts of the second movement an octave higher, to avoid “unseemly scrubbing on the lower string3”. Perhaps it was also an attempt to look more like a violin than a viola, which was quite common at that time.

            “Although he pressed the composer on several occasions to express a preference, Walton remained evasive. Only later did it emerge that he                                definitely preferred the viola part as he had written it. One could say that Walton had more faith in the sonority of the viola and its                                              peculiarities than Primrose4”. 

These are the differences between both interpreters:

Example 16. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 2nd movement, bars 169-171.

Example 18. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 2nd movement, bars 251-253.

Example 14. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 2nd movement, bars 90-94.

Example 20. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 3rd movement, bar 104. 

Example 12. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 2nd movement, bars 1-15.

Example 10. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 1st movement, bar 81.

Example 18. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 2nd movement, bars 251-253.

Example 20. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 3rd movement, bar 104.

Example 16. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 2nd movement, bars 169-171.

Example 14. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 2nd movement, bars 90-94.

Example 12. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 2nd movement, bars 1-15.

Example 10. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 1st movement, bar 81.

Example 19. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 3rd movement, bar 48.

Example 21. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 3rd movement, bar 294. 

Example 17. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 2nd movement, bars 217-225.

Example 15. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 2nd movement, bars 142-155.

Example 13. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 2nd movement, bars 50-51.

Example 11. Frederick Riddle playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 1st movement, bar 161.

Example 15. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 2nd movement, bars 142-155.

Example 19. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 3rd  movement, bar 48.

Example 11. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 1^st movement, bar 161.

Example 17. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 2nd movement, bars 217-225.

Example 13. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 2nd movement, bars 50-51.

Example 21. William Primrose playing Viola Concerto by William Walton, 3rd movement, bar 294. 

next