Film by Tony Palmer
With: Wm. Walton, his wife, Yehudi Menuhin, Julian Bream, John Shirley-Quirk, The Philharmonia Orchestra/Simon Rattle, and other musicians and performers
Studio: Isolde Films/Voiceprint TP-DVD113
Video: 16:9 color and B&W
Audio: PCM Stereo
Length: 99 minutes
Rating: *****
This 1981 film from the director of filmic bios on Stravinsky, Benjamin Britten and Rachmaninoff, is the only substantial film documentary on William Walton, who died in 1983. Palmer decided on the title of the film after both interviewing the composer at length and listening more closely to some of his music, much of which he felt showed a profound pessimism about the human condition. Palmer had said something to Walton upon leaving one of their meetings along the lines of “Looking forward to…” but Walton misheard him and said “Death. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”
Highlights of the composer’ long life and of his music are presented in this loving documentary. The influence of WWII is strong of course, and the composer talks about the negative press he received for all the music he was asked to compose for royal events when he lived most of the time in Italy on the Bay of Naples and not in Britain. There are major excerpts from his heartbreaking viola concerto, his cello concerto, his famous oratorio Belshazzar’s Feast, and his first opera Troilus and Cressida. Lady Susana Walton, who he married suddenly on a trip to Argentina, is seen with the composer and speaking about their life together.
The film was made for BBC-TV and the Belshazzar excerpts were the first major television contribution of Simon Rattle. Palmer allows the composer to tell a great part of his story himself in close up camera shots. The film quality is a bit contrasty but serviceable. The stereo sonics on the musical selections are excellent. The film was an award winner at the Prix Italia film festival.
– John Sunier
