Johannesburg Festival Overture
Encyclopedia
Johannesburg Festival Overture is a composition for orchestra by the English composer William Walton, composed for the seventieth anniversary of Johannesburg
in 1956.
In January 1956, Walton received a commission from Ernest Fleischmann
, musical director of the Johannesburg Festival Committee to celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the city. Fleischmann included in his request to “include some African themes”.
Walton composed the overture between February and the end of May 1956, and revised it before publication in 1958 and revised it again after that. For inspiration he requested recordings of African music from the African Music Society. The effect of these recordings can be heard with three percussionists performing on eleven instruments. The composer also incorporated the main theme from Jean Bosco Mwenda
’s Masanga (which had been released on record in 1954).
Walton described the piece to his publisher as “a non-stop gallop…slightly crazy, hilarious and vulgar”.
The piece takes about seven minutes to perform.
, is included in the William Walton Edition, in volume 14 “Overtures”.
Vilém Tauský
arranged a reduced orchestra version in 1957.
conducted the South African Broadcasting Corporation Symphony Orchestra on September 25, 1956 in a broadcast from City Hall in Johannesburg
.
Efrem Kurtz
introduced the work to Britain in a Liverpool Philharmonic concert on November 13, 1956.
recorded the work with the New York Philharmonic
in the Columbia 30th Street Studios
on December 2, 1959.
The composer recorded the work with the Philharmonia Orchestra
on March 26, 1957.
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
in 1956.
In January 1956, Walton received a commission from Ernest Fleischmann
Ernest Fleischmann
Ernest Martin Fleischmann was a German-born American impresario who served for 30 years as executive director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which he upgraded to become a top-ranked orchestra...
, musical director of the Johannesburg Festival Committee to celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the city. Fleischmann included in his request to “include some African themes”.
Walton composed the overture between February and the end of May 1956, and revised it before publication in 1958 and revised it again after that. For inspiration he requested recordings of African music from the African Music Society. The effect of these recordings can be heard with three percussionists performing on eleven instruments. The composer also incorporated the main theme from Jean Bosco Mwenda
Jean Bosco Mwenda
Jean Bosco Mwenda, also known as Mwenda wa Bayeke was a pioneer of Congolese fingerstyle acoustic guitar music. He was also popular in other African countries, particularly East Africa, and in the late 1950s and early 1960s was briefly based in Nairobi, where he had a regular radio show and became...
’s Masanga (which had been released on record in 1954).
Walton described the piece to his publisher as “a non-stop gallop…slightly crazy, hilarious and vulgar”.
Instrumentation and Duration
Three flutes (third doubling piccolo), two oboes, cor anglais, three clarinets in A, three bassoons (third doubling contrabassoon) – four horns in F, three trumpets in B-flat, three trombones, tuba – timpani, three or four percussion (side drum, cymbals, suspended cymbal, bass drum, xylophone, tambourine, triangle, tenor drum, maracas, rumba sticks, castanets, glockenspiel) – harp – strings.The piece takes about seven minutes to perform.
Score
Oxford University Press published an 84 page study score in 1958. The score, edited by David Lloyd-JonesDavid Lloyd-Jones
David Matthias Lloyd-Jones is a British conductor who has specialised in British and Russian music. He is also an editor and translator, especially of Russian operas.- Biography :...
, is included in the William Walton Edition, in volume 14 “Overtures”.
Vilém Tauský
Vilém Tauský
Vilém Tauský CBE was a Czech conductor and composer.-Life:Vilém Tauský was from a musical family: his Viennese mother had sung Mozart at the Vienna State Opera under Gustav Mahler, and her cousin was the operetta composer Leo Fall.Tauský studied with Leoš Janáček and later became a repetiteur at...
arranged a reduced orchestra version in 1957.
First Performance
Malcolm SargentMalcolm Sargent
Sir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent was an English conductor, organist and composer widely regarded as Britain's leading conductor of choral works...
conducted the South African Broadcasting Corporation Symphony Orchestra on September 25, 1956 in a broadcast from City Hall in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
.
Efrem Kurtz
Efrem Kurtz
Efrem Kurtz was a Russian conductor. He studied at the Saint Petersburg conservatory with Alexander Glazunov and Nikolai Tcherepnin, among others. He later studied in Riga, Berlin and in Leipzig, in the last city as a pupil of Arthur Nikisch....
introduced the work to Britain in a Liverpool Philharmonic concert on November 13, 1956.
First Recording
André KostelanetzAndre Kostelanetz
André Kostelanetz was a popular orchestral music conductor and arranger, one of the pioneers of easy listening music.-Biography:...
recorded the work with the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
in the Columbia 30th Street Studios
CBS 30th Street Studio
CBS 30th Street Studio, also known as Columbia 30th Street Studio, and nicknamed "The Church", was an American recording studio operated by Columbia Records from 1949 to 1981 located at 207 East 30th Street, between Second and Third Avenues in Manhattan, New York City...
on December 2, 1959.
The composer recorded the work with the Philharmonia Orchestra
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke...
on March 26, 1957.