Portsmouth Point, an 1814 etching by the satirist Thomas Rowlandson, depicts a bustling and bawdy port scene on England’s southern Hampshire coast.
The thrillingly chaotic scene inspired William Walton, in 1925, to compose an exuberant overture of the same title. The opening bars came to Walton as he rode through lively London streets atop a double decker bus. Led by Volkmar Andreae, the premiere took place in June of 1926 in Zurich at the International Society for Contemporary Music festival.
Amid bustling counterpoint, a sailor’s hornpipe mixes with a dizzying Catalan Sardana (a Spanish circle dance). Filled with jarring asymmetrical lines and frequent meter changes, the music is infused with elements of jazz and the neoclassicism of Stravinsky. It points the way to the vibrant rhythms and counterpoint of Aaron Copland and David Diamond, and delivers pure fun and adventure.
This 1974 recording features André Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra:
Recordings
- Walton: Portsmouth Point André Previn, London Symphony Orchestra Warner Classics
Featured Image: “Portsmouth Point” (1814), Thomas Rowlandson