William Walton: Viola Concerto

William Walton composed his Viola Concerto in 1928-9, and it was given its premiere at a Promenade Concert at Queen's Hall, London on 3rd October 1929.

In the beginning, Viola players adjusted the solo line to fit their own ideas of the work's character, and Walton was generally happy to accomodate this. However, he came to regard one player's version above all the others for its discipline and balance - that of Frederick Riddle.

Riddle's edition was originally published with a Piano reduction of the first Orchestration in 1938, and it is this that forms that basis for the solo line in this edition.

This present Piano reduction was made by Geoffrey Pratley and published in 1993.