''Portsmouth Point'' is an
overture
Overture (from French ''ouverture'', "opening") in music was originally the instrumental introduction to a ballet, opera, or oratorio in the 17th century. During the early Romantic era, composers such as Beethoven and Mendelssohn composed overt ...
for
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
by the English composer
William Walton, composed in 1925. The work was inspired by Rowlandson's print depicting
Portsmouth Point
Portsmouth Point, or "Spice Island", is part of Old Portsmouth in Portsmouth, Hampshire, on the southern coast of England. The name Spice Island comes from the area's seedy reputation, as it was known as the "Spice of Life". Men were easily found ...
. Walton recalled that the main musical had come into his mind whilst riding on a route 22 bus in London.
[Kennedy, Michael, ''Portrait of Walton''. Oxford University Press, 1989 ().] Walton dedicated the score to the poet
Siegfried Sassoon
Siegfried Loraine Sassoon (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) was an English war poet, writer, and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. His poetry both describ ...
, who had recommended that Oxford University Press publish the score.
[Lloyd, Stephen, ''William Walton: Muse of Fire''. Boydell Press, 2001 ().] The score was first published in piano-duet form in 1925. The full orchestral score was published in 1928.
The overture was selected for performance at the 1926 International Society for Contemporary Music festival, and received its first performance in Zürich on 22 June 1926, conducted by Volkmar Andreae. The first London performance was on 28 June 1926, with Eugene Aynsley Goossens, Eugene Goossens conducting the overture as an interval work in the midst of a Diaghilev ballet performance.
Walton himself conducted the overture at The Proms in 1927. Constant Lambert later prepared a version of the overture, with a reduced orchestration, from Walton's original, and also with simplified time signatures. Lambert first conducted this version in 1932.
''Portsmouth Point'' depicts in musical form the rumbustious life of British 18th century sailors. Commentators have noted the influence of Igor Stravinsky's music and of jazz in the rhythms of the score,
as well as the rhythm of the Catalonia, Catalan ''sardana'' dance.
In 1953, Walton briefly Musical quotation, quoted this work in his contribution to the Classical music written in collaboration, collaborative work ''Variations on an Elizabethan Theme''.
References
External links
Williamwalton.net page on ''Portsmouth Point''
Concert overtures
Compositions by William Walton
1925 compositions
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