George Walker

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of George Walker, in
conversation with his son Gregory.


When Rosa King Walker announced to her five-year-old son George
that, like it or not, he was going to have piano lessons, she can
scarcely have been aware that she was dispatching him on a
lifelong journey in music. He made his concerto début at the age
of 23 playing Rachmaninov’s 3rd Piano Concerto, with the
Philadelphia Orchestra under the great Eugene Ormandy. A stellar
career on the concert platform surely beckoned, but in the event,
things were not so straightforward. We’ll hear how Walker began
to turn his back on the idea of a solo career, gravitating
instead towards a life in teaching – and, increasingly,
composition. Donald and Gregory discuss Walker’s studies with the
formidable Nadia Boulanger, the relief when his commissions
started rolling in, and the far reaches of his stylistic
ambition. Walker won the epic Pulitzer Prize for music in 1996
for his piece Lilacs, a career-defining moment, which makes what
happened next in Walker’s career all the more surprising. “I got
probably more publicity nationwide than perhaps any other
Pulitzer Prize-winner,” he recalled in 2015. “But not a single
orchestra approached me about doing the piece or any piece. It
materialized in nothing.” In this emotional look back at the life
and work of his father, Gregory discusses identity,
representation and perseverance, ending with the story of his
swansong, Visions, inspired by the tragedy of the Charleston
church massacre.


Music featured: Response String Quartet No 1 Lyric for Strings
Piano Sonata No 1 Cello Sonata Trombone Concerto The Bereaved
Maid Sonata No 1 for violin and piano Spatials Variations for
Orchestra Five Fancies for clarinet and piano four hands (Theme
and 5 variations) Piano Concerto Music for Brass (Sacred and
Profane) Cantata Piano Sonata No 4 Sinfonia No 1 Hey Nonny No
(anon) Poème for violin and orchestra In Time of Silver Rain
Mother Goose (Circa 2054) Lilacs Modus Icarus in Orbit Piano
Sonata No 5 Da Camera, for piano trio, harp, celesta, string
orchestra and percussion Violin Concerto Bleu Sinfonia No 5
(‘Visions’)


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Chris Barstow for BBC
Wales


For full tracklistings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for George Walker
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000cz2q


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z