performance materials were lost during their crossing of the battle-torn Atlantic but Walton, undaunted, conducted the British premiere anyway in 1941 with Henry Holst as soloist. In another fateful twist of the war, the valuable U.S. It was an intense period for Walton, prompting him to quip, “I seriously advise all sensitive composers to die at the age of 37.” The premiere did not happen in New York after all and when it did finally take place in Cleveland later that year, Walton was needed at home in wartime London and could not be present. The two met in America in 1939 and worked out the finishing touches together, making adjustments to the third movement in particular. According to his wife, Walton actually considered giving the piece to another violinist so as not to offend the commissioner but eventually convinced himself that he had “exhausted the possibilities of what one could do on a violin,” which meant he could show it to Heifetz without fear. He worried that he would not make the solo part difficult enough or spectacular enough, leaving the piece unworthy of Heifetz and his legend. THE MUSIC – Writing a concerto for someone with the stature of Heifetz was daunting for Walton.
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