Spitfire Prelude and Fugue
Encyclopedia
William Walton
composed the music for the motion picture The First of the Few
in May and June of 1942. At the end of 1942 he extracted and arranged the Spitfire Prelude and Fugue.
, for some reason, could not be at the running of the film for Walton so he told me very elaborately what he wanted from the music. So after we had the viewing I went up to Walton and repeated what Leslie had said as accurately as I could. Walton listened very carefully and said Oh I see, Leslie wants a lot of notes, and he went away and wrote The Spitfire Fugue".
A review of The First of the Few in the New Statesman and Nation
on August 29, 1942 mentioned the score: "Walton's music deserves special recommendation. His fugal movement for the assembly of parts of the Spitfire adds immensely to the most moving sequence in the film".
The prelude, called by Stephen Lloyd "one of Walton’s finest marches", is the music heard over the opening credit titles in the movie. A central lyrical violin solo depicts the exhaustion and dying by illness of the aircraft’s designer R. J. Mitchell
. The fugue is used to describe the making of the Spitfire, and then the patriotic march returns joined with the fugue to mark the completion of the fighter aircraft.
In 1947, John Huntley
wrote of the composition, "The Prelude is a patriotic, resounding piece of good orchestration; simple in construction, it makes ideal film music".
Walton was also commissioned in June 1968 for the score of a movie with a similar theme, Battle of Britain
.
, with the composer's authorization."
The work takes about eight minutes to perform.
, Yale University
. Oxford University Press
published a study score in 1961.
); and brass band (Eric Crees)
.
and on 16 October 1963 with the Philharmonia Orchestra
. There are several other orchestral recordings and also a recording of the band arrangement.
The score for the film was recorded by Muir Mathieson
conducting an uncredited London Symphony Orchestra
in June(?) 1942 at the Denham Film Studios
.
William Walton
Sir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera...
composed the music for the motion picture The First of the Few
The First of the Few
The First of the Few, known as Spitfire in the United States, is a 1942 British film directed by and starring Leslie Howard as R.J. Mitchell, the designer of the Supermarine Spitfire, alongside co-star David Niven. The film's score was written by William Walton...
in May and June of 1942. At the end of 1942 he extracted and arranged the Spitfire Prelude and Fugue.
The Music
There were four films released in 1942 with music by William Walton. These helped establish him as a major figure in English music and British film music, although many people heard his music without knowing who the composer was. The popularity of the music in The First of the Few was such that a recording was made in the same year of the Spitfire Prelude and Fugue with the composer conducting. Sid Cole, supervising editor of The First of the Few, noted that "when the film was finally edited, William Walton was doing the music. Leslie HowardLeslie Howard (actor)
Leslie Howard was an English stage and film actor, director, and producer. Among his best-known roles was Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind and roles in Berkeley Square , Of Human Bondage , The Scarlet Pimpernel , The Petrified Forest , Pygmalion , Intermezzo , Pimpernel Smith...
, for some reason, could not be at the running of the film for Walton so he told me very elaborately what he wanted from the music. So after we had the viewing I went up to Walton and repeated what Leslie had said as accurately as I could. Walton listened very carefully and said Oh I see, Leslie wants a lot of notes, and he went away and wrote The Spitfire Fugue".
A review of The First of the Few in the New Statesman and Nation
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
on August 29, 1942 mentioned the score: "Walton's music deserves special recommendation. His fugal movement for the assembly of parts of the Spitfire adds immensely to the most moving sequence in the film".
The prelude, called by Stephen Lloyd "one of Walton’s finest marches", is the music heard over the opening credit titles in the movie. A central lyrical violin solo depicts the exhaustion and dying by illness of the aircraft’s designer R. J. Mitchell
R. J. Mitchell
Reginald Joseph Mitchell CBE, FRAeS, was an aeronautical engineer, best known for his design of the Supermarine Spitfire.-Early years:...
. The fugue is used to describe the making of the Spitfire, and then the patriotic march returns joined with the fugue to mark the completion of the fighter aircraft.
In 1947, John Huntley
John Huntley (film historian)
John Frederick Huntley was a British film historian, educator and archivist.Huntley was born in Kew and entered the film industry as a teaboy at Denham Studios around 1938...
wrote of the composition, "The Prelude is a patriotic, resounding piece of good orchestration; simple in construction, it makes ideal film music".
Walton was also commissioned in June 1968 for the score of a movie with a similar theme, Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain (film)
Battle of Britain is a 1969 Technicolor film directed by Guy Hamilton, and produced by Harry Saltzman and S. Benjamin Fisz. The film broadly relates the events of the Battle of Britain...
.
Instrumentation and duration
Two flutes (second doubling piccolo), one or two oboes, two clarinets, one or two bassoons – four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba – timpani, percussion (side drum, cymbals, bell) – harp – strings. A note in the score reads: "Optional 2nd oboe and 2nd bassoon parts have been added by Vilém TauskýVilém Tauský
Vilém Tauský CBE was a Czech conductor and composer.-Life:Vilém Tauský was from a musical family: his Viennese mother had sung Mozart at the Vienna State Opera under Gustav Mahler, and her cousin was the operetta composer Leo Fall.Tauský studied with Leoš Janáček and later became a repetiteur at...
, with the composer's authorization."
The work takes about eight minutes to perform.
Score
The autograph full score, 32 pages long, can be found at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript LibraryBeinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library was a 1963 gift of the Beinecke family. The building was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft of the firm of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, and is the largest building in the world reserved exclusively for the preservation of rare books...
, Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
published a study score in 1961.
Arrangements
There are several arrangements including organ solo (1966, a shortened version of the piece arranged by Dennis Morrell); military band (1966 Prelude only by Rodney B. Bashford; 1970 Fugue only by J.L. Wallace); brass ensemble (1977, Elgar HowarthElgar Howarth
Elgar Howarth is an English conductor and composer.Howarth was educated in the 1950s at Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music , where his fellow students included the composers Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Peter Maxwell Davies, and the...
); and brass band (Eric Crees)
First performance
The Spitfire Prelude and Fugue was first performed at Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool on 2 January 1943 with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by the composer. This was part of an all-Walton concert sponsored by the British CouncilBritish Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
.
Recordings
The composer recorded the work twice. He conducted it for records on 24 June 1943 with the Halle OrchestraThe Hallé
The Hallé is a symphony orchestra based in Manchester, England. It is the UK's oldest extant symphony orchestra , supports a choir, youth choir and a youth orchestra, and releases its recordings on its own record label, though it has occasionally released recordings on Angel Records and EMI...
and on 16 October 1963 with the Philharmonia Orchestra
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke...
. There are several other orchestral recordings and also a recording of the band arrangement.
The score for the film was recorded by Muir Mathieson
Muir Mathieson
James Muir Mathieson was a Scottish conductor and composer. Mathieson was almost always described as a "Musical Director" on a large number of British films.-Career:...
conducting an uncredited London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
in June(?) 1942 at the Denham Film Studios
Denham Film Studios
Denham Film Studios were a British film production studio operating from 1936 to 1952.The studios were founded by Alexander Korda, on a 165 acre site near the village of Denham, Buckinghamshire. At the time it was the largest facility of its kind in the UK, but it was merged with Rank's Pinewood...
.