Shostakovich, Britten and Prokofiev: Cello Sonatas Jamie Walton & Daniel Grimwood

• Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 – 1975): Cello Sonata in D Minor, Op. 40:
• 1I. Allegro non troppo12:16
• 2II. Allegro02:56
• 3III. Largo07:02
• 4IV. Allegro04:15
• Benjamin Britten (1913 – 1976): Cello Sonata in C Major, Op. 65:
• 5I. Dialogo06:18
• 6II. Scherzo-pizzicato02:22
• 7III. Elegia05:28
• 8IV. Marcia01:56
• 9V. Moto Perpetuo02:35
• Sergei Prokofiev (1891 – 1953): Cello Sonata in C Major, Op. 119:
• 10I. Andante grave09:54
• 11II. Moderato04:27
• 12III. Allegro ma non troppo07:54
• Total Runtime01:07:23

Info for Shostakovich, Britten and Prokofiev: Cello Sonatas

Jamie Walton and Daniel Grimwood continue their performance partnership with this recording of sonatas for cello and piano by Shostakovich, Britten and Prokofiev. Both Walton and Grimwood are accomplished performers who regularly work together both on disc and in concert, as well as being highly active in the wider musical world. A recent highlight for Walton is his North York Moors Chamber Music Festival (where both he and Grimwood performed), which was nominated for a Royal Philharmonic society award in 2011.

“Walton and Grimwood consistently bring out the echoes of Soviet music that Britten no doubt intended as a tribute to his dedicatee...The natural warmth of Walton's playing, matching that of Rostropovich himself, is finely enhanced by the crispness and fresh focus of Grimwood's accompaniments. Clear, well-balanced recording helps to make this a first-rate issue.” (Gramophone Magazine)

Praise for their last disc (SIGCD252) of Chopin and Saint-Saëns: "Jamie Walton’s mature cello timbre and perceptiveness in matters of interpretation are winningly applied to this coupling of two 19th-century sonatas … Finely honed stylistic judgment here goes hand in hand with re-creative panache." (The Daily Telegraph)

"There’s a combination of youthful energy and wellseasoned musicality that Jamie Walton and Daniel Grimwood thrive on here and it’s a real partnership … Fine playing" (BBC Radio 3)

Jamie Walton, cello
Daniel Grimwood, piano

Jamie Walton
was born in Germany before moving back to the UK at an early age. Noted for his rich, powerful sound with purity of tone and emotionally engaging performances he was one of the great William Pleeth’s last students who said of him: “He is a cellist of outstanding performance ability. Combining warmth of tone with a technical command that reaches dazzling proportions, he leaves little doubt as to the success that lies ahead of him - he is a musician of great integrity whose performance give great pleasure” and has already been compared by some reviewers to great ‘cellists of past times with his distinctive sound and clean interpretations marking him out as a true individualist. Jamie plays on a Guarneri instrument dated 1712.

In the UK Jamie Walton has performed concertos with London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic and Philharmonia Orchestras. He gave his BBC National Orchestra of Wales debut with a Radio 3 broadcast of the Elgar concerto and has appeared throughout much of Europe, the USA, New Zealand, Australia and the UK performing concertos, recitals and giving broadcasts in some of the world’s most eminent venues and festivals. He recently performed the Lutosławski concerto in Poland and made his Finnish debut with Bloch’s Schelomo alongside Bach and Britten Suites at the Riihimäki Summer Concerts Festival before returning for a series of Walton concertos with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra/Damian Iorio at the Sibelius Hall. In May 2015 Jamie gave his Canadian debut with two Elgar concerto performances with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra under Courtney Lewis at the Calgary Philharmonic Hall. As a recording artist for Signum Records he has recorded ten concertos with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, including those of Dvořák and Schumann with Vladimir Ashkenazy. Jamie has also recently recorded three concertos with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Okko Kamu, which includes the rarely performed original version of Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations. He has also recorded much of the sonata repertoire for Signum to significant critical as well as the solo suites by Benjamin Britten which he also made into a film with Paul Joyce, released on DVD through Signum Vision and premiered on Sky Arts.

Jamie Walton is as passionate about chamber musician as he is with concerto work and has performed in many of the world’s great concert halls in both capacities, including Lorin Maazel’s Chateauville Foundation in Virginia through personal invitation. The Washington Post review by Robert Battey after his debut with Finghin Collins at The Phillips Collection said: “Walton is a major cello talent. He sports a particularly strong left hand — dead-center intonation and a wonderful, lithe vibrato that’s alive in every register. Though relatively young, he plays with the dignity and reserve of a well-seasoned artist.” His activities as a player are accompanied by his role as Founder and Artistic Director of the North York Moors Chamber Music Festival which he started in 2009. The festival has exceeded all expectations in selling out every year and is now established as an annual event during the last two weeks of August with its artistic excellence reflected when, in summer 2011, being shortlisted by the Royal Philharmonic Society in the festival category of its ‘Concert Series and Festivals’ award. Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, its Patron, has written a work specifically for the festival (for cello, baritone and string quartet) - ‘A Sea of Cold Flame’ is given its world premiere at the 2015 festival. Jamie is also launching his own record label for the festival (‘Ayriel Classical’), launched later this year. Jamie Walton won a scholarship to Wells Cathedral School in a period which he says remains at the soul of his music making and where his first inspirational ‘cello teacher was Margaret Moncrieff before continuing his studies with William Pleeth. He is a member of the Worshipful Company of Musicians and has been elected to the Freedom of the City of London. Jamie was awarded a Foundation Fellowship by Wells Cathedral School for his outstanding contribution to music.

Jamie plays on a Guarneri dated 1712.

Booklet for Shostakovich, Britten and Prokofiev: Cello Sonatas