Walton: Symphonies; Siesta Hyperion CDA67794 ****

William Walton's treatment of Edith Sitwell's Façadebrought the young composer a succèsde scandale in the 1920s. His oratorio Belshazzar's Feastand First Symphony helped consolidate him as a pillar of the establishment in the 1930s. The symphony was celebrated for its edgy rhythmic energy and sharpness of bite (the second movement is a Presto con malizia), and the romantically tinged melancholy of its slow movement helped it to have the best of both worlds. However his Second Symphony, completed in 1960, has never had the same success. For over half a century now it's been felt to be just too much of a chip off the old block. Martyn Brabbins is a sympathetic guide, and while the BBC Scottish is not the most virtuosic of orchestras to tackle these pieces, the performances – and that of the short, Façade-derived Siesta – are persuasive. See url.ie/4qdb