Jamie Walton
A | EE
Reviews
Telegraph 5*****, June 2011
“Jamie Walton’s mature cello timbre and perceptiveness in matters of interpretation are winningly applied to this coupling of two 19th-century sonatas. His musical partnership with Daniel Grimwood brings special immediacy and finesse to these performances, in which Saint-Saëns’s Second Sonata asserts both lyrical sweep and dramatic tension, the more familiar Chopin Sonata sounding fresh, supple of phrasing and subtle in expressive nuance. Finely honed stylistic judgment here goes hand in hand with re-creative panache.”

Whitby Gazette | 03.05.2011 (2.07 MB)

Classical CD Reviews
“Jamie Walton is an interesting cellist. His style is clean, with hardly any appreciable vibrato or portamento. I’m a big fan of this sort of playing, and to find this aesthetic discipline being applied to the most Romantic of Romantic repertoire is little short of a miracle. Just listen to the clean declamation on the high phrases in the outer movements of the Chopin, that’s really elegant and all the better for avoiding the big swoops between the notes that so many other cellists would apply automatically here. I also like Walton’s low register, which is rich, deep and satisfying.”

New Zealand Herald 5/5
“Jamie Walton’s new coupling of Saint-Saens’ Second Cello Sonata and Chopin’s only sonata for the instrument, restores faith in a too often maligned composer.While Walton and pianist Daniel Grimwood approach both works with an affection and scrupulousness that almost make Chopin’s opening Allegro hang together, one senses Saint-Saens is their favourite.Perhaps there is a hint of curmudgeonly bluster to set off Saint-Saens’ Sonata but, in between this, comes the most bewitching and Gallic calm. The scherzo may steal a glance back at Mendelssohn but the colours are a little darker. Walton and Grimwood dash through the pizzicato and arpeggios of its fourth variation, and dispense the contrapuntal sallies of the sixth with just the right arch of the eyebrow.”

BBC Music Magazine 4****
“Jamie Walton’s sound in this excellent recording is open and luminous. Daniel Grimwood is more than a match for his extravagant part; after a pleasingly bold opening Maestoso, the Scherzo, explodes into life with a thrilling motoric rumble, powered by this mercurial pianist. There’s plenty of Mendelssohnian magic here in both the lazily eloquent and feet-footed variations, and an infectious sense of enjoyment. Walton is suave and dreamy in the epic Romanza. Their fine performance of Chopin’s great Sonata clears its technical hurdles with ease.”