The Bless'd Viola

[snyprrr]

HINDEMITH- 2 sonatas
STRAVINSKY- elegie

BERIO- Sequenza
XENAKIS- Embellie
LIGETI- Sonata
SCIARRINO
RADULESCU

...Cortese, knox, Imai...
what am i missing?

[Maciek]

several of the Bacewicz solo violin pieces (2nd Sonata, 4 Caprices, Polish Capriccio) have been transcribed for the viola by Stefan Kamasa

Penderecki - Cadenza (1984)

Reger - Suite

[J]

ENGLISH

   Brittten - Elegy
   Rubbra - Meditations on a Byzantine Hymn

[snyprrr]

BLOCH- sonata (unfinished)1958?

PLUS...did i say 2 suites for hindemith? i meant 4.  i had samual rhodes? (from julliard s.q.?) in a very tight recording on helicon. i found these pieces overpowering (maybe the recording), and i couldn't find too much of the friendlier hindemith in these works.  they are very viirtuoso, and pretty gnarly, meaty, making few concessions...i guess they would be considered THE masterpieces of the solo rep. since there is no corresponding Bach piece. at the time perhaps i was not ready to really plumb these big pieces, but i would like to check them out again later. i just seem to recall liking the solo violin and especially the cello sonatas better, though those pieces generally seem lighter and more tuneful (though the cello sn. is very dramatic).

[Brian]

.[asin]B000FVQUU8[/asin]
Great music. The sixteen etudes are absolutely superb - not just from a technical standpoint but in conveying a wide variety of emotional colors. Highly recommended!

[CRCulver]

I'm sure there's more with garth knox and nombuko imai (sic?). what am i missing?

There's Norgard's sonata for solo viola "The Secret Melody", written for Nobuko Imai and available on a BIS recording.

If you like other solo viola works with a spectral bent, Murail's "C'est un jardin secret" and Grisey's "Prologue" from Les Espaces Acoustiques are good listening.

[sul G]

There's Norgard's sonata for solo viola "The Secret Melody", written for Nobuko Imai and available on a BIS recording.

If you like other solo viola works with a spectral bent, Murail's "C'est un jardin secret" and Grisey's "Prologue" from Les Espaces Acoustiques are good listening.

And in this spectral line, this disc is a must - it's about as far as these things can go, utterly amazing stuff. Fahndrich scarcely plays an 'ordinary' note on this discs; it's all harmonics, ponticelli etc. etc., but spun into dazzling repeating waves of sound that hang there like a line of glistening spiders webs.



PM me, though, and I may be able to help on this one....

[snyprrr]

of all the solo string stuff here, the viola seems to have the most hidden treasures, especially all the cool spectral stuff. that last post cd sounds really interesting.

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN GET A COPY OF THE GARTH KNOX/disques montaigne RECITAL w/ligeti, kurtag, dillon, dusapin,sciarrinO???

[Sean]

Solo viola-

Brett Dean- Intimate decisions
Maderna- Viola
C.Matthews- Fanfare for Tony
H.Wood- Farewell piece

[snyprrr]

well,well,well

The Garth Knox recital "fell from the sky",haha...I had been waiting a long time, and yet I wasn't quite prepared.

It starts with Ligeti's Sonata, the first mvmt?'s plagent melody played solely on the viola's lowest string.  I don't think I'd ever really listened to the sound of a viola until then...just the sound is really something. The whole sonata is very satisfying, though you find yourself constantly asking yourself how many people are playing!

The Kurtag is, of course, typical, so...I love it too!

Dillon and Dusapin seem standard for any "arditti" album, so, here they are...I guess I'm glad they're there, and I can't think of who'd I'd replace them with, but sooometimes I get the feeling the "ardittis" can make ANYTHING sound good.  But ,the Dillon has a bit more substance; the Dusapin is a very early work...

Now, on to what I had been waiting for. Ever since I first heard Sciarrino's 20min solo violin extravaganza, I've been hooked. I have almost all his music for strings+, and finally another piece! Of course, there are no real surprises. You know what you're going to get. But, yea, I just couldn't stop listening.  Three pieces of liquid electricity...the production of special effects as High Art. I was reminded of the Italian pedigree of Paganini. When it comes to strings and mixed ensembles, Sciarrino is "my man"...I don't care what anyone says, this is just the most blazing, cool stuff! So there!

The Berio Sequenza rounds out the program...I think they got the idea of the propeller plane on the cover from the sound of this piece. Though not my favorite Sequenza (which one IS? ), you KNOW there's going to be one on every modern recital FOR EVER!! So, learn to love it! Of course Knox burns this one to the ground also.

I love the Arditti, but Knox takes the cake. Most of this cd sounds like duets and trios...and the tone of the viola, so apparent when naked, just takes you over.  I can see how I've overlooked and taken for granted it's place in the quartet.  Listening to those low notes really did something for me. At first I was disturbed that I wasn't hearing those violin high notes, but as I began to hear what the sound of the instrument was saying, I began to see the viola as a creature...the low string quite in the human range. There is really something there in the sound. And a special shout out to the Ligeti piece...with him, every note has its historical value. I REALLY want to go on about this cd!!! It's like I'm doing the peepee dance, haha .

This cd was the last on my "golden era" Arditti list, and it does cap quite an acheivement. Knox is just...I can't...I'm exhausted from gushing!

I hear he has a cd of spectral works (Scelsi (Mando?), Radulescu (Das Andere)...) that I can't find, and now there is an ecm cd of viola d'amoure and cello duets (I THINK most of it's "normal" music).

It was a good day in viola land.

[sound67]

Miklós Rózsa, "Introduction and Allegro" for Solo Viola

[Joe Barron]

Elliott Carter, Figment IV, solo viola

Available on Happy Birthday Elliott Carter: New Chamber Works from the Swiss Chamber Soloists.

[karlhenning]

Henning, Sonatina sopra « Veni, Emmanuel »

[snyprrr]

Is there a Viola Thread on GMG? I'm only beginning to appreciate its tone, and place. Will dig out the Ligeti.

[PaulSC]

There's a solo suite by Jolivet, one of his late works. And there's George Benjamin's marvelous Viola, Viola for two violas (which sounds like Viola, Viola, Viola, Viola for four violas -- very rich textures).

[Lethevich]

HINDEMITH! :3 He wrote some very searching music for the instrument, both solo and accompanied. Weinberg wrote several solo viola sonatas although I have yet to hear any of them.

Rebecca Clarke wrote some fine late-tonal pieces (influenced by impressionism and various other schools) for the instrument, often in combination with one or two other instruments. Fortunately much of her music has been recorded - it's really neat stuff.

[Grazioso]

Viola transcriptions of Bach's cello suites have been recorded.

Bax:



If you're open to orchestral works:

[snyprrr]

Any recommends on the Hindemith Sonatas (solo)? I had Samuel Rhodes, but the recording was very dry. I've heard the Kashkashian, but don't remember impressions.

[karlhenning]

Well, and you're now missing the Henning Sonata (completed)

[Chaszz]

Max Bruch's late Concerto for Viola and Clarinet, which I regularly recommend on this forum. Underappreciated and should stand alongside or perhaps above the two or three other works for which he is remembered.