R3 Music Feature on the Viola

[aeolium]

A lovely programme today about my favourite string instrument, the viola:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01l7x4d

There were some excellent contributions and musical extracts and the whole programme argued persuasively for the instrument. It was interesting to hear Pinchas Zukerman arguing against the specialisation of viola-playing (as Hans Keller had done - he had claimed that the specialist violist was a phoney profession). I'm sure I saw Zukerman in a concert in the 1970s play solo violin in the first part and solo viola in the second, possibly an all-Mozart concert with a violin concerto in part 1 and the Sinfonia Concertante in part 2. The Paul Cassidy story about Britten's viola was also memorable.

I don't greatly care for transcriptions to increase the solo repertoire of the viola, even well-known ones like the Brahms sonatas transcribed from the clarinet. It seems to me there is a loss in the quality that attaches to the original work which has been composed to bring out particular attributes of one instrument. And as was said, there is so much wonderful chamber music for the viola to be part of.

Of course a few of the old jokes were reeled off, but I enjoyed the final put-down joke by a violist.

[Tapiola]

A lovely programme today about my favourite string instrument, the viola:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01l7x4d

There were some excellent contributions and musical extracts and the whole programme argued persuasively for the instrument. It was interesting to hear Pinchas Zukerman arguing against the specialisation of viola-playing (as Hans Keller had done - he had claimed that the specialist violist was a phoney profession). I'm sure I saw Zukerman in a concert in the 1970s play solo violin in the first part and solo viola in the second, possibly an all-Mozart concert with a violin concerto in part 1 and the Sinfonia Concertante in part 2. The Paul Cassidy story about Britten's viola was also memorable.

I don't greatly care for transcriptions to increase the solo repertoire of the viola, even well-known ones like the Brahms sonatas transcribed from the clarinet. It seems to me there is a loss in the quality that attaches to the original work which has been composed to bring out particular attributes of one instrument. And as was said, there is so much wonderful chamber music for the viola to be part of.

Of course a few of the old jokes were reeled off, but I enjoyed the final put-down joke by a violist.

I agree. A very insightful programme with some great music, especially the Hindemith.

One modern viola work I adore is Berio's Naturale (Kim Kashkaskian recording).

[Nick Armstrong]

Yes great prog - listened when it was first broadcast.

[ahinton]

Of course a few of the old jokes were reeled off, but I enjoyed the final put-down joke by a violist.

I don't intend to turn this into a viola joke thread - very much the reverse, in fact - but I'd nevertheless like to note here the remark made by a record producer colleague that the best viola joke he'd ever heard was Levine Andrade, on the grounds that he plays beautifully and in tune all the time (and not only is that true, Levin Andrade is probably the most comprehensive repository of viola jokes whom I've ever encounted and I'm quite sure that he made some of them up himself).

But yes, it is indeed a wonderful instrument in the right hands. I remember the pianist Ronald Smith (1922-2004) once telling me that he was planning to write a quartet for four of them (which intrigued and surprised me, as I'd thought that he'd long since given up composition for good); I don't know if he ever did this, though.

[Tapiola]

I don't intend to turn this into a viola joke thread - very much the reverse, in fact - but I'd nevertheless like to note here the remark made by a record producer colleague that the best viola joke he'd ever heard was Levine Andrade, on the grounds that he plays beautifully and in tune all the time (and not only is that true, Levin Andrade is probably the most comprehensive repository of viola jokes whom I've ever encounted and I'm quite sure that he made some of them up himself).

But yes, it is indeed a wonderful instrument in the right hands. I remember the pianist Ronald Smith (1922-2004) once telling me that he was planning to write a quartet for four of them (which intrigued and surprised me, as I'd thought that he'd long since given up composition for good); I don't know if he ever did this, though.

Are there any viola works which particularly stand out for you, ahinton? And have you written any?

[ahinton]

Are there any viola works which particularly stand out for you, ahinton? And have you written any?

The Walton Concerto is a particular favourite although there ae plenty more works for and featuring the instrument that merit attention. I've not written any solo works for it apart from a very early sonata for viola and piano that I long since consigned to the garbage bin and a much more recent transcription for viola and double bass of Liszt's Norma Fantasy (yes, the whole of it!) entitled Après une lecture de Liszt. Someone also told me that, in my string quintet, most of the best material is given to the viola; I have to admit that this was not conscious and deliberate, if indeed it is so...

[Tapiola]

The Walton Concerto is a particular favourite although there ae plenty more works for and featuring the instrument that merit attention. I've not written any solo works for it apart from a very early sonata for viola and piano that I long since consigned to the garbage bin and a much more recent transcription for viola and double bass of Liszt's Norma Fantasy (yes, the whole of it!) entitled Après une lecture de Liszt. Someone also told me that, in my string quintet, most of the best material is given to the viola; I have to admit that this was not conscious and deliberate, if indeed it is so...

ahinton

Thanks for this. I am intrigued by your (if I may be so bold and employ the Lisztian precedent) "Liszt Sonata" for viola and db. As a one-time bass player possessing very friendly (though long erstwhile) relationship status with a viola player, the combination has got me thinking...

Thanks for the tip regarding the quintet, (which I would love to hear re-broadcast on Radio 3).

[ahinton]

ahinton

Thanks for this. I am intrigued by your (if I may be so bold and employ the Lisztian precedent) "Liszt Sonata" for viola and db. As a one-time bass player possessing very friendly (though long erstwhile) relationship status with a viola player, the combination has got me thinking...

In which case an email direct to me at sorabji-archive@lineone.net might risk your getting abit closer to it if so you desire...

Thanks for the tip regarding the quintet, (which I would love to hear re-broadcast on Radio 3).

Many thanks for your kind optimism; well, they did it once, so I rather doubt that they'll do it again, but one never knows, I suppose...

[gurnemanz]

Thanks for the tip. I hope to catch up on the programme. I like this disc

[Tapiola]

In which case an email direct to me at sorabji-archive@lineone.net might risk your getting abit closer to it if so you desire...

Many thanks for your kind optimism; well, they did it once, so I rather doubt that they'll do it again, but one never knows, I suppose...

If your age is close to a zero or a five, perhaps we can arrange a broadcast retrospective.

[ahinton]

If your age is close to a zero or a five, perhaps we can arrange a broadcast retrospective.

Sadly, it's almost exactly halfway between those two! Ah, well. I think that if this were ever to happen it might be as part of a revisiting of the entire series in which it was first done - British Music Focus - which featured (among other things) a number of works that didn't fit into more conventional length programmes; these included Brian's Gothic Symphony (and we have finer performances of that these days than was the case then), Maw's Odyssey (in a then new performance rather than an existing recording) and the complete incidental music that Vaughan Williams wrote for The Wasps...

[Tapiola]

if this were ever to happen it might be as part of a revisiting of the entire series in which it was first done - British Music Focus - which featured (among other things) a number of works that didn't fit into more conventional length programmes; these included Brian's Gothic Symphony... Maw's Odyssey (in a then new performance rather than an existing recording) and the complete incidental music that Vaughan Williams wrote for The Wasps...

Now that would be some re-run.

[clive heath]

Sitting very close to the stage ( obviously wrong, see proms and speaker cable threads!! ) we had a close up of Yuri Bashmet for Harold in Italy with the LSO and Sir Colin a while back and thus it was very pleasurable to happen on this viola prog. While searching for a review of Naturally 7's Late Night Prom, I found this

http://www.toccataclassics.com/cddetail.php?CN=TOCC0175

which will take you to Matthew Taylor's 2nd Symphony and Viola Concerto with extracts. I've never heard of him and I don't know whether this is to my eternal shame or not. His music via the extracts is mainstream-modern, rooted in tonality, so possibly just too, too passé, darling, to be accepted by the modern music tribe. I hope I'm wrong! What do others know, think?

[doversoul1]

A lovely viola and harpsichord concerto by Michael Hayden on TTN:
Monday 5.

1:19 AM
Haydn, Michael [1737-1806]
Concerto in C major P.55 for harpsichord, viola and orchestra
Pavao Ma?ić (harpsichord), Mario Korunić (viola/director), Varazdin Chamber Orchestra

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b037tywd