Julian Rolton - English Viola Sonatas - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Five landscapes, five different biotopes, each one with it's specific species, and also it's own acoustics, over a wide range or narrow, in open space or enclosed. All mainly recorded during May, at dawn, at that special moment of first light, before the sun rises.

The sonatas were written between November 1924 and March 1925. They show the composer at the height of his art. His friendly respect for the great North German and Viennese masters has quite obviously found it's way into his creative thinking, and he makes use of the most diverse procedures with a sure hand. Nowhere is there a dubious proportion, no piece seems too long, no subject unduly strained. It should also be noted that Rontgen has a profound knowledge of the instruments - himself an excellent pianist, the piano part makes great demands, the viola part skillfully exploits the advantages of the instrument without ever overtaxing it. © Herbert Kefer

Walton / Weilerstein - Viola Concertos [COMPACT DISCS] date 10/13/2017