Dvorak Viola Concerto

[Alan Howe]

Just released:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Motherland-works-Dvo%C5%99%C3%A1k-Bart%C3%B3k-Walton/dp/B078FFX7JD/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1528043379&sr=1-3&keywords=motherland

The performance by Carpenter of the Dvorak Cello Concerto (in an arrangement by J.Vieland edited by Carpenter himself) is notable not only for some very expressive viola playing (superlative tone and expressive power), but for the wonderful conducting of the Japanese, Kazushi Ono:  http://www.kazushiono.com/top.php

[minacciosa]

With all of the quality viola repertoire crying out for exposure, this is an example of unoriginal thinking and a complete waste of resources. I don't care how well it is performed; it is exactly what the catalog and industry does not need.

[Alan Howe]

Well, there aren't many quality viola concertos in the period covered by UC. And the performance is really rather fine.

What repertoire have you in mind (say, from the period 1800 to 1920)?

[JimL]

I always wondered if Chrétien Urhan (the solo violist in the premiere of Berlioz' Harold in Italy) ever wrote a concerto or concertante work for viola. He did compose a fair amount of chamber music (but he lived such an ascetic life that perhaps the thought of being a soloist in the spotlight was anathema to him.)

[eschiss1]

Well, even a couple of his small ensemble works ask for viola solo. ("La romanesca, fameux air de danse de la fin du XVIe. siécle : arrangé pour l'alto avec acct. de deux violons, alto, basse et guitare obligée ou piano"; also one alternate instrumentation of one of his quintets calls not for viola solo but for -three- violas in addition to other instruments...) Have we had a separate thread devoted to his music?...

[Alan Howe]

What about more substantial fare?

[eschiss1]

Define? BNF has uploaded some cantatas and instrumental duos of his (and Worldcat lists some quintets), but some of the instrumental works are based on others' songs, etc.

[Alan Howe]

Sorry. I meant more substantial fare by anyone in the 19thC/early 20thC, i.e. specifically viola concertos - which is where we came in in this thread.

[eschiss1]

ah sorry, right. There were a few- will look into them. (How is the Arends concertino? The Meyer-Olbersleben?)

[Alan Howe]

I assume you mean the Viola Concerto in D, Op. 112 (1925) by Max Meyer-Olbersleben (1850-1927)? It's at IMSLP:
http://imslp.org/wiki/Viola_Concerto_(Meyer-Olbersleben%2C_Max)

[eschiss1]

yes, both works are. but -how- are they? to the ear? in one's opinion? etc? (re Olbersleben - no opus number, that I know of. "IMM 12" != Op.112.)

[Josh]

Coincidentally, last week I came across a live performance on YouTube of Cecil Forsyth's Viola Concerto.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS1_8bfhCgk

I found it to be on the sunny side of pleasant.  Even though it was written past the year 1900, I think it's very clearly within this site's remit.  I don't really know what general opinions are of it, but I liked it.  I'm not sure I'd eagerly seek it out in the near future for a second complete listen, but while it was playing, I got a fair amount of enjoyment.  Sounds to me like it was written in the 1890s or even 1880s, for what that's worth.

[Alan Howe]

It's been recorded - twice actually - by Hyperion:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bowen-Forsyth-Concertos-Lawrence-Power/dp/B00095L8XE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1528231523&sr=8-2&keywords=forsyth+viola
...and by AMAdea Music (who?):
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forsyth-Concerto-orchestre-clavecin-Orchester/dp/B00TAWMUIE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528231523&sr=8-1&keywords=forsyth+viola

[Alan Howe]

Any other unrecorded viola concertos?

[eschiss1]

Emil Kreuz's? Frederick Hay's? Bartels? Karl Julius Marx (1897-1985)?