Sonata for arpeggione & piano in A minor ("Arpeggione Sonata"), D. 821
Variations on a Rococo Theme, for cello & orchestra (or cello & piano) in A major, Op. 33
Romance, for viola & orchestra in F major, Op. 85
Much like its larger cousin the double bass, the viola has long struggled to establish itself as a solo instrument. While in the 20th and 21st centuries, many composers have come to bestow rightful respect upon the instrument with numerous solo, chamber, and concerto compositions, the same did not hold earlier in the instrument's history. To fill the gap, violists have necessarily taken to arranging and transcribing. The question of worthiness then turns to individual listeners. This BIS disc opens with an arrangement of ...
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Much like its larger cousin the double bass, the viola has long struggled to establish itself as a solo instrument. While in the 20th and 21st centuries, many composers have come to bestow rightful respect upon the instrument with numerous solo, chamber, and concerto compositions, the same did not hold earlier in the instrument's history. To fill the gap, violists have necessarily taken to arranging and transcribing. The question of worthiness then turns to individual listeners. This BIS disc opens with an arrangement of Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata for viola and string orchestra. In this instance, the curiosity lies not so much with the use of the viola -- which has much in common with the bygone arpeggione -- but the choice of string orchestra. Despite the quality of the transcription, much of the intimacy inherent in an instrumental duo seems to be lost here. Violist Maxim Rysanov's playing is technically polished, with a clean, warm sound. His interpretation leans decidedly toward the heavily...
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