Igudesman's first piece for solo viola played by Aliona!!!

get sheet music here: www.universaledition.com/viol...
"Romance" from "Violamania" performed by Aliona Komarovskaya.
The viola is a beautiful instrument. In spite of all the viola jokes. Or perhaps
even because of them. When it’s played well, it’s a great and wonderful surprise!
The viola’s range goes up nearly as high as a violin, but having that beautiful C
string at the bottom gives it the role of the tenor of the string instruments. In
the world of opera, tenors are often the butt of jokes.
Yet in spite of the all the
tenor jokes, they are still the most sought-after singers.
What many may not realise is that the viola came first. Not the chicken. Nor
the egg. Before there was any mention of a violin or a cello, people all played
viola. Admittedly, it had a different shape - or shapes, more like it. Every string
instrument was a sort of viola at the beginning: Viola d’amore, viola da gamba
and viola da braccio.
The latter, later split into the violin (small viola) and in
German: Bratsche. So you see, contrary to the myth, this German word does not
derive from the sound it makes when you sit on it!
However, I was not only inspired by the beautiful instrument but also by
some of the beautiful people who play it. This time it’s personal. Each piece is
dedicated to a friend of mine, all of whom I have known for years and all of
them viola players.
Okay, I cheated a little, some of them also play the violin, but
the viola is still an instrument they play constantly and with great passion.
Some of these pieces are simple and melodic, others are highly virtuosic. The
piece for Antoine Tamestit, was performed by him at the end of his solo viola
recital as the grand finale.
Brexit Polka was Lawrence Power’s idea. It quotes
one or two seconds from all of the national anthems of the European Union
and has the British National Anthem, as their somewhat disturbing counterpart,
interrupting them.
When I was looking for the right person to design the cover for Violamania, I
came across the extraordinary artist, Annamaria Kowalsky. Besides being a
painter and photographer, she also happens to be a viola player and composer.
As her Facebook profile picture she has a photo of herself with an amazing
painting of hers and a text saying: ‘I am still a musician. I am just using my full
potential.’ And that could easily be the credo of my life.

[@walkermusicswedberg1789]

Beautifully written and performed! I'm off to purchase Violamania now...

[@magkal8690]

Very nice...like a meditation...