Dana Zemtsov - Enigma: Works for Solo Viola (2014)

“Although viola player Dana Zemtsov is only twenty two years old and she’s just starting her career, she sounds on ‘Enigma-Works for solo Viola‘ as a full musician. She has a powerful and personal way a playing. Her musical interpretation and clear expression are convinced with a snoring and shining viola. Zemtsov got lessons from the Belgium based Russian viola player Michael Kugel who wrote two exciting compositions on this album (‘Prelude-Ysaye’ see youtube). Above all, he arranged the ‘Recitatievo Scherzo‘ of Fritz Kreisler. A work originally written for solo violin but arranged for viola (5 tones lower), which makes the piece sound more immersive. Zemtsov suggest beautiful a whole string orchestra here. Especially fine is also the ‘Viola Sonate op. 25‘ of composer and viola player Paul Hindemith. An exposé in which Dana shows the diversity of the viola. We also hear the lyrical composition ‘Hommaga à Paganini‘ of Henri Vieuwtemps, a piece by Penderecki(with impressive double tones), a composition of Stravinsky and a solo work for harpsichord written by J.S. Bach arranged for viola. Although it’s really adventurous to release a (début) record for viola solo, ‘Enigma-Works for solo Viola‘ is an excellent album for this wonderful instrument. (Mattie Poels)”