Basil Vendryes & William David - Three Centuries of Russian Viola Sonatas (2021) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. Viola Sonata in D Minor (Ed. V. Borisovsky): I. Allegro moderato
02. Viola Sonata in D Minor (Ed. V. Borisovsky): II. Larghetto, ma non troppo
03. Viola Sonata in D Minor, Op. 26: I. Allegro appassionato
04. Viola Sonata in D Minor, Op. 26: II. Andantino semplice
05. Viola Sonata in D Minor, Op. 26: III. Sostenuto - Allegro spirituoso
06. Viola Sonata: I. Allegro moderato
07. Viola Sonata: II. Andante
08. Viola Sonata: III. Allegro
09. Viola Sonata: IV. A tempo (Lugubre)
10. Viola Sonata in F Minor, Op. 51 No. 2: I. Con libertà - Allegro
11. Viola Sonata in F Minor, Op. 51 No. 2: II. Andante con moto
12. Viola Sonata in F Minor, Op. 51 No. 2: III. Allegro assai



The Russian viola sonata is a rare bird, not least because the instrument itself was frowned upon by the Soviet authorities; as a result Russian music for the viola has a rather patchy history. It begins in earnest in 1931, when the 1825 Sonata by Mikhail Glinka, "the father of Russian music", was reconstructed from his sketches by Vadim Borisovsky, "the father of the Russian viola". Thereafter, musicians and composers worked together to expand the repertoire. The relationship between the composer Revol Bunin and the violist Rudolf Barshai resulted in a sonata of 1955 which deserves wider currency. Although half a century apart, the Shebalin and Sokolov sonatas have something unusual in common: both were created as part of a triptych, alongside sonatas for violin and cello. All four composers knew how to make the viola sing – though this lyricism is often animated by moments of drama and excitement.

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