Elgar & Schnittke: Viola Concertos (2009)

Elgar...viola concerto? Has a previously forgotten work been discovered? Alas, no. The viola concerto referenced on the cover of this Ondine album featuring violist David Aaron Carpenter is in fact a transcription of the famous E minor Cello Concerto. Purists, take a breath and let's proceed. Elgar did in fact give a nod of approval to the arrangement made by violist Lionel Tertis. Carpenter has further refined the original Tertis transcription, keeping the solo part remarkably true to the original cello part. This is not ... Read More

Elgar...viola concerto? Has a previously forgotten work been discovered? Alas, no. The viola concerto referenced on the cover of this Ondine album featuring violist David Aaron Carpenter is in fact a transcription of the famous E minor Cello Concerto. Purists, take a breath and let's proceed. Elgar did in fact give a nod of approval to the arrangement made by violist Lionel Tertis. Carpenter has further refined the original Tertis transcription, keeping the solo part remarkably true to the original cello part. This is not hard to imagine, as the viola possesses the same strings as the cello, just an octave higher. For anyone listening to Carpenter's performance without previous knowledge of the Cello Concerto, it's possible that the "viola version" would make a tremendous impact. Carpenter's playing is amazingly lush and technically superb; his interpretation of the work easily rivals the great cellists who have performed this work. But for those who are familiar with these great cello interpretations,... Read Less