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Viola Concerto No. 2

by Anthony Ritchie, arranged for viola and piano, Opus 197b

The viola has long been a favourite instrument of mine, with its mellow but rich tone and plaintive high register. It can be so expressive and somewhat melancholy but also capable of dynamic, lively ideas.

Listen to performance of the concerto with string orchestra

video link

Programme note

This concerto was composed for Timothy Deighton and The Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, and premiered in 2018. The four movements are played without a break:
I - adagio
II - andante-allegretto
III - cadenza and largo
IV - moto perpetua

In 1994 I wrote my first Viola Concerto for Donald Maurice and the then Dunedin Sinfonia. The concerto has enjoyed many performances since, and in 2002 Timothy Deighton made a marvellous first CD recording with the Penn State Orchestra in the USA. Tim and I have stayed in touch since then, and in 2017 he requested a new work for viola and orchestra. This concerto, using the strings of the orchestra, but here arranged for piano, was the result.
The emphasis is not on solo virtuosity but rather an integrated relationship between the musicians.

Buy the right to download a single pdf score, with solo viola part appended, online, and permission to duplicate or print it as required for one viola player: NZ$15.00

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