Viola Concerto (Widmann) Explained

Viola Concerto
Composer:Jörg Widmann
Dedication:Antoine Tamestit
Genre:Concerto
Period:Contemporary
Composed:2015
Publisher:Schott Music
Movements:1
Premiere Location:Philharmonie de Paris
Premiere Conductor:Paavo Järvi
First Recording:2018

Jörg Widmann's Viola Concerto was composed in 2015 and premiered on 28 October 2015 with soloist Antoine Tamestit and the Orchestre de Paris under the direction of Paavo Järvi at Philharmonie de Paris.[1] The concerto attracted attention, because of its theatralic aspects.

History

The original commission of the viola concerto by Tamestit dates back to the year 2008. The concerto, dedicated to Tamestit and realized in 2015,[2] was finally commissioned by Orchestre de Paris, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.

In a performance of Hector Berlioz's Harold in Italy in May 2015 Tamestit was wandering through the orchestra while playing the viola solo part. Widmann took up the idea.[3] Widmann and Tamestit worked close together during the creation process of the concerto. The unusual piece is tailored to Tamestit's technical and theatrical skills.[4]

Structure

The viola concerto of operatic approach[5] has a duration of about half an hour and is in a single movement. At the beginning, the violist discovers his instrument through tapping and pizzicato.[6] The concerto becomes later more traditional with using the bow.[7] Starting near the harps and ending in the traditional position nearby the conductor,[8] the viola soloist takes seven positions on the stage and becomes a partner or opponent to bongos, bass flute, two harps, double basses, tuba and percussion. At one point of the concerto, after an extremely difficult run, the soloist screams.[9] After an Aria, the solo viola plays a glissando and the viola's C string is tuned down fading into silence.

Playing techniques

See also: Bowed string instrument extended technique.

Instrumentation

Source:

The instrumentation is light but bass-oriented.[10]

Performances

The world premiere was on 28 October 2015 in Philharmonie de Paris, followed by performances in Stockholm and Munich.

, the concerto was performed some 20 times.

Reception

Music critic Andrew Clements of The Guardian described the viola concerto as a "substantial piece" with "outstanding virtuosity".[11] Mark S. Jordan (Seen and Heard International) wrote about a "theatrical tour de force". Inge Kjemtrup (Strings magazine): "extraordinary".[12] Tamestit's biography at New York Philharmonic states, that Widmann's Viola Concerto is "among the most important works Tamestit has premiered"[13] Angela Kratschmer wrote in the Journal of the American Viola Society: "travel narrative for the twenty-first century" and "postmodern viola-as-actor".[14] Michael Klier from Bachtrack wrote: "This viola concerto has added something truly new to current concert practice." ("German: Der gegenwärtigen Konzertpraxis ist mit diesem Bratschenkonzert etwas wirklich Neues hinzugefügt worden.")Le Figaro: "The work is made to measure for Tamestit, his style of playing, his tone, his personality."[15]

Recordings

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Viola Concerto . . 28 October 2015 . 29 July 2023 . 30 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230730050852/https://www.schott-music.com/en/viola-concerto-no319350.html . live .
  2. Web site: Klier . Michael . Auf Entdeckungsreise mit Widmanns Viola Concerto . Bachtrack . 22 March 2018 . de . 30 July 2023 . 25 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221025073325/https://bachtrack.com/de_DE/contemporary-month-jorg-widmann-viola-concerto-bratschenkonzert-march-2018 . live .
  3. News: Braunmüller . Robert . 2 March 2016 . Antoine Tamestit über das Viola-Konzert von Jörg Widmann . de . . München . live . 7 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170807113426/http://www.abendzeitung-muenchen.de/inhalt.symphonieorchester-des-bayerischen-rundfunks-antoine-tamestit-ueber-das-viola-konzert-von-joerg-widmann.f6404844-d3ba-49fd-b39e-175440b41fce.html . 7 August 2017.
  4. Web site: Antoine Tamestit . Pražské jaro . 30 July 2023 . 30 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230730163127/https://festival.cz/en/antoine-tamestit/ . live .
  5. Koay . Kheng K. . The Operatic Styles in Jörg Widmann's Viola Concerto . Musicologica Olomucensia . Palacky University Olomouc . 32 . 1 . 11 December 2020 . 2787-9186 . 10.5507/mo.2020.014 . 81–99. free .
  6. Web site: Antoine Tamestit bei U21: Wenn ein Bratschist sein Instrument entdeckt . BR-KLASSIK . 12 April 2017 . de . 29 July 2023 . 30 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230730050938/https://www.br-klassik.de/themen/sweetspot/antoine-tamestit-u21-studio-100.html . live .
  7. Web site: Jordan . Mark S. . Widmann's Viola Concerto blazes theatrically into Cleveland – Seen and Heard International . Seen and Heard International . 23 October 2022 . 29 July 2023 . 24 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221024112322/https://seenandheard-international.com/2022/10/widmanns-viola-concerto-blazes-theatrically-into-cleveland/ . live .
  8. Web site: Work of the Week – Joerg Widmann: Viola Concerto . . 4 April 2022 . 29 July 2023 . 30 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230730050858/https://www.schott-music.com/en/blog/work-week-joerg-widmann-viola-concerto/ . live .
  9. Web site: Interview mit Antoine Tamestit: "Dieses Schreien war in mir" . BR-KLASSIK . 12 April 2017 . de . 29 July 2023 . 31 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160331134233/https://www.br-klassik.de/aktuell/interview-antoine-tamestit-100.html . live .
  10. Web site: Orchestra . London Symphony . 'It is in my blood' Antoine Tamestit on Jörg Widmann's Viola Concerto . The Sampler . 19 October 2021 . 30 July 2023 . 30 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230730151718/https://thesampler.org/news-opinion/it-is-in-my-blood-antoine-tamestit-on-jorg-widmanns-viola-concerto/ . live .
  11. Web site: Clements . Andrew . LSO/Harding/Tamestit review – vivid adventures and a fierce encounter with a tuba . the Guardian . 1 November 2021 . 29 July 2023 . 29 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221129022836/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/nov/01/lso-harding-tamestit-review-barbican-london . live .
  12. Web site: Inge . Kjemtrup . Violist Antoine Tamestit on His Career as a Solo Violist—and the Dangers Posed by 12 Pages of Pizzicato . Strings Magazine . 26 February 2018 . 30 July 2023 . 26 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200926130454/https://stringsmagazine.com/violist-antoine-tamestit-on-his-career-as-a-solo-violist-and-the-dangers-posed-by-12-pages-of-pizzicato/ . live .
  13. Web site: Antoine Tamestit, viola . . 15 June 2022 . 30 July 2023.
  14. Kratchmer . Angela . The Widmann Viola Concerto: Harold in Italy for the Postmodern Age . . 2021 . 37 . 1 . 27–34 . 8 February 2024 . 20 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240220133606/https://www.americanviolasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/JAVS-37.1.pdf . live .
  15. Web site: Antoine Tamestit . Stradivari Stiftung Habisreutinger-Huggler-Coray . 2024-06-19.
  16. Web site: Whitehouse . Richard . 16 May 2018 . Widmann Viola Concerto (Tamestit) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190306045142/https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/widmann-viola-concerto-tamestit . 6 March 2019 . 2 March 2019 . Gramophone.
  17. Web site: Antoine Tamestit . rbartists . 13 September 2023 . 7 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230607025027/https://www.rbartists.at/en/artists/antoine-tamestit . live .
  18. Web site: Tamestit Antoine . Bayerische Staatsoper . de . 15 September 2023 . 22 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230922172357/https://www.staatsoper.de/biographien/tamestit-antoine . live .

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