Tag: viola congress
2013: Sonata for Viola and Piano - International Viola Congress at Krakow and "home is where..." CD
- Duration: ca. 26 minutes
I composed Sonata for Viola and Piano in 2012 for violist Donald Maurice, after his great performance of the Holocaust Requeim at the Concert of Remembrance of 70th Anniversary of Kristallnacht in Wellington, New Zealand, in 2008.
The piece was conceived for the Home is where… CD launched by Atoll (New Zealand), and starring Donald Maurice and Richard Mapp.
Donald premiered this piece in 2013 at the International Viola Congress, in Krakow, Poland, with pianist Wioletta Fluda.
The Atoll CD was released that same year.
Later, in February and March 2015, the piece was performed at three concerts in the United States:
The American premiere was in Baltimore, featuring soloists Peter Minkler (viola) and Lura Johnson (piano).
Eight days later, in Houston featuring Lawrence Wheeler (viola) and Tali Morgulis (piano).
In March 2015, in Walden, Colorado, featuring Barbara Sudweeks (viola) and Jo Boatright (piano).
The first movement of Sonata was influenced by the strong emotional impact of two paintings: Sandro Botticelli’s Madonna del Magnificat (1483-1485) and и Madonna della Melagrana (Virgin with a Pomegranate) (1487).
While working on Sonata, I had an idea that it could also be performed as standalone piece; I named this piece Botticelli’s Magnificat.
I shared my idea with Donald and received his support. Donald premiered Botticelli’s Magnificat before the premiere of Sonata.
In 2013, this piece was performed by the young Israeli violist Matan Noussimovich (you can listen to the recording, below).
Below are some samples from the Home is where… CD and recordings from the U.S. premiere, and of Botticelli’s Magnificat.
Recording from the U.S. premiere in Baltimore, featuring Peter Minkler (viola) and Lura Johnson (piano)
Recording from the performance of Botticelli's Magnificat, featuring Matan Noussimovich (viola) and Pazit Gal (piano)
Oct, 2011: Holocaust Requiem at the International Viola Congress, Wurzburg, Germany
Viola Congress at 2011 was the third time when Donald Maurice performed Requiem, after his great performance at the Concert of Remembrance for 70th the Anniversary of Kristallnacht.
Donald received an invitation to give the work’s first-ever performance in Germany, on October 15th at the final gala concert of the International Viola Congress in Wuerzburg.
The performance commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Babi Yar massacre, and featured Donald, with the Camerata Louis Spohr orchestra from Duesseldorf, conducted by Bernd Peter Fugelsang.
Below are some photos from the event, kindly given to me by Dwight Pounds.