JAVS Fall 2011

Chopin in Paris, a Speed Etude written for Paul Doktor in 1948, and the Viola Concerto composed for William Primrose in 1948, which some commen tators consider to be his best work. This recording has obviously been a labor of love for Eliesha Nelson, who has immersed herself in Porter’s sound-world and proves an ideal advocate for his music. The CD starts with the Viola Concerto and immediately casts a spell, or at least it did on me: this is how my Euro centric ears expect American music to sound, with “empty” fourths and fifths opening up large vistas of sound and modally-tinged melodies soaring high above! In between there are foot-tappingly jazzy pas sages and several virtuoso cadenzas that Ms. Nelson takes easily in her stride. The Northwest Sinfonia makes the most of Porter’s colorful writing, ably led by John McLaughlin Williams, who is indeed as con stant a presence as Ms. Nelson herself, wearing several caps as conductor, pianist, harpsichord player, and violinist. Porter’s Duo from 1957 is included in both its original version for harp and in an alternative one with harpsichord. It is fascinating to experience it as two practically different pieces, the harpsichord’s more clangily percussive nature audibly prompting another interpretation of the viola part from Ms. Nelson than the more suave harp. The shorter pieces— Blues Lointains (1928, originally for flute), Suite (1930, for unaccompanied viola), Poem (1948, for viola and piano, after a cello original), and the Duo for violin and viola (1954)—round off a lovingly drawn portrait of a composer who should become more central to the viola repertoire. Ignaz Pleyel: Symphonie Concertante in B-flat for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra (Benton 112); Symphonie Concertante in A for Two Violins and Orchestra (Benton 114); Violin Concerto in D (Benton 103/103A). David Perry, violin; Victoria Chiang, viola; Isabella Lippi, violin; Baltimore Chamber Orchestra; Markand Thakar, conductor. Naxos 8.570320. The international viola congress held in Cincinnati, Ohio, in June 2010 was uncommonly rich in high lights, but even among them the performance of Pleyel’s Symphonie Concertante in B-flat by David Perry and Victoria Chiang shone brightly. Their recording of the piece had been made two years previ

in 2008 in the Bavarian capital. This, their first CD, is of the “calling card” variety and includes a cross sec tion of their repertoire. I couldn’t avoid a sense of dis appointment at not seeing more original works included, but what we do get is very well performed. Telemann’s Concerti a 4 are, of course, straight tran scriptions of violin quartets, and they arguably sound better at the viola’s lower pitch, aided here by a wide stereo image. Max von Weinzierl’s Nachtstück and york Bowen’s Fantasie —both original pieces—hail from the turn of the twentieth century (the latter was actually premiered by Lionel Tertis and his class) and make full use of the viola’s register, so that one never misses the lower octave. Conversely, I did miss the bass register in Piazzolla’s Four for Tango , for all the skillfulness with which the “compression” from the original for string quartet has been achieved. The CD is completed by a selection of Bartók’s Duets, with Christopher Norton’s somewhat inconsequential Steering Wheel Blues as an encore. The players’ sound production and vibrato are perfectly matched, and the four instruments contrast nicely with each other (it would be interesting to know what they are). Their Telemann is historically informed, and Piazzolla’s “special effects” sound quite authentic. I do wish they had found a lighter touch for the elfin sections of Weinzierl’s nocturnal piece (redolent of Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream ), but the impression of heaviness could be due to the close-up recording and very resonant acoustic. Quincy Porter: Complete Viola Works. Eliesha Nelson, viola. Douglas Rioth, harp; Northwest Sinfonia; John McLaughlin Williams, conductor, vio lin, harpsichord, piano. Dorian sono luminus DSL 90911. The encyclopedist in me rejoiced in advance at the prospect of a composer’s “complete works” tidily pre sented on one CD. All the more since this composer happens to have been a viola player, and his writing for our instrument is accordingly idiomatic. Quincy Porter’s viola compositions span almost three decades, from the Blues Lointains he wrote in 1928, during his student days in Paris, to the Duo for viola and harp written for Lillian Fuchs in 1957. In between come, among other compositions, an unaccompanied Suite from 1930, which he premiered himself at the Salle

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