JAVS Summer 2025

Visually, the engraving is clean and spacious. The bold typeface and generous spacing between staves make the notation easy to read, even at quick tempi or during complex rhythmic exchanges. There is ample room between systems and on the margins for bowings, fingerings, and interpretive notes, an essential feature for violists who rely heavily on customized annotations during preparation. Performance Directions that Clarify and Empower Garrop includes a concise but effective performance note section: at the front of the piano score and as the last page of the solo score. These directions are not merely prescriptive; they are empowering. Every instruction reflects deep knowledge of string technique and serves the dramatic narrative of the piece. Among the most distinctive is the use of “fast circular bowing,” described as a circular motion using the upper quarter of the bow with the inside edge, creating a sound of swirling air and intermittent pitch. Such a technique is unusual but not gimmicky; it produces a highly atmospheric texture and is idiomatically conceived. The inclusion of this and other directives—such as specific glissandi instructions (single-string execution, full-duration slides), the articulation of tenuti (slightly detached with emphasis), and grace note placement (before the beat)—helps the performer interpret not only the notes on the page but the sonic world that Garrop intends to create. These directions are clearly placed prior to the music, logically worded, and avoid excess jargon—making them approachable for professionals and advanced students alike. A Thoughtful and Flexible Piano Reduction The piano reduction, which closely follows the full score, has been prepared with an admirable sensitivity to both musical integrity and technical feasibility. Rather than overwhelming the pianist with condensed orchestral density, the reduction conveys the essential vertical and rhythmic framework while preserving transparency. Important gestures from the percussion and lower strings are integrated into the reduction with thoughtful voicing and spacing, ensuring that the soloist maintains the same rhythmic and harmonic reference points as in the full orchestration.

in recital contexts where a full orchestral performance may not be feasible, expanding the reach and impact of the work. Moreover, for performers preparing with the piano reduction before orchestral rehearsals, the score offers a reliable blueprint for musical pacing and balance. Musical Content: A Concerto of Narrative and Color While the primary purpose of this review is to highlight the score itself, it is impossible to separate the material quality of this edition from the musical vision it conveys. Krakatoa is as much a tone poem as it is a concerto, using the geological narrative of the infamous 1883 volcanic eruption to shape its dramatic arc. The three movements— Imminent , Eruption , and Dormant —trace the volcano’s emotional and physical trajectory from the buildup of tension, through destructive outburst, to eerie repose. The first movement, Imminent , captures the volcano’s restlessness through dissonant tremors in the strings and an increasingly agitated solo line. The viola begins as an observer, expressing trepidation and awe, gradually pulled into the mountain’s seismic unrest. The second movement, Eruption , unleashes four explosive episodes, each more intense than the last. Garrop’s orchestration here is highly percussive—depicted by various textures in the piano’s left hand, from octave tremolos to bold staccato octaves. The soloist cuts through the primal beats with fiery gestures, slides, and rhythmic propulsion. Particularly evocative are the aleatoric sections layered over booming piano figures in the reduction—suggesting lava flows and collapsing earth. The fourth eruption brings forth the “Anti-Cadenza,” while the final eruption propels the music into a searing viola cadenza, a raw and intimate lament that bridges into the third movement. Dormant draws on Javanese gamelan traditions, evoking calm with cyclical melodic fragments and a modal language loosely based on the pelog scale. Repetitive textures and the resonance of a simulated gong pulse (in the full score) create a meditative atmosphere. String harmonics in the final bars represent Krakatoa’s ashes coloring the sky—an image as poignant as it is painterly. A Lasting Contribution to the Viola Repertoire Garrop’s Krakatoa is both a technical tour de force and an emotionally immersive experience. Its imaginative use of the viola’s tonal and expressive capabilities makes it a

The result is a piano reduction that does not feel like a compromise. It allows Krakatoa to function convincingly

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Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 41, Summer 2025 Online Issue