Robert Fuchs, another composer featured on this album, taught many famous musicians at the Vienna Conservatory, including Gustav Mahler, Jean Sibelius, and Erich Wolfgang Korngold.
Critical Reception
Johannes Brahms, a highly critical figure, praised Robert Fuchs, stating, "[He] is such a splendid musician; everything is so fine and so skilful, so charmingly invented, that one is always pleased."
Performer Biography
Andrew Litton, the pianist on this album, is also the Music Director of the New York City Ballet and has an extensive discography of over 135 recordings.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Egon Kornauth, one of the composers on this album, showed no interest in innovation for innovation's sake, and later admitted he was temperamentally inclined to 'epigonism' (following a master).
Composition History
A significant boost for viola repertoire came in 1895 when Johannes Brahms, a renowned German composer, published his two clarinet sonatas with alternative versions for violin or viola and piano.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in October 2020 at the Henry Wood Hall in London, following the Litton Duo's mandatory 14-day quarantine during the pandemic.
Historical Context
Before World War I, pursuing a career as a solo cellist or violist was financially risky, as these instruments were not widely considered solo instruments.
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