Viola Recital: Bianchi, Luigi Alberto - Paganini, N. / Kreisler, F. / Sarasate, P.
7/1/1999, 11 Tracks, 58:26
Featuring
Jacques Delacôte
Luigi Alberto Bianchi
Bruno Canino
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Niccolò Paganini
Fritz Kreisler
Pablo de Sarasate
Ernest Bloch
Claude Debussy
Maurice Ravel
Did you know?
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Instruments
The Amati viola, played by Luigi Alberto Bianchi on this album, was originally a much larger tenor-viola built in Cremona in 1595 by Antonio and Girolamo Amati.
Composition History
Paganini's Sonata per la Gran Viola was composed after he was dissatisfied with Berlioz's initial draft of a viola and orchestra work, which left Paganini idle for too long.
Recording & Production
The recordings with Bruno Canino, the pianist on this album, in 1980 were the last time Luigi Alberto Bianchi's Amati viola was captured by microphones before it was stolen.
Performer Biography
Luigi Alberto Bianchi's beloved Amati viola was stolen in Milan in October 1980 and has never been recovered.
Instruments
The Amati viola, also known as the 'medicea' or 'del crocifisso' viola, was reduced in size by expert luthiers at the Hill brothers' workshops in London during the 19th century.
Composer Biography
Fritz Kreisler, an Austrian violinist and composer, amused himself by passing off his own compositions as rediscovered works by older masters.
Compositional Technique
Paganini's Sonata per la Gran Viola, though titled a sonata, follows the structure of his violin and orchestra works, featuring extreme virtuosity with elements like double-stops and harmonics.
