In Search of a Different Stamitz viola concerto in D

October 29, 2006 at 10:37 PM

Okay, I think it's official: I'm getting unhealthily obsessed. In 1983, while I was a violin student in Berlin, Germany, I accompanied a viola soloist playing a Stamitz viola concerto in D major. I remember loving that piece. I was very impressed with the soloist, as well. I may be able to trace my current fascination with the viola back to this experience.

I'm looking for pieces to learn on viola and I think there'd be some good karma in learning that viola solo part. I'd close some loop, I'd give voice to some part of myself that hasn't been heard from in a long time.

So I had assumed, until recently, that it must have been just the famous Karl Stamitz viola concerto in D that everyone knows and that is required for auditions. But, I just listened to that one more carefully, and it's not it. It's also not either of the viola d'more concertos in D. And I'm sure it's in D. It starts with a half-note D chord, followed by an F# and A.

It might be by Anton Stamitz, not Karl; there is an extant concerto in D by him, published by Breitkopf and Hartel in the 1970's. But I can't find a recording of it, nor the sheet music.

Amazon, emusic, and google are not helping too much, so I need to be a little smarter. Or find someone who knows this concerto too.

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