For the Record, Op. 269: violist Timothy Ridout; Vadim Gluzman; Elena Urioste; Ada Witczyk

January 25, 2024, 4:47 PM · Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!

Violist Timothy Ridout.

A Lionel Tertis Celebration
Timothy Ridout, viola
Frank Dupree, piano
James Baillieu, piano

British violist Timothy Ridout, winner of the 2016 Lionel Tertis Competition, pays tribute to this key figure in the history of the viola - Lionel Tertis (1876-1975). The album features music by the master's friends, teachers and students alongside some of Tertis' own works and transcriptions. "There’s a misconception that the viola repertoire is very small," Rideout told The Strad. "There are some real gems to discover if you’re willing to look beyond the most famous composers. The instrument didn’t get a huge amount of exposure during the period when the virtuoso concerto was really taking off, but that changed in the 20th century, when Lionel Tertis and William Primrose became real catalysts for changing the viola’s reputation." BELOW: Kreisler's Praeludium & Allegro in the Style of Pugnani, arranged for Viola and Piano by Alan Arnold):

Live at the Concertgebouw
Vadim Gluzman, violin
Johannes Moser, cello
Andrei Korobeinikov, piano

Here's a dream team of a trio: violinist Vadim Gluzman, cellist Johannes Moser and pianist Andrei Korobeinikov, performing the two trios by Shostakovich as well as a six-movement piece by the Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov called "Fugitive Dreams of Mozart," which was first premiered in 2007. A quote by Silvestrov illustrates the idea: "I do not write new music," he said, "My music is a response to and an echo of what already exists." The piece alludes to and transforms musical quotes from Mozart - Gluzman calls it "heartbreakingly beautiful." BELOW: Fugitive Visions of Mozart by Valentin Silvestrov: V. Allegro:

Le Temps retrouvé
Elena Urioste, violin
Tom Poster, piano

Of the extensive repertoire of sonatas written by French composers for violin and piano, a surprisingly small number is said to have made it into the standard recital canon. On their latest album, Elena Urioste and Tom Poster delve into a treasure trove of lesser-known works deserving of a far wider audience, by composers Mel Bonis, Reynaldo Hahn, Lili Boulanger, and Gabriel Fauré. "The three sonatas on this album were all published from 1916–26, a musical period to which we often find ourselves drawn, when the world was changing beyond recognition," said Urioste. "Mel Bonis wrote more than 300 wonderful pieces. Her only Violin Sonata is an enrapturing, rhapsodic work that deserves to be a concert hall staple. Reynaldo Hahn's chamber music is as exquisite as his songs." BELOW: Mel Bonis's Sonata, Op. 112: II. Presto - Stretto:

New Baroque
Ada Witczyk, violin

London-based violinist Ada Witczyk presents her debut album of contemporary music on solo baroque violin. In early 2023, Witczyk commissioned former winners of the Ružicková Composition Competition - composers Oscar Gorman-Tysoe, Erik Valdemar Sköld, Massimo de Lillo, Samuel Howley and Alex Petshaft - to compose new works for baroque violin. The results were full of new ideas and very distinct musical languages from each composer. Both the roughness and lower tension of gut strings offer a wide palette of colors that Witczyk has used to present each of the five pieces and the stories behind them. BELOW: "Aeolian Dance" by Oscar Gorman-Tysoe:

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For the Record, Op. 269: violist Timothy Ridout; Vadim Gluzman; Elena Urioste; Ada Witczyk

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