Rolla: Works for Solo Viola

The viola is a fascinating instrument with a warm and intimate sound that only relatively late attracted the interest of composers and musicians. For a long time, it was only heard as an accompanying instrument in orchestras, and only in the classical era did it enter the repertoire for soloists with orchestral accompaniment as well as for solo instruments. Although some masterpieces that are still frequently performed today stand out (one might think of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's famous "Sinfonia Concertante"), this repertoire remains sparse and partly unexplored. The two compositions included here for the first time belong to these rediscovered treasures: the "Musica Ridotta" BI. 316-322 and the "Six Idylls", composed for solo viola by Alessandro Rolla and his son Antonio, respectively. These pieces not only bring out the melodic and cantabile characteristics of the instrument, but also deepen its virtuosic technical aspect. This discography project aims to pay due recognition to these composers and esteemed viola players of European stature who contributed to the development and emancipation of an instrument of extraordinary beauty.