Why you should really, really, really love the viola
mainThe slightly overheated website of the BBC Symphony Orchestra has posted a panegyric to the instrument by former Berlin Philharmonic player, Brett Dean.
The BBC are about to perform Brett’s new concerto next week.
Being economically minded, they have asked Brett to play in the viola section in Elgar’s first symphony after the interval, thereby sparing one of the other violists from paying childcare costs.
See here.
Thanks for the link. It’s not a new concerto though. It was premiered in 2005 – by the same performers.
“Being economically minded, they have asked Brett to play in the viola section in Elgar’s first symphony after the interval, thereby sparing one of the other violists from paying childcare costs.”
After playing the Dvorak concerto with the Berliner Staatskapelle recently, Yo-Yo Ma also joined the cello section to play in the Elgar second.
That would have been great to see!! He’s such a wonderful human being and musician!!
He’s been known for doing this for years. He sat in with an orchestra where I play on Dances of Galanta. Slightly intimidating for his surprised stand partner! No fanfare about it, just for the fun of playing music he doesn’t usually get to play. A nice reminder for those of us who are usually only too willing to become jaded.
He did this with my youth orchestra after premiering a double concerto – just popped in and sat in the back for Mahler 1. And that was in 1995 (I think), so he’s been doing it for quite a while! Yay for Yo-Yo!