Search - Frank Bridge, Max Bruch, Alexander Glazunov :: Romanze

The songful poignancy of the viola's natural darkness is shown off in this collection of utterly beautiful and remarkably seldom-heard works for viola and piano. Yuko Inoue is at her best in the creation of the rapt atmospheres that draw the listener magnetically into the introversion of Schumann's Märchenbilder ("fairy tales"), Bruch's eloquent Romanze, and Bridge's Pensiero. Most of us haven't come across Kalliwoda before, but his Nocturnes prove the equal in melodic invention of any of the better-known composers represented here. The pianist Kathron Sturrock provides a sensitive, nicely balanced partnership, and the resonant acoustics suits the instruments and the music very well. If across the entire disc there is more similarity of tone and emotion than one might normally expect in a recital program, that has more to do with how Romantic composers tended to respond to the viola than with the performers. Nevertheless, this is a CD that may well leave you wondering where the viola repertory has been all your life. --Jessica Duchen