These concertos by English composers York Bowen and Cecil Forsyth give that oft-abused instrument, the viola, here played splendidly by Lawrence Power, a chance to grab the spotlight in the same rich Romantic vein as the violin in its most popular concertos. The first concerto here, by Bowen, is comparable to Sibelius' Violin Concerto in many ways. It has great lyricism, passionate themes, and lush orchestration, and it uses a harmonic palette that is tonal yet extremely colorful. The difference between the Bowen and the ...
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These concertos by English composers York Bowen and Cecil Forsyth give that oft-abused instrument, the viola, here played splendidly by Lawrence Power, a chance to grab the spotlight in the same rich Romantic vein as the violin in its most popular concertos. The first concerto here, by Bowen, is comparable to Sibelius' Violin Concerto in many ways. It has great lyricism, passionate themes, and lush orchestration, and it uses a harmonic palette that is tonal yet extremely colorful. The difference between the Bowen and the Sibelius is that even though Bowen's outer movements begin in the minor, they do not stay there long and are generally sunny in outlook. The middle movement lets Power use his beautiful, singing tone to full advantage in a folk ballad-like melody. Forsyth's concerto is more traditionally Romantic in its harmony and its drama. It begins with a crash and a recitative for the viola before the heroically dark theme begins. The soloist is really given the bulk of the work in this concerto,...
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Add this copy of Bowen: Viola Concerto / Forsyth: Viola Concerto to cart. $43.62, like new condition, Sold by First Coast Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Eatonton, GA, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Hyperion.
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