Pieces For Viola And Organ: New Discoveries
With the vast variety in chamber music instrumentations, it can be nice to shine a light on music for some less-common instrumentations.
Here, I’ll take you through some pieces for viola and organ that inspired my viola and organ duo, “found in a church”.
1. Improvisation (Music Now Festival) – James McVinnie & Nadia Sirota
I would like to start this post off by diving into the piece of music that inspired this post as well as my music for viola and organ.
La Blogothèque is a Parisian film production company, known for their viral videos of undercover concerts from artists across a wide range of styles.
This video, directed by Derrick Belcham, captures a raw, unedited improvisation between violist Nadia Sirota and organist James McVinnie, that feels absolutely magical in the conversation of color between the two.
Sirota’s lyricism paired with the floating pads McVinnie responds with are truly a magical combination.
2. Poem for Viola and Organ – Leo Sowerby
In 20 minutes, Leo Sowerby takes you into a very dark, chromatic sound world that places the viola at the front and center.
Sowerby is primarily known for his vast collection of church music, as well as being the first composition winner of the Rome Prize and the 1946 Pulitzer Prize winner.
His experience with church music shines through here with his idiomatic organ writing that allows the viola to express the instruments wide range of color and contour.
3. Concerto for Viola and Organ – Michael Haydn
M. Haydn’s Concerto is a double concerto for viola, organ, and orchestra, unlike the previous 2 unaccompanied duos.
The piece dates back to 1761, which explains the concerto’s heavy homophonic accompanimental orchestration.
There is also a heavy resemblance of the music of Michael’s older brother, the more famed Joseph Haydn.
4. To fly a rocket ship – Adam Karelin
Karelin’s duo for viola and organ offers a dramatic arc that begins with the viola demonstrating its ricochet technique, then at the 2-minute mark, the organ starts to take over and propel the piece forward like a rocket ship ready to leave the Earth’s atmosphere.
The music pushes the viola’s expressive limits, relying more on timbral adjustments than lyrical line.
The choice to do so is incredibly fitting for the piece’s nature, and matching that with the organ ostinato is a nice pair.
Conclusion
While pieces for viola and organ are hard to come by, there is some very compelling repertoire out there.
Click here to check out my 4 minute viola and organ duo, “found in a church”.
If you enjoyed this post, and have suggestions for future content, let me know! Shoot me a message on my contact page 🙂
