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Technical Notice
| Classical Composer: | Vaughan Williams, Ralph |
|---|---|
| Work: | Suite for Viola and Small Orchestra |
| Year Composed: | 1934 |
| Instrumentation: | solo va, [2,1,2,2] - [2,2] - [timp, perc] - [celesta] - [hp] - [str] |
| Publisher: | Oxford University Press |
| Duration: | 00:25:00 |
| Period: | 20th Century |
| Work Category: | Orchestral |
Work Information
Available Recording(s)
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958) produced fully fledged concertos for piano, violin, oboe and tuba as well as several works featuring instruments in important concertante roles, including Flos Campi, for viola, small orchestra and choir. If this is one of the composer's most rapturous inspirations, his other work featuring the viola as the main protagonist reflects his more convivial side. The Suite for viola and orchestra (1934) was written for Lionel Tertis, who premiered it with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Malcolm Sargent at the Queen's Hall, London on 12 November 1934. The score's eight short genre pieces are divided into three groups which may be performed complete or individually. The first group, featured here, opens with a Prelude in C major that dispenses with violins but makes effective use of flute and bassoon. A more animated, rustic episode provides contrast and makes a brief reappearance before the close. Alternating 4/4 and 5/4 phrases, the beautiful central Carol withholds the brass and offers characteristically poetic writing for strings, which are muted throughout. The spirited closing Christmas Dance indulges in festive merrymaking with triangle taps adding sparkle to the music's joyful tintinnabulations before a last-minute tumble to the finishing line. Though this tuneful and elegantly crafted score is palpably influenced by the composer's love of folk music, the material is all original.
Writer: Paul Conway
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