Izabel Markova Performing British Works for Viola
Works by Rebecca Clarke, Benjamin Britten, and York Bowen
Media Review
2026-01-19 — Original posting
Izabel Markova mit Werken für Viola — Zusammenfassung
Debut-CD
Begleitung am Klavier
Empfehlung
Contents
- Introduction
- The Artists
- CD Track Listing
- Works and Interpretation
- Rebecca Clarke (1886 – 1979): Sonata for Viola and Piano (1919)
- The Composer
- The Work: Sonata for Viola and Piano
- The Interpretation, Experiencing the Music
- I. Impetuoso – Poco agitato – Poco meno mosso –
- (I.) – Meno mosso – Tempo I – Meno mosso
- II. Vivace – Meno mosso – Più mosso – Tempo I – Meno mosso – Tempo I
- III. Adagio – Allegro – Risoluto –
- (III.) – Agitato ma non troppo Allegro – Comodo–quasi pastorale – Quasi fantasia – Poco meno mosso – Agitato – Più mosso
- Summary
- Benjamin Britten (1913 – 1976): Lachrymae for Viola and Piano, op.48
- York Bowen (1884 – 1961): Phantasy in F major for Viola and Piano, op.54 (1918)
- Rebecca Clarke (1886 – 1979): Sonata for Viola and Piano (1919)
- Conclusions
- Media Information
- Acknowledgements
Introduction
In recent years, I have received a large number of CDs for review. Initially, the constant stream of concert reviews made it difficult to find time for media reviews. Also, major internal repairs and upgrades to the blog site caused a partial hiatus of several months over the past year. Concert reviews have now faded into the background, however, allowing the blog to return to its original purpose of reviewing CDs in my collection, including, of course, some of the media I have received. I will need to balance time spent reviewing individual recordings with the efforts for major comparison projects, such as the ongoing comparison of recordings of Bach’s Cello Suites.
So, here I am, back to reviewing CDs. After a long break, I selected a recent release from Claves Records featuring 20th-century British music for viola and piano, performed by violist Izabel Markova.
The Artists
Izabel Markova, Viola
The primary artist in this recording is the Bulgarian violist Izabel Markova, who was born in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1997. The booklet describes her family as “non-musical”. Yet, she began playing the piano at the age three. In 2008, at age eleven, she was admitted to the National Music School “Lybomir Pipkov“ to study the viola, despite having no prior experience with either the violin or the viola. She graduated in 2015 after completing the last two academic years in one year. Izabel Markova was then accepted into the Haute École de Musique (HÉMU) in Lausanne, Switzerland, where she studied the viola with the conductor and violist Alexander Zemtsov (*1978). In 2022, she graduated with a master’s degree as a soloist.
The artist has since won awards at several international competitions. She is now regularly performing with numerous orchestras, primarily in Switzerland: the Philharmonia Zurich (Zurich Opera), the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, the Gstaad Menuhin Festival Orchestra, the Musikkollegium Winterthur, and the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as several other ensembles. She has also attended master classes with various, renowned artists. In 2025, Izabel Markova became a member of the Amar Quartet. Visit the artist’s website for full details on her biography and career. Izabel Markova is currently based in Lausanne. In addition to her other activities, teaches piano, singing, songwriting, viola, and violin, both in person and online.
Irene Puccia, Piano
The Italian pianist Irene Puccia was born and raised in Noto, Sicily, in the province of Syracuse, at the southern tip of the island. She earned her piano diploma from the Conservatorio Giovanni Battista Martini in Bologna at the age of 17. She then pursued further studies at the Haute École de Musique (HÉMU) in Lausanne, Switzerland, graduating in 2010 with a Master’s degree in accompaniment. In 2012, she completed a master’s degree in chamber music at the Haute École de Musique in Geneva. Already during her academic training, she had the opportunity to work and perform with notable artists and chamber music ensembles, performing baroque repertoire as well.
The artist has since successfully participated in several international competitions and performed in notable concert halls and festivals, especially in Italy and Switzerland. Irene Puccia collaborated with the Orchestra Mozart, conducted by Claudio Abbado (1933 – 2014), and was the harpsichordist for the Camerata Amoyal / Camerata de Lausanne. The artist currently works as an accompanist at the Haute École de Musique in Lausanne.
Alla Belova, Piano
The Russian pianist Alla Belova (*1996) was born in Saint-Petersburg. She studied piano at the Mussorgsky College of Music and the N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory. She completed her master’s degree under Benjamin Moser (*1981) at the Lucerne School of Music. Currently, Alla Belova is continuing her studies in Berlin.
The artist’s biography mentions a large number of international competitions in Western Europe and Russia in which she participated and earned awards as a soloist, accompanist, and chamber musician. These competitions helped Alla Belova launching an international career, performing in recitals and festivals in Europe, the United States, Russia, and China. She is also a member of the Lucerne Piano Trio and the Trio Creators. In the latter she performs with two soloists of the Opera Studio of the Vienna State Opera: baritone Andrei Maksimov and soprano Mira Alkhovik.
CD Track Listing
This post features a recording of three pieces for viola and piano, all by 20th-century British composers. The media description (cover image, technical media description, etc.) is found below. Here’s the track listing:
- Rebecca Clarke (1886 – 1979): Sonata for Viola and Piano [24’23”]
- Impetuoso – Poco agitato – Poco meno mosso – Meno mosso – Tempo I – Meno mosso [8’34”]
- Vivace – Meno mosso – Più mosso – Tempo I – Meno mosso – Tempo I [4’15”]
- Adagio – Allegro – Risoluto – Agitato ma non troppo Allegro – Comodo–quasi pastorale – Quasi fantasia – Poco meno mosso – Agitato – Più mosso [11’34”]
- Benjamin Britten (1913 – 1976): Lachrymae for Viola and Piano, op.48 [14’25”]
- York Bowen (1884 – 1961): Phantasy in F major for Viola and Piano, op.54 [15’07”]
Total duration: 53’56”
The recording took place in October 2022 at UTOPIA École et Troupe de Danse, which is part of the Haute École de Musique (HÉMU) in Lausanne. Claves Records served as the executive producer. Unfortunately, the booklet does not provide any information about the instruments used.
Works and Interpretation
Rebecca Clarke (1886 – 1979): Sonata for Viola and Piano (1919)
Two years ago, I attended a chamber music concert featuring a piece by Rebecca Clarke. This recording marks my second encounter with a piece by this composer. To keep things simple, I am adopting the biographical notes from that earlier post.
The Composer
Rebecca (Helferich) Clarke (1886 – 1979) was born and raised in Harrow, England. She was the daughter of the American teacher Joseph Thacher Clarke and his German wife, Agnes Paulina Marie Amalie Helferich. Rebecca’s brother, who was 15 months her junior, took violin lessons, and she sat in on them when she was eight. In 1903, she began studying at the Royal Academy of Music. In 1905, her harmony teacher proposed to her, and her father forced her to withdraw. She then continued her studies at the Royal College of Music (RCM) under Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (1852 – 1924), becoming one of the institution’s first female composition students. Stanford convinced her to shift her focus from the violin to the viola. She subsequently studied with Lionel Tertis (1876 – 1975).
The Work: Sonata for Viola and Piano
Rebecca Clarke started composing around 1910. That same year, she lost her father’s support and was expelled from her home. She left the RCM and supported herself as a violist. In 1912, she became one of the first professional female orchestral musicians. In 1916, she moved to the United States, where she continued her performing career. The peak of her composing career came in 1919, when she entered a competition with a viola sonata. Among the 72 contestants, she competed with Ernest Bloch (1880 – 1959) for first prize. Bloch was declared the winner, and the press claimed that her name was merely a pseudonym for Bloch. It was inconceivable that a woman could have composed such beautiful music. In the booklet, Izabel Markova describes the piece as a “staple piece in the viola repertoire” and even calls it her favorite sonata to play. The piece consists of three movements:
- I. Impetuoso – Poco agitato – Poco meno mosso – Meno mosso – Tempo I – Meno mosso
- II. Vivace – Meno mosso – Più mosso – Tempo I – Meno mosso – Tempo I
- III. Adagio – Allegro – Risoluto – Agitato – Comodo–quasi pastorale – Quasi fantasia – Poco meno mosso – Agitato – Più mosso
The Interpretation, Experiencing the Music
One notable feature of Rebecca Clarke’s Sonata for Viola and Piano is in the abundance of tempo and character annotations. The annotations shown here are from the CD booklet. However, the composer’s manuscript reveals that the annotations are often more detailed and often include metronome numbers. For example, the first annotation reads “Impetuoso — ma non troppo Allegro, M.M. ♩=116″. Additional annotations include subtle details, such as “pochiss. rit — a tempo“. The annotation also include bowing, articulation, and detailed dynamics.
I. Impetuoso – Poco agitato – Poco meno mosso –
The movement opens with a striking viola fanfare that gradually fades to p. This is followed by a reflective, seeking viola recitative in a long, winding line. The only accompaniment in this introduction is a ff chord / drone that the piano holds throughout. Together, these elements create an impressive gesture that instantly captures the listener’s attention and draws them into the composition’s unique atmosphere. Although the music feels tonal, cadences and absent. The chords in the accompaniment often lack the third to avoid traditional major/minor chords, as in the opening drone (E-F-B-E).
The following segment is annotated Agitato. The viola part plays the dominant role, with long cantilenas in irregular rhythms, alternating between punctuated motifs, quaver triplets and semiquaver figures, often urging, building up to an intense climax. The piano creates a rhapsodic soundscape, frequently with wide-spanning quaver triplet patterns and chords. A grandiose ending leads into the subsequent Poco meno mosso, a major section, in which the roles are more evenly split. The piano begins with an extended, elegiac solo. When the viola joins in, the piano part often features alternating chords in the descant, and a contrapuntal line in the bass.
(I.) – Meno mosso – Tempo I – Meno mosso
The Meno mosso begins as a sort of suspenseful recitativo accompagnato that gradually picks up momentum and motion (marcato). The music then returns to an atmosphere of serene suspense, and ultimately seems to dissolve into the distance. The Tempo I brings back the impetuoso momentum from the opening bars, but then returns to the urgency and intensity of the Agitato section. The music often reminds of one of French Impressionist composers, such as Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918), with his orchestral works.
Following a dramatic climax, the music gradually transitions to a lyrical, melancholic tone. The transition to the final Meno mosso is breathtakingly beautiful. The music retracts to pp, with iridescent arpeggio passages on the viola amidst gentle, soft, and wide-spanning piano lines. It is a lucid, otherworldly ending that fades into ppp — transfiguration…
In Rebecca Clarke’s distinctive Impressionist style, catchy motifs attain the character of themes. Throughout the movement, however, these motifs are not bound to a traditional harmonic scheme. Instead, they appear in a variety of colors and moods, avoiding repetition and direct quotation. It is a fascinating multitude of expressions and atmospheres.
II. Vivace – Meno mosso – Più mosso – Tempo I – Meno mosso – Tempo I
In this shortest movement, the viola plays con sordino, clearly indicating that the piano takes a more active, dominant role. With the exception of two shorter Meno mosso segments, the piano clearly leads, presenting a light, capricious and virtuosic staccato theme. Meanwhile, the viola often reinforces or complements the rhythm with pizzicato. However, there are also passages in which the viola takes up the main theme with a lightness and agility one would expect from a violin rather than a viola.
Towards the Meno mosso, the viola contrasts the light piano part with a marked theme featuring duplets that give it a heavier quality. In the Meno mosso, that second theme transforms into a melancholic and later lyrical melody line with light, almost ethereal arpeggiando figures on the piano. The initial theme’s atmosphere returns in the Più mosso, with a growing sense of urgency. In Tempo I, the main theme appears in fourth and fifth parallels in the right hand, strongly reminiscent of Gamelan music. A glittering lightness leads into the brief second Meno mosso. In the final Tempo I, the music seems to scurry away “into the woods”, ppp.
III. Adagio – Allegro – Risoluto –
The third and longest movement begins with soft, solemn, and pensive piano melody that strongly resembles a Gregorian chant (Hypodorian mode?). The viola then takes up the melody, expanding its range and moving away from the original mode / key. The piano accompaniment transforms it into a late- or post-romantic style. Subsequently, the viola maintains the “Gregorian spirit”, now above an Impressionist piano accompaniment—gentle and harmonious, yet avoiding traditional major/minor harmonic schemes. The intensity builds to an expressive, if not dramatic, climax.
After a fermata, a serene, ethereal section—pp and ppp, almost disappearing—gradually creates suspense and expectation. The piano briefly returns to the “Gregorian” melody, accompanied by a soft viola drone on c. As the piano part accelerates and grows into mf (Allegro) and then f (Risoluto), the viola drone intensifies into a dramatic tremolo. The music builds to a passionate climax that abruptly ends on ff and is followed by a general rest around the midpoint of the movement.
(III.) – Agitato ma non troppo Allegro – Comodo–quasi pastorale – Quasi fantasia – Poco meno mosso – Agitato – Più mosso
The second part feels like a fourth movement that is played quasi-attacca. It is indeed agitated and lively, introducing new material that is only loosely related to earlier themes. The viola is the “driving force”, while the piano part engages in a close dialog, initially with brief interjections, later imitating the viola melody in the bass and in the descant. The viola appears to drive the movement to a climax, using a punctuated motif reminiscent of horn calls. Then, however, the music gradually transitions to a soft, lyrical tone.
The Comodo–quasi pastorale is delicate, intimate, and serene—a beautiful idyl! A fermata leads to the Quasi fantasia with its erratic and seemingly arbitrary rhythmic figures. A reminiscence of the Baroque stylus fantasticus? This lasts only a few bars before the viola falls into an agitated sequence of repeated (half-bar) motifs above wide-spanning piano chords. Extensive right-hand piano garlands break off in a fermata.
The brief poco meno mosso (perhaps not so poco after all) comes as a surprise. It almost feels like a beautiful swan song with some “Gregorian allusions”. However, the movement does not end in silence. The Agitato theme returns and accelerates into the Più mosso, ending in an affirmative ff climax. An impressive movement!
Summary
Izabel Markova‘s playing combines rhythmic firmness, infallible intonation, and a beautiful, smooth, velvety, and warm tone, devoid of the nasal quality often associated with the viola. The instrument maintains acoustic presence even in the subtlest passages, while also observing the composer’s lively, detailed dynamics and agogics. Irene Puccia performs the piano part in ideal partnership with Izabel Markova, achieving rhythmic unanimity and effortlessly mastering wide-spanning textures. Puccia’s dynamics are subtle and detailed. She carefully follows Rebecca Clarke’s rich annotations and is always attuned to the viola part. Irene Puccia’s playing is transparent and well-balanced, maintaining a melodic quality, particularly in the left hand. She never inappropriately plays herself into the foreground.
The more I listen to this recording, the more I appreciate the value of Rebecca Clarke’s composition for the viola repertoire. The piece brilliantly retains the presence of the viola amidst piano textures covering the entire width of the keyboard and a large dynamic range. A beautiful composition, indeed!
Benjamin Britten (1913 – 1976): Lachrymae for Viola and Piano, op.48
One of my early concert reviews was of a chamber music recital in Zurich, on 2017-11-21. The program included this very same piece by Benjamin Britten. To keep things simple, I am again adopting the biographical notes and work description from that concert review.
The Work: Lachrymae for Viola and Piano, op.48
In 1950, the English composer Benjamin Britten (1913 – 1976)—himself also a violist—wrote his “Lachrymae“, op.48, a “Reflection about a song by J. Dowland“, for viola and piano. Britten borrowed the title from a collection of instrumental works by John Dowland (1563 – 1626) rather than from a specific song. The collection is titled “Lachrymae“, or “Seven Teares“ and was published in 1604.
The composition is a set of variations, in which the actual theme, John Dowland’s song “If my complaints could passions move” (from “The First Booke of Songs or Ayres“), is presented only at the end of the set. The preceding variations digest only fragments of the theme, typically the first three or four notes. The title of Britten’s composition, “Lachrymae” means “tears” and refers to another one of Downland’s song “Flow my tears“ (from “The Second Booke of Songs or Ayres“), which was initially (1596) published as an instrumental piece under the title “Lachrimae pavane“. That second theme appears in Variation No.6 (Appassionato). The twelve segments (variations) of the composition are as follows:
- Lento (theme)
- Allegretto molto comodo
- Animato
- Tranquillo
- Allegro con moto
- Largamente
- Appassionato
- Alla Valse moderato
- Allegro marcia a punta
- Lento
- L’istesso tempo — A tempo semplice (theme)
Britten dedicated “Lachrymae for Viola and Piano”, op.48 to the violist William Primrose (1904 – 1982), with whom the composer also premiered the work in 1950.
The Interpretation, Experiencing the Music
Theme, Variations 1 – 3
The opening Lento emerges from silence. Dowland’s song “If my complaints could passions move” appears in the piano bass. In addition, however, the piece often refers to the first three or four notes of the theme, played by the viola. Multiple instances of that motif ascend and overlap in a canon-like fashion, each in a different key. These create a series of dissonant clusters which the piano picks up in a tremolo. Then, the instruments reverse their roles: the piano plays the Dowland motif, and the viola responds with accented tremolos following the motif.
The combination of the old—if not archaic—theme and dissonant harmonies creates an atmosphere of suspense and eeriness, perhaps even menace. The tremolos evoke a desolate landscape, underlaid by the full theme in the piano’s warm bass sonorities. The variation ends with the ascending triad of the theme, leaving the listener with the feeling of an open question.
The first variation, Allegretto molto comodo, is a fleeting and capricious sequence of motifs, primarily the opening triad of the theme and/or its inversion. Variation 2, Animato, all ppp, consists of accelerating pizzicato bursts to which the piano responds with wide, resonating chords. The theme is hidden within the chord sequence. Variation 3, Tranquillo, creates a continuous chord sequence with the beginning of the theme in the top voice. The two instruments follow each other closely. The viola inserts moments of rapid, melodic motion. While the piano continues the thematic chord sequence, the viola alternates between imitation and free fantasy above the theme.
Variations 4 – 9
Variation 4, Allegro con moto, features big piano sonority in parallel octaves, referencing the beginning of the main theme. The intense viola part features the main theme in broad legato/tenuto strokes. An ascending scale leads to Variation 5, Largamente, which features vehement chords on both instruments, referencing to the initial interval(s) of the main theme. These chords alternate with quaver triplet movements. There is a seamless transition to the central variation 6, Appassionato, which prominently features the second theme, “Flow my tears“, on the viola above ascending quaver triplet figures on the piano.
The following variation 7, Alla Valse moderato, has the waltz rhythm in the piano—though very subtle, and with a pause in lieu of the first beat. After a while, the main theme appears in the viola, though again, only the initial intervals are played. In variation 8, Allegro marcia a punta, the theme is hardly recognizable: the piano holds soft chords over several bars, while the viola plays chains of punctuated motifs, ppp and sul ponticello—an eerie scene! Variation 9, Lento, is more of a brief intermezzo, with hidden references to the theme at most.
Variation 10, Theme
The final variation, No.10, L’istesso tempo, brings the main theme, “If my complaints could passions move” to the piano, in the form of solemn, soft, and arpeggiated chords. These chords are soon accompanied by rapid demisemiquaver tremolo figures on the viola. The intensity and urgency build to a climax where the piano imitates the tremolo while the viola plays parts of Dowland’s theme intensely and expressively in the soprano register. Finally, at the A tempo semplice, “If my complaints could passions move” appears in its original, unadorned form with a simple, warm, and expressive accompaniment. It is a chorale of sorts—touching and soothing. Beautiful!
Summary
This is an excellent and impressive recording in terms of sonority, sound capture, and interpretation. The latter is compelling, coherent, moving, and touching. Izabel Markova creates an amazing range of colors, expressions, and sounds from the softest whistling to an intense urging sound on an instrument with beautiful sonority across the range. The two musicians play with unity and intense passion, consistently building toward the closing variation—a heartwarming, if not heartwrenching, lament.
York Bowen (1884 – 1961): Phantasy in F major for Viola and Piano, op.54 (1918)
The Composer
York Bowen (1884 – 1961) was an English composer and pianist. He was born and raised in London with two older brothers. Although his father owned a whisky distillery, Bowen received his first musical education in piano and harmony from his mother at an early age. He soon began a more formal musical education at the North Metropolitan College of Music and subsequently studied at the Blackheath Conservatoire of Music. At age fourteen, he received a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music.
During World War I, Bowen played in the Scots Guards Band, but a pneumonia infection forced him to return from his service in France. Back in the U.K., Bowen resumed composing and performing. He worked as a teacher, examiner, lecturer, and adjudicator. He taught at the Tobias Matthay Piano School for forty years and remained a professor at the Royal Academy of Music until his death in 1961 (excerpted from Wikipedia). Bowen enjoyed considerable success as both a composer and a pianist. His work catalog lists over 150 compositions, including orchestral works, concertos, chamber music, organ works, and pieces for piano, piano 4-hands, and two pianos, as well as vocal works. Unfortunately, many of the compositions remain unpublished. See Wikipedia for a description of Bowen’s compositional style.
The Work: Phantasy in F major for Viola and Piano, op.54
York Bowen’s body of work primarily consists of compositions for piano, including solo pieces, four concertos and chamber music compositions. The composer also premiered many of his own pieces. Interestingly, he was the first pianist to record Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.4 in G major, op.58. Bowen collaborated with numerous, prominent instrumentalists, some of whom were the dedicatees of his compositions. One such partner was the violist Lionel Tertis (1876 – 1975), for whom Bowen wrote most of his viola compositions. Tertis was also the dedicatee of the Phantasy in F major for Viola and Piano, op.54, which he also premiered.
As an instrumentalist, York Bowen considered the viola’s sound quality superior to that of the violin. Consequently, he composed numerous works for the instrument. He was one of the first English composers to contribute original pieces to the modern viola repertoire, alongside Arnold Bax (1883 – 1953) and Benjamin Dale (1885 – 1943).
The Interpretation, Experiencing the Music
In the sequence of this recording, York Bowen’s Phantasy transports listeners back to the late-Romantic era. However, the Phantasy begins with a viola monolog that alludes to medieval chant and avoids the notion of a tonal center. This changes with the entry of the piano part. We are soon immersed in a world of late- or post-Romantic melancholy, with beautiful, intense viola singing accompanied by a piano score that could almost be by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 – 1943) in the harmonies, the melodies, and the pianistic textures. The music is highly expressive, building to intense, emotional climaxes. After an outburst, the first segment of the piece abruptly ends with a general rest.
The central section begins lyrically and as a playful dialog, based on motifs from the first part. Some passages feature modulations and harmonic turns that recall tone poems by Richard Strauss (1864 – 1949). Then, the viola takes the lead. Its cantilena becomes reflective and introverted and nearly comes to a standstill, full of tension. The piano responds with a wistful recitative that ponders and asks anxious questions as it fades into the distance. Gradually, the music returns, joined again by the viola and soon accompanied by soft chord chains on the piano. The atmosphere becomes serene and peaceful, evoking memories of a beautiful, distant past.
The final part begins with a brief introduction of lively, rapidly repeated viola notes and arpeggiated intervals on the piano. Then, at a slightly slower pace, the score becomes more melodious, as well as emphatic and expressive, with occasional tremolo episodes. Following another general rest, the music builds up, and the piece briefly falls into a heavier, “riding” rhythm, reminiscent of the medieval hocket. The final buildup features a rhapsodic style with high romantic expressivity, leading to a dramatic, grandiose climax and closing formula.
Summary
York Bowen’s composition is a phantasy. Therefore, it is not bound to constrained by formal schemes. This freedom contributes to the impression of a rich, multifaceted composition that will certainly please fans of late Romantic music and composers such as Rachmaninoff. The piece may not present as much of a personal style as, for example, Rebecca Clarke’s sonata. However, that is not necessarily a disadvantage. I have listened to the Phantasy repeatedly, and I don’t get tired of it.
Sure, compared to Clarke’s sonata, the phantasy may initially feel “too romantic”, perhaps even momentarily overwhelming with emotion. But the same could be said of works by Rachmaninoff and other post-Romantic composers. This just means that you may not want to listen to Bowen’s Phantasy right after Rebecca Clarke’s sonata.
I am not a violist, and I don’t have access to the sheet music. However, I get the impression is that Bowen’s sonata is both virtuosic and rewarding for the musicians. Izabel Markova‘s performance leaves very little, if anything, to be desired. Her tone is beautiful, her vibrato harmonious, and her articulation and intonation clear. Alla Belova‘s piano accompaniment demonstrates technical mastery of Bowen’s demanding part and a perfect musical partnership in rhythmic coordination and dynamics.
Conclusions
Personally, I might have started the recording with York Bowen’s piece. However, I understand why the artists chose to open the recording with Rebecca Clarke’s sonata. Was it perhaps in order to place Britten’s Lachrimae in the center of the recording? That is more a matter of personal preference than a criticism. After all, it is up to the listener to decide the listening order of such a recording.
I highly recommend this interesting and rewarding recording. Its value derives from the music, the artists, and their performance. The repertoire of the recording is also a valuable addition to the discography of 20th-century British chamber music.
Media Information
Rebecca Clarke (1886 – 1979): Sonata for Viola and Piano
Benjamin Britten (1913 – 1976): Lachrymae for Viola and Piano, op.48
York Bowen (1884 – 1961): Phantasy in F major for Viola and Piano, op.54 **
Izabel Markova, viola
Irene Puccia, piano
Alla Belova, piano **
Claves Records S.A. 50-3073 (CD, stereo); ℗ / © 2023; Booklet: 11 pp. en/fr
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Claves Records, SA for sending me the featured CD
