When people talk about the most representative string instrument in Western music, do they immediately think of the violin?
After becoming the first Chinese national to be the principal violist of the Berliner Philharmoniker in 2022, Diyang Mei said in an interview with the media, "I hope that through my own efforts, one day people will no longer have prejudice against the viola. The viola is even the protagonist in many excellent works, such as Mahler's Ninth Symphony and Fifth Symphony."
Now, the concert brought to you by the famous violist Diyang Mei and the Berlin Baroque Soloists may break the "stereotype" in people's minds and bring the audience several representative works of the Baroque period, showing the great charm of the viola in presenting early music.
Telemann wrote more than 3,000 works in his lifetime, half of which were lost. Among these many works, the G major viola concerto to be performed in this concert is the most famous and most played piece. According to historical records, this is the first concerto written for the viola in Western music history, probably written between 1716-1721. It is worth mentioning that unlike other composers in the Baroque period, Telemann's viola concerto has four movements in total, using the church sonata form at the time. When writing this concerto, he saw the viola as an independent entity, seeking and exploring the most beautiful sound of this instrument, allowing the viola to have solo passages and melodies.
Speaking of Baroque concertos, one cannot fail to mention the Brandenburgische Konzerte created by Bach. This set of concertos was created in 1721, the same year that Telemann completed his G major viola concerto. The entire work consists of six concertos, which are different from traditional concertos in that they are not completed by a solo instrument and orchestra. The Brandenburgische Konzerte belongs to the grand concerto, and each one is completed by a different combination of solo instruments and orchestra.
Among these six concertos, the third one (BWV 1048) is the most concise and compact. Its instrumentation is also very special: no wind instruments are used throughout the piece, only three violins, three violas, three cellos, a basso continuo cello, and a harpsichord. This unique configuration makes the entire piece more like chamber music, with closer relationships between the parts and more frequent dialogues. The lack of wind instruments also leads to similar timbres among the parts, which requires better compositional skills to compensate for. The third concerto follows the traditional concerto form, with three movements, but notably, it has no slow movement. It is worth mentioning that the overture of Bach's cantata No. 174 "Ich liebe den Hoechsten" (1729) comes from the first movement of this concerto.
The other two pieces in the second half can be said to be presented by a master and his apprentice. When it comes to Paganini, everyone is familiar with him, known as the "devil violinist," and his works are famous for their "flashiness and high difficulty." But how many people know who his teacher was? Alessandro Rolla, in 1795, 38-year-old Rolla was visited by the then 13-year-old Paganini. Paganini hoped to learn violin and viola from him. Through the letters left by Paganini, we can also understand that he maintained a very close relationship with Rolla and learned many techniques about violin and viola from him, which he then developed and applied. So today we will hear the works of this master and his apprentice, perhaps witnessing the process of the student surpassing the master.Performance Information
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023, at 7:30 pm
Venue: Zhongshan Park Music Hall
Viola: Diyang Mei
Orchestra: Berliner Barock Solisten Members of Berliner Phiharmoniker
