Performers:
Noah Bowles
Sasha Bult-Ito
Jacob Clewell
Joseph Yungen
Blues Etude for Solo Viola, by Jeremy Cohen (b. 1957)
Noah Bowles, viola
Novel Voices for Viola and Piano, by Fernando Arroyo Lascurain (b. 1986)
- Stories and Dreams
- Dance of Uncertainty
- Call and Prayer
Noah Bowles, viola; Joseph Yungen, piano
L’extase d’Amour, BY Leslie Adams (1932-2024)
Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 69, BY Nikolai Kapustin (1937-2020)
Allegro
- Largo
- Vivace
The Ezra Duo: Jacob Clewell, viola; Sasha Bult-Ito, piano
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Blues Etude by Jeremy Cohen is a funky piece that is based on a blues progression. Originally written for solo violin, Cohen writes in his performance notes that this piece offers a “musically engaging experience” by developing technique while playing in a more “up-to-date style of string playing.” It also makes an exciting encore piece to end a recital program.
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“Novel Voices” by Fernando Arroyo Lascurain was written for Molly Carr and Anna Petrova (Carr-Petrova Duo) in 2019, inspired by their trips to refugee camps as part of their Novel Voices Refugee Aid Project. This work for viola and piano is a shining example of contemporary viola writing – full of emotional depth and technical virtuosity. “Novel Voices” brings together stories of refugees from around the world in a thought-provoking three movement work. I believe the poignant message of this piece deserves to be showcased and shared in the viola community.
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In Leslie Adams’ “L’extase d’Amour”, the overwhelming feeling of love is explored through heartfelt melodic content adamantly and repeatedly restated alongside soaring harmonic content that grows and blooms in pivotal moments in the work, creating a feeling of effortless expanse of emotion. The players are constantly in dialogue with each other, listening and responding as the texture evolves around the constant of the primary theme.
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Nikolai Kapustin’s much wordier sonata showcases a similar exploration, but through Kapustin’s signature jazz-based vocabulary. While the overall tone of the sonata is vibrant and lighthearted, the frequent call for technical virtuosity from both players is indicative of a philosophical search for expressive freedom by overcoming physical limitation. Emotional release is achieved through the resulting freedom of expressive ability, and shown through the sheer volume of different musical characters.