Peggy Glanville-Hicks’ Concerto Romantico: increasing access to study and performance through the creation of an engraved edition

Peggy Glanville-Hicks’ Concerto Romantico for Viola and Chamber Orchestra is a powerful gem of viola writing that most violists have never heard. Premiered in 1957 by Walter Trampler, Concerto Romantico has been inaccessible to most violists for performance and study. It was previously only published as a photocopy of a handwritten manuscript, error-ridden and presumed lost, utilizing the composer’s earlier-sketched short score in lieu of a piano reduction. In addition to the parts being hard to read in this format, there are also inconsistencies between the short score, the solo viola part, and the full orchestral score. In collaboration with Peters Edition, the current copyright holder, and the Glanville-Hicks Trust, I have undertaken a project to engrave the viola part and transform the short score into a piano reduction consistent with the full orchestration to formalize a new edition of the work. In this lecture recital I will share background information on this hidden gem of viola repertoire, the value it contributes to current standard repertoire, its educational value and opportunities for insertion into the repertoire of developing players, and my process of creating a new edition. The lecture will conclude with a performance of the new edition of Peggy Glanville-Hicks’ Concerto Romantico, arranged for viola and piano.