Tabea Zimmermann (Altviool) & Kirill Gerstein (Piano)

ROMANTIC VIOLA

Shostakovich could not have ended his career more brilliantly than with the Viola Sonata opus 147. It is a wonderfully compelling confession, full of human sympathy, irony and stubbornness that only the brilliant Russian masters. The parts sound remarkably pure and naked, but therefore extraordinarily expressive. At the same time, the entire work is interwoven with subtle allusions to favorite composers such as Beethoven, Mahler and Berg. The listener hangs on the lips of a seasoned monstre sacré that no longer has anything to pretend and gives free rein to its associations. Reger also turned to the viola for his swan song. The often referred to as cerebral composer is surprisingly melodic in his neo-baroque suites for viola and actually features infectious folk rhythms. The wills of both composers are in good hands with Tabea Zimmermann. The sound that this celebrity produces from her instrument is as voluptuous as her appearance on stage. Accompanied by the versatile Russian-American pianist Kirill Gerstein, she sets entire concert halls on fire with her passionate performances.