The Strad- Masterclass
In the May 2023 issue, violist Paul Laraia discusses this staple of the viola repertoire: ’This piece is one of the few original works in the Romantic idiom for viola and so it is a treasured part of our repertoire, despite its relative brevity. With its simple phrase structure and accompaniment, I imagine the viola playing the part of a troubadour while the rolled chords in the piano can almost sound like a lute. To me, this piece is an incredible exercise in simplicity, with all the complexity necessary to convey that.’
In this video, Paul Laraia performs the Elegy on his Hiroshi Iizuka viola, built in the ‘viola d’amore’ style, and using a Belgian bow by Pierre Guillaume.
The Strad Concert review
Violist Paul Laraia appeared at Wigmore Hall as winner of the 2019 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition. He opened with Hindemith’s Sonata op.11 no.4, and caught all its moods, from faux-naïf elements to torrid, rapid-fire passagework. Two of American–Israeli violist Atar Arad’s set of twelve Caprices were interspersed in the programme, of which the first to appear, no.8 ‘Paul’, is full of good, challenging caprice stuff, with double-stops, rapid scales and ricochet bowing, executed with flair. He performed Roxanna Panufnik’s Canto for solo viola, written for the competition, with style and a touch of showmanship, from its rich opening Jewish chant through arpeggiations, double stops and harmonics, all designed to put players through their paces. In Frank Bridge’s Two Pieces for viola and piano he was simple and eloquent in the Pensiero before really hitting his stride with the Allegro appassionato, passionate indeed, with vibrant playing.