Clarke Britten Bowen Musique pour alto et piano Markova Puccia Belova - CLA3073 - Claves

Quelle œuvre ! La grande Sonate que Rebecca Clarke écrivit en 1919 laissa le jury du concours Sprague Coolidge dubitatif. Impossible qu’une femme ait composé une œuvre si puissante. D’ailleurs Rebecca Clarke était avertie depuis ses débuts que l’intensité de son univers lui serait handicap : elle publia ses premiers opus sous un pseudonyme masculin. Pas la Sonate, alpha d’une œuvre qui se maintiendra toujours au niveau du génial ; Izabel Markova anime le grand geste sans jamais perdre l’intensité poétique, version éclairante aussi par le piano ductile d’Irene Puccia, écoutez le Vivace. L’œuvre, qui fit beaucoup pour la redécouverte récente du catalogue de Clarke, compte maintenant quelques belles versions, celle-ci ajoutant une dimension poétique certaine. Si l’essentiel de la carrière de Rebecca Clarke se déploya aux USA, elle était anglaise, et d’abord une virtuose de l’alto, élève de Lionel Tertis ; Izabel Markova a donc bien raison de poursuivre son disque en Albion, offrant une version recueilli de l’étreignant Lachrymae où Britten se glisse dans l’univers splénétique de Dowland, mais surtout les embruns romantique de la si rarement enregistré Phantasie de York Bowen, justement écrite pour Lionel Tertis, une de ses œuvres les plus audacieuses qui trouve ici une incarnation saisissante. (Discophilia - Artalinna.com) (Jean-Charles Hoffelé)

This project has been a very special adventure for me. I have made every decision deliberately and with a lot of thought. I would like to thank Patrick Peikert, director of Claves Records, for this experience. To have the chance to record a solo CD is an incredible opportunity, which I am endlessly grateful for. The program I selected, is dedicated to my love for the british viola repertoire. I really wanted the CD to sound as cohesive as possible, whilst it explores all different emotional and timbral ranges. Clarke, Britten and Bowen are three exceptional examples of that. The Viola sonata by Rebecca Clarke was written in 1919 for a competition in which she tied for first place with Ernest Bloch. Bloch was finally declared the winner. It is speculated that the reason for it was the disbelief that a woman could write such an astounding piece of music. Of course, now we consider her sonata for viola and piano to be a staple piece in the viola repertoire. It has been recorded and performed by world-renowned, incredible violists and it is definitely a pressure for anyone wishing to showcase their interpretation of it. I certainly do feel it, however I am also excited to have had the opportunity. I have been performing it for a few years and so the piece has grown up and evolved with me. It has become my favorite sonata to play and now I am happy to have an immortalized version of it. The Lachrymae, Reflections on a song by John Dowland was composed by Britten in 1950. It is a piece I have listened to for many years. However I never thought I could it justice. It is exceptionally written and it has so much to say in the span of 15 minutes! Originally, the piece was written for William Primrose. It is known that the violist didn’t completely understand or appreciate this piece, and has been quoted to say that the “drama and fantasy” was not enough. (Izabel Markova)