An account of feeling and strength
Tabea Zimmermann (viola)
Kirill Gerstein (piano)
Myrios MYR 004
For a performance that encompasses the whole gamut of emotions and moods found in Clarke’s Viola Sonata, Tabea Zimmermann and Kirill Gerstein are the duo to beat. In many other recordings, the musicians pigeonhole the music, taking it too far into a Brahmsian direction, say, or treating it as a Vaughan Williams imitation. And yet the Sonata speaks clearly in Clarke’s own voice, one that’s full of contrast and complexity. Regular chamber-music partners, Zimmermann and Gerstein reveal those layers in a performance that wraps thoughtful detail into a spontaneous outpouring of music.
One of the trickier aspects to reconcile is the balance of the impassioned, rhapsodic, rhetorical seam of writing with the hushed, impressionist, improvisatory moods, especially in the outer movements. Zimmermann and Gerstein achieve this blend right from the opening declamatory flourish that morphs into a free-wheeling viola line. Zimmermann soars in the lyrical lines of the Impetuoso, while Gerstein finds a beautiful variety of touch and colour at the keyboard – and the pair never lose sight of the musical architecture either.
Although it’s the shortest of the three movements, the central Vivace often flummoxes performers, and there are several otherwise impressive recordings that are scuppered by sluggish tempos or the performers landing too heavily when the music should dance lightly. The Zimmermann-gerstein duo captures the music’s Puckish spirit, springing and scurrying around their instruments, coordination as tight as aerial performers. The rippling central section is a chance to show off colour and atmosphere, beautifully done here, while the spring cross rhythms keep their momentum where other players get bogged down.
The Adagio-allegro starts with a solo piano line in the left hand, marked
Zimmermann and Gerstein wrap thoughtful detail into a spontaneous outpouring
‘semplice’. Enigmatic in character, it can easily fall flat in performance, but, in muted tones, Gerstein gives it shape and meaning. And where it can feel like an oddity in some performances, Zimmermann and Gerstein manage to make it feel connected to a later pianissimo section in the piece. Marked ‘lontano’, the piano speaks as if from a different land, while the rustling viola tremolos build in intensity. The New York Times wrote that Clarke was ‘moved by a strong feeling for beauty’ after the work’s the first performance, words which also seem apt for this 2010 recording.