In Alto Cd Review, April 2018

Data pubblicazione: Apr 22, 2018 7:14:42 AM

AUSTA STRINGENDO April 2018

IN ALTO

Laura Menegozzo, Viola

STEFANO SCIASCIA SSP 2019

Playing a Testore viola dated 1699, this is Laura's third CD for solo viola.

Britten's First Suite for Solo Cello, Op.72 (written for Rostropovich) receives its first performance here on viola. The incomplete Bloch Suite for Viola Solo immediately displays Menegozzo's assured style.

Bach/Kodaly's well-known transcription, Fantasia Cromatica starts in a clear steady tempo while the faster playing shows fine intonation, shaping and firm contrai of chordal playing.

Penderecki's Tempo di Valse: While few waltz characteristics are audible, pizzicato, tremolo and ponticello are effectively used.

In Paolo Bozzi's "Der Psychophysische Bogen" tremolo and other tricks are all adroitly rendered, while Jeffrey Mumford's "Revisiting Variazione Elegiache" has somewhat conventional textures.

In Soulima Stravinsky's Suite for Viola Solo the baroque style dance movements are not always clearly defined in this rather harmonically obscure work.

Although Benjamin Britten's Suite No.1 for Cello Solo proclaims that this is a finer composer than the others on this disc, the subject matter and treatment are surprisingly similar.

The most virtuosic moment is in the 'Bordone', where a sustained open D has arco melismata and pizzicato episodes brilliantly played with it.

While I think that Menegozzo's playing is beyond criticism -in fact some of the finest playing I have heard on any instrument, much of the music on this disc is unworthy of her talent.

The whole recording seems to be summarized by a quotation from Britten on the back of the accompanying leaflet: "lt is cruel, you know, that music should be so beautiful. lt has the beauty of loneliness of pain: of strength and freedom. The beauty of disappointment and never-satisfied love. The cruel beauty of nature and everlasting beauty of monotony."

Laura Menegozzo's playing is superlative - in facility, tone and intonation. Why she is so wedded to the solo viola repertoire is for her to examine. Why promote this repertoire when she can better champion the viola's cause by playing in combination with piano (or indeed two violins and cello)!

Christopher Wellington