Viola Concerto No. 1 in D Major

Composer: Stamitz, Carl

Imai, Nobuko

Banados, Anibal

Marjanowic, Nemanja

Catalogue Number: RSS2779_1

Nobuko Imai starts her explanation by talking about the composer, Carl Stamitz, and the context of this work. She also comments that the student's viola is not a very loud instrument, so he will have to use more resources to compensate this lack of sound. Imai thinks that it would be good for him to play a bigger viola with a darker sound.

Focusing on the piece, the student must think the notes towards the low register, it is something like a "downbeat feeling". In the Classic style, the first beat of a bar is very important, so the student has to avoid any fear to play it with power. They work in detail on the articulation and the sound of the beginning. Professor Imai explains step by step the tension in the bow, the pressure on the strings and the speed to be applied every moment. She corrects the tuning and the contact point in double stops, so the student has to keep in mind how to sound. It is very important to show the new elements that appears in the music.

The Professor also talks about the character of this concerto and how to achieve it through a specific articulation. She explains that power in the bow is necessary, but we have to use just the required energy without losing control, without jumping. The recommendation in fast passages is not to emphasize every note, but playing each one lighter. The student should look for more differences within contrasting passages. Finally, in bariolage technique, the harmony has to be heard well, with a clearer and thicker sound.