Viola Concertos / Symphony in D / Tantum Ergo

Italian composer Alessandro Rolla lived from 1757 till 1841, outliving both Mozart and Beethoven, his most important musical influences. He was an extraordinary virtuoso on the viola, the "Paganini of the viola", were it not that he was actually the teacher of Paganini. Many of the technical innovations that Paganini introduced in his devilish violin works were invented by Rolla. This new recording presents two substantial viola concertos, a Tantum Ergo for solo bass, viola and orchestra (a rarity!) and the orchestral Sinfonia in D. The concertos are vehicles of melodious invention, charm and virtuosity. Soloist Simonide Braconi studied with Kim Kashkashian, Yuri Bashmet,

Bruno Giuranna, he is principal violist of the Scala Orchestra and member of the famous Scala String Quartet. He plays a historic 1800 Giovanni Gagliano viola.