After getting my Viola dámore back from the luthier with a new and better fitted bridge, I've found that the sound of the instrument is a much warmer and stronger, especially in the middle and lower registers. Well, that shouldn't be a surprise... after all, that is what a better seated bridge should be doing! However, you just get used to the way that things are... and you don't realise how far off optimal it is!... well, I do...
That has got me excited about playing the instrument again... and seeing as I have time off from concerts, it also means that I have the opportunity to get some new repertoire under the fingers. To start with, I wanted to learn and record the two parts of this lovely duo for two Viola dámore by Huberty.
Antoine Huberty is a pretty obscure late Baroque composer who seems to have his principal audience in Viola dámore players. He was known as a composer, transcriber and Viola dámore player when he was alive. He has written some duos, solo sonatas and also accompanied sonatas for the instrument. I'm principally interested in the solo and duo sonatas as it is pretty hard to get together to play with anyone these days... so having some solo repertoire is going to be useful. Plus, the dámore is a lovely and intimate sounding instrument by itself... and I think there was a request for a solo piece in a concert early next year. Should double check that!
It's also good practice for me to re-aquaint myself with the notation system of the dámore in D-major tuning. It is scordatura violin notation in the treble part of the instrument and then sounding-pitch (octave higher...) in the lower end of the instrument. The scordatura I have no problem with, as I have lots of experience with that.... but the sounding pitch notation in the lower half is more troublesome, as it is really hard to shake the ingrained violin fingers from my hands and head!
Anyway, I've recorded a little take of the 1st Viola dámore part of the duo... the Adagio slow movement. Hopefully I can use it as a template to record the second part against.
Meanwhile, I'm also going to take a crack at this Vivaldi dámore concerto as well! It's pretty well written for the instrument, unlike other pieces... and so it fits better in the hand. Here's a little excerpt of me messing around and doing a bit of sight-reading.... probably will need to practice it a bit!
bengy · Vivaldi Prima Vista Originally published on my HIVE/STEEM blog!
