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This project has been a very special adventure for me. I have made every decision deliberately and with a lot of thought. I would like to thank Patrick Peikert, director of Claves Records, for this experience. To have the chance to record a solo CD is an incredible opportunity, which I am endlessly grateful for.
The program I selected, is dedicated to my love for the british viola repertoire. I really wanted the CD to sound as cohesive as possible, whilst it explores all different emotional and timbral ranges. Clarke, Britten and Bowen are three exceptional examples of that.
The Viola sonata by Rebecca Clarke was written in 1919 for a competition in which she tied for first place with Ernest Bloch. Bloch was finally declared the winner. It is speculated that the reason for it was the disbelief that a woman could write such an astounding piece of music. Of course, now we consider her sonata for viola and piano to be a staple piece in the viola repertoire. It has been recorded and performed by world-renowned, incredible violists and it is definitely a pressure for anyone wishing to showcase their interpretation of it. I certainly do feel it, however I am also excited to have had the opportunity. I have been performing it for a few years and so the piece has grown up and evolved with me. It has become my favorite sonata to play and now I am happy to have an immortalized version of it.
The Lachrymae, Reflections on a song by John Dowland was composed by Britten in 1950. It is a piece I have listened to for many years. However I never thought I could it justice. It is exceptionally written and it has so much to say in the span of 15 minutes!
Originally, the piece was written for William Primrose. It is known that the violist didn’t completely under¬stand or appreciate this piece, and has been quoted to say that the “drama and fantasy” was not enough.
Izabel Markova
Sir Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)