Suite for Eight Violas
Dedication (Poco maestoso)
Scherzo and drone (Allegro vivo)
Chorale (Lento)
Tarantella (Allegro con fuoco)
Gordon Jacob’s Suite for Eight Violas was one of the last of many works written in homage to the great English viola virtuoso Lionel Tertis (1876-1975). It was composed in 1976 to celebrate the centenary of Tertis’ birth and premiered at the Wigmore Hall, London, on New Year’s Day 1977, by the violas of the BBC Symphony Orchestra – 19 months after his death at the age of 98. The suite is in four movements and shows all the ingenuity and craftsmanship of its composer – most notably in the opening movement, Dedication, the opening theme of which is derived from notes representing the letters of Tertis’ name. Gordon Jacob was celebrated as an authority on orchestration and instrumental technique, and doubtless relished the challenge of writing such varied and entetarining music for what would, at first glance, appear a very limited combination of instruments. But, to quote the critic William Mann, although "the bass line cannot descend further than the C below middle C…the limitation is barely perceived, so rich and multifarious are the textures available". No composer has been better equipped than Gordon Jacob to make the most of these textures.
R.G. Bratby, 1998
With acknowledgements to Dr. Thomas Tatton and Mr. John White, whose book "An Anthology of British Viola Players" is published by Comus Edition.
Copyright Classical Notes.co.uk 2000
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