If you’re into hearing state-of-the-art viola playing, look no further than the newly-released second solo album of William Primrose transcriptions played by Roberto Diaz and pianist Robert Koenig. Diaz’s first CD was a collection of works by Henri Vieuxtemps, also with pianist Robert Koenig. The Vieuxtemps CD was performed on his Camilli viola of 1739, which was a great instrument (purchased shortly after he was appointed to the principal viola chair of the Philadelphia Orchestra).
The Primrose CD has the added advantage of a new acquisition: the ex-Primrose Brothers Amati viola of 1595 which was owned by and performed on by William Primrose early on in his career, and upon which many of these works might have first been performed!
His [William Primrose’s] father owned several fine instruments, including a c.1600 Brothers Amati viola which was kept locked in a cupboard. This must have been part of its attraction. Willie, as the family called him, described his naughty moments thus: ‘As a youngster, when he [father] wasn’t around, I found a way to open the latch on the cupboard where the Amati was kept and played it with considerable satisfaction. I preferred its sound to the sound of the violin. [1]
This instrument has a remarkable sound, all the more considering its small size of around 15.5 inches. I had the opportunity to play and listen to each of these instruments in Verizon Hall and was consistently amazed at the projection and power of the C-string on the Amati. You get what you pay for!
Diaz served as the Principal violist of the Philadelphia Orchestra for 10 years, succeeding his teacher at the Curtis Institute, Joseph dePasquale, who was a pupil of William Primrose. Diaz’s father, Manuel, was his first teacher, and he himself studied with Primrose at Indiana University, so the Primrose pedagogical bloodline runs deep through the Diaz family. After leaving the orchestra in the spring of 2006, Diaz succeeded Gary Graffman as the President of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
I’ve only done the most preliminary listening to this new CD (available at Amazon.com, the Naxos site, and the iTunes music store, among others), but it is exemplary in almost every conceivable fashion. The artistry is first-rate, with beautifully spun phrases, and the virtuosity is breathtaking. Add to this the wonderfully clear sonics of the Naxos recording, and the able accompaniment of ace pianist Robert Koenig, and you’ve got a great disc for anyone who’s interested in hearing what the viola at its fullest potential can do. Highly recommended.
In the interest of full disclosure, I should note that I was a student of Roberto Diaz at the University of Maryland and the Peabody Conservatory of Music from 1991-1995.
[1] Claudine Bigelow “No time for snobbery” The Strad, August, 2004.