Bath Mozartfest 2023 – Timothy Ridout (Violin), Jonathan Ware (Piano) At The Assembly Rooms

Timothy Ridout viola
Jonathan Ware piano

Mendelssohn Viola Sonata in C minorC

Schumann Three Romances Op 22

Brahms Sonata No 1 in F Minor Op 120 No 1

Timothy Ridout will be familiar to Bath audiences from his appearances with the Nash Ensemble and some may have been at Jonathan Ware’s concert with Jonathan Leibovitz earlier in the week. This concert showcases the viola and piano duo, opening with Mendelssohn’s early work, written when the composer was just fifteen but unpublished during his lifetime. Elegant and tuneful it made a significant addition to the scant classical-romantic viola repertoire. This is also true of Clara Schumann’s Three Romances, which she originally wrote for violin and piano. The final work, Brahms own amendment of his composition for clarinet and piano, is a cornerstone of viola music allowing the expressive character, colours and textures of the instrument to shine through.