“…very imaginative playing, with a ne, cultured tone.” –Strad Magazine

The remarkable viola virtuoso Milan Milisavljević currently serves as a principal viola with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. After experiencing his lush sound, jaw- dropping technical wizardry, and deeply felt musicianship, we at Delos lost no time in planning to release this – his first recording of music for unaccompanied viola.

Milan demonstrates stunning beauty of tone and stylistic magic in this fascinating and highly varied program of solo works by Bach, Penderecki, Carter, Harbison, Khachaturian, Britten, and Silvestrov: some of these pieces in his own arrangements and one – by Harbison – in a premiere recording. To hear him play his marvelous transcription of Bach’s famous Chaconne makes for a particularly moving and transcendental listening experience.

Recordings of unaccompanied viola music being rare, aficionados of the instrument and fans of great music in general will be swept away by this unique, revelatory, and captivating album.

Track Listing:

    Johann Sebastian Bach

  1. Chaconne from the Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004 for Solo Violin (transcribed for viola) (14:36)
  2. Krysztof Penderecki

  3. Sarabanda (J.S. Bach in memoriam) for Solo Viola (3:52)
  4. Elliott Carter

  5. Figment IV for Solo Viola (3:14)
  6. John Harbison: Sonata for Viola Alone (premiere recording) (12:38)

  7. Allegro moderato (2:20)
  8. Andante (3:09)
  9. Scherzo (2:36)
  10. Adagio (4:32)
  11. Aram Khachaturian

  12. Sonata-Song for Solo Viola (12:16)
  13. Benjamin Britten

  14. Elegy for Solo Viola (6:39)
  15. Valentin Silvestrov

  16. Lacrimosa for Solo Viola (5:07)

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