Edward Elgar: Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85 (Transcription for Viola by Lionel Tertis)
Ernest Bloch: Suite for Viola and Orchestra, B. 41

During a conversation revolving around the topic of "best" or "famous" Cello Concertos, I'd have to say that along with Joseph Haydn and Antonin Dvořák, the mention of Edward Elgar's (1857-1934) iconic work most certainly would come up most often. Composed in 1919, and highly affected by the impact of the First World War, it is often recognized as one of the high points of 20th century music. In this recording, it's performed on viola rather than cello, using the 1929 transcription for viola and orchestra by Lionel Tertis, a master and exponent of the viola, for whom many pieces were written by some of the top British composers of the day. The viola's extra bite, especially in the higher register, actually enhances the emotive and expressive potency highly prevalent throughout this work.

Violist Timothy Ridout, who's viola of choice is a 1565 Peregrino di Zanetto instrument, fully captures and imparts the music's eloquent character. The warm amber tonal colors of his instrument would have you believe he's playing a cello, were it not for Ridout's brightly lit and highly lyrical delivery of the final movement's higher register passages.

Despite being written the same year, the Suite for Viola and Orchestra by Swiss composer Ernest Bloch (1880-1959) is dissimilar in many respects. Whereas the Elgar is a deeply personal and introverted work, the extroverted nature of the Bloch is quite noticeable in comparison. In many ways it reminds me of the famous Violin Concerto by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Its expansive harmonic language and highly romantic gestures, demand a set of more varied technical touches from the soloist, which Timothy Ridout is more than happy to provide. Its mysterious slow movement is the perfect habitat for the sound of the viola, while its final movement, with its slightly oriental undertones, is bustling with energy.