大象传媒

Violist Ruth Gibson explores her instrument's unique voice across three programmes full of intriguing musical choices. The viola may have less solo repertoire than its string siblings, the violin and the cello, and its awkward mid-range sound might be harder for listeners to hear, but Ruth believes it鈥檚 undoubtedly the unsung hero of orchestras and chamber ensembles. This butt of musical jokes has a long history of being overlooked, and Ruth will be encouraging it into the limelight at last.

Ruth believes that the viola is the rebel of the orchestra and in this third and final episode her musical choices have a revolutionary and subversive flavour. Ruth explores Mozart鈥檚 most forward-thinking viola writing, a sonata by Hindemith that encourages the viola to sound wild, and a piece by Berio where the viola鈥檚 role is to provoke and antagonise.

She admires the defiantly unique sounds and playing styles of violists including Kim Kashkashian, William Primrose and Tabea Zimmermann. She also shares music from Bach to Ligeti where the viola鈥檚 rebelliousness both defies expectations and breaks with tradition.

Plus, St茅phane Grappelli, the so-called grandfather of jazz violinists, displays his prowess on the violin鈥檚 slightly larger cousin鈥�

A Tandem Production for 大象传媒 Radio 3