Ripper: Concertino for Viola and String Orchestra (piano reduction)

Code: JP9007
ISMN: 979-0-3019-0459-6

Joao Guilherme Ripper was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1959. His Concertino for Viola and String Orchestra is a three-movement piece for solo viola and strings. Its dense chromatic harmony touches the boundaries of tonalism and atonalism. The first movement opens with a short orchestral passage and a rhythmic first subject played by the soloist, followed by the transition that leads into a contrasting humorous second theme. Both themes are worked out throughout the movement where virtuoso solo passages alternate with orchestral tutti. The second movement is a three-part form. The soloist plays a lyrical theme that calls for the expressive quality of the viola while the second section brings a slow dance-like motive. On the last movement, the strings feature an opening passage in octaves followed by a rhythmic accompaniment where the soloist plays the main theme. It is contrasted by a lighter second subject, settled on pizzicato accompaniment. The recapitulation features a fugatto passage with the main motive and leads to the final double bar. The work was written in 1989 and revised in 2009. The 2009 revision of the Concertino was premiered by Korey Konkol at the 2009 International Viola Congress in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Total duration is approximately 15.5 minutes. This version includes the solo viola and piano reduction.

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