Maxim Rysanov, violist
I told you previously that I am nuts about the viola; so here’s yet another viola player I am getting to know better:
Viola players, with very little original music for their instrument, have traditionally utilized other instruments’ concertos (as an example, Elgar’s for cello). Maxim Rysanov’s version of the Tchaikovsky Rococo variations for cello is one of the most successful “steals”, not tampering with the orchestral score but simply shifting the solo part, sometimes up an octave to give its virtuosic writing brilliance and excitement.
Rysanov’s viola sound is warm and lyrical which suits Schubert’s “Arpeggione” sonata (here with chamber orchestra), and he makes the most of the one original viola work, Max Bruch’s “Romance”, a lovely melody that sounds great on his instrument.
Here are Maxim Rysanov, Torleif Thedéen and Janine Jansen in Dohnányi’s Serenade:
And here is Maxim Rysanov in the Brahms Scherzo:
Just for fun, compare the viola performance with Brahms’ original score for the violin, as performed by none other than the late, great violinist, David Oistrakh:
Tags: Maxim Rysanov, viola, Schubert, Max Bruch