A brief history of the viola
by Richard Millet

Constellations
Some texts by Christophe Desjardins about…

Feldman
The Viola in My Life 2

Feldman
Rothko Chapel

Berio
Naturale, su melodie siciliane

Berio
Chemins II

Jarrell
...some leaves II...

Viola stories

Pierre Boulez says “I love the viola for it is ambiguous!”

But where does the viola come from? And why such a singularity among string instruments?

Several lines from Richard Millet “The Viola Voice) (2000, Éditions Gallimard) relate its history with deep insight as well as they reveal its specificity.

As for me, I’ve been writing notes in order to introduce to the programs of my concerts and recordings. I think that my commentaries as an interpreter can give the audience a better way to nowadays understand music; I hope that this attitude helps everyone to be touched deeper inside by the musical experience. In our society, to stand up relentlessly for classical music, and especially for the contemporary one, appears to me as a pressing necessity.