When the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra gave the Los Angeles premiere of Aaron Jay Kernis‘ Viola Concerto, Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times wrote, “[It] is conventional on the surface but richer in its inner working. It is a three-movement work for solo instrument, but instead of dramatic instances, it expresses a deep-seated goal.
That goal is to explore the substance behind the Yiddish folk song “Tumbalalaika”…(which was sung to him by his mother). It begins as a young man’s simple quest for romance, which is ultimately a search for the meaning of life and death…Throughout the concerto, Kernis supplies musical cues for the familiar, ingratiating “Tumbalalaika” tune, with the viola leading what sounds like an archaeological dig through distant harmonies and melodies.
Kernis wrote his [concerto] at the request of violist Paul Neubauer, who has a gorgeously soulful tone. There aren’t all that many exceptional concertos for his instrument, so another is treasure.”
Read the complete review here.