Viola in Exile

The viola sonatas by Hans Gál (1941), Karl Weigl (1940) and Erich Zeisl (1950), performed by the duo of violist Julia Rebekka Adler and pianist Alex Gremmelspacher, give clear indication of the horrors of the Holocaust and the suffering of millions of people: predominant gloom, laments and the inclusion of elements of Jewish music testify to the processing of experience. In homage to composure and Viennese charm, this CD concludes with the evergreen ‘Schön Rosmarin’ by Fritz Kreisler, arranged for viola by J.R. Adler, allowing for a brief glimpse of ‘Old Vienna’.