Ripper: Concertino for Viola and String Orchestra

Code: JP6004ISMN: 979-0-3019-0552-4Joao 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 a