Nov 4: "Harold in Italy"

This week I came up with a resolution: 4 days a week, I will practice for at least an hour per day. (Ideally, I would practice 6 days/week, but I thought it would be good to start with 4 in order to have a reachable goal. J) So far, I’ve been doing well – I think I will reach the 4 day mark today! I have access to the study room upstairs, and it’s a really great place to practice. Just two floors up, and I can take my tea and computer and spread out over all the unused tables…there are even skylights where you can see outside! J

But aside from orchestral practicing, I wanted something challenging to work on for myself. I have my book of Bach Cello Suites, but I was looking at viola videos on YouTube and remembered “Harold in Italy”. When I attended the Viola Congress in Montreal in 2006 (yes, it’s true, there are annual Viola Congresses!), one violist played the same excerpt from “Harold in Italy” on all the violas that were exhibited that year. So I decided to do some research on the piece.

Hector Berlioz, the French composer who wrote it in the 1830s, was approached by Paganini, the violinist and composer famous for his devilishly virtuosic violin playing. Paganini explained that he recently received a Stradivarius viola, but had nothing to play! Could Berlioz write him a piece with viola and orchestra?

“Harold in Italy” was the result, but it isn’t like a conventional concerto. It is more like a symphony, with the viola as a featured instrument. Berlioz was inspired by Lord Byron’s poem “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage”, and the viola line represents the voice and character of Harold as he travels from place to place.

See the YouTube links to the first movement with one of my favourite violists, Tabea Zimmerman:

Part 1 (viola entrance at 3:30): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kasWDxWvAqk&feature=related

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpzeYVebsAQ

Viola part.

Berlioz.