WILLIAM PRIMROSE: MILESTONES OF A VIOLA LEGEND (10 CDS)

The Scotsman William Primrose was a violist of the century. His incredible musicality can easily imagined to be “a result of being touched by a fairy godmother's wand” – as the British magazine Gramophone, the undisputed authority on classical music, put it. William Primrose was indeed a gifted musician whose tone was inimitable and who achieved a lot for the appreciation of his often underrated instrument. He was one of the most important pioneers of viola playing, instrumental in giving the viola its status as a solo instrument. This compilation of 12 original albums and bonus tracks from the years 1935 to 1961 introduces an artist who is considered to be one of the most important soloists of the 20th century and, moreover, has written music history as a passionate chamber musician with legendary trio formations. Included are recordings with the Heifetz Primrose Feuermann ensemble (Beethoven, Schubert), examples of the highly successful collaboration with the Griller Quartet (Mozart Quintets), Brahms Sonatas with Rudolf Firkusny and recordings with the great Marian Anderson. Not to be missed are Walton's Viola-Concerto under the baton of the composer, Bizet's Harold en Italie, as well as pearls of the solo repertoire and chamber music by Schubert, Bach, Benjamin Britten, Kreisler, Handel, Dvorak, Paganini, Rachmaninoff, Massenet and many more.

CD 1

■ Brahms Sonatas For Violin And Piano (1959)
Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)
Sonatas for Violin and Piano Op. 120
Sonata No. 1 in F Minor / Sonate f-Moll
1. I. Allegro appassionato 7‘03
2. II. Andante un poco adagio 5‘14
3. III. Allegretto grazioso 4‘00
4. IV. Rondo: Vivace 4‘56

Sonata No. 2 in E Flat Major / Sonate Es-Dur
5. I. Allegro amabile 7‘13
6. II. Allegro appassionato 4‘45
7. II. Andante con moto 6‘04

William Primrose viola / Viola

Rudolf Firkusny piano / Klavier
recorded / aufgenommen 1958

BONUS
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)
8. Komm, süßer Tod 3‘36
Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)

William Primrose viola

Viola Vernon Tar organ / Orgel
recorded / aufgenommen 1945
Total Time 47‘43

CD 2

■ DVORAK / NEVIN Humoresque /
The Rosary (1948)
Antonín Dvořák (1841 – 1904)
1. Humoresque 4‘00
Ethelbert Nevin (1862 – 1901)
2. The Rosary 3‘00
William Primrose viola / Viola Victor Symphony Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent Charles O’ Connell
recorded / aufgenommen 1941

CD 2

■ Brahms Anderson Two Songs for Alto, Viola Obbligato and Piano (1948)
Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)
3. Gestillte Sehnsucht Op. 91, No. 1 7‘19

4. Geistliches Wiegenlied Op. 91, No. 2 6‘22
Marian Anderson contralto / Alt William Primrose viola / Viola Franz Rupp piano / Klavier
recorded / aufgenommen 1941

BONUS
Jules Massenet (1842 – 1912)
5. Elégie 3‘19

Nicolò Paganini (1782 – 1840)
7. Caprice No. 24 (arr. Primrose) 4‘26

Georg Friedrich Händel (1685 – 1759)
8. Adagio (Sonata in E Major Op. 2, No. 9 / E-Dur) 4‘38
9. Passacaglia (arr. Halvorsen) (Suite No. 7 in G Minor / g-Moll) 6‘40

William Primrose viola / Viola Joseph Kahn (7) Albert Spalding (8) piano /
Klavier Jascha Heifetz (9) violin / Violine André Benoît (8) piano / Klavier
recorded / aufgenommen 1939 (7) 1941 (8-9)

Niccolò Paganini (1782 – 1840)
10. Caprice No. 13 2‘09
11. Caprice No. 5 1‘38
12. Caprice No. 17 3‘19
13. La Campanella 4‘04

Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893)
14. None But the Lonely Heart / Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt 3‘05
(Romances Op. 6, No. 6)

Fritz Kreisler (1875 – 1962)
15. Liebesfreud 3‘05

William Primrose viola / Viola Harry Isaacs piano / Klavier (12-13,15)
recorded / aufgenommen 1934 (10-11,14) 1935 (12-13,15)

4. Geistliches Wiegenlied Op. 91, No. 2 6‘22
Marian Anderson contralto / Alt William Primrose viola / Viola Franz Rupp piano / Klavier
recorded / aufgenommen 1941

CD 3

■ MOZART Sinfonie Concertante (REC. 1956)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791)
Sinfonia concertante in E Flat Major K. 364 / Es-Dur
1. I. Allegro maestoso 12‘19
2. II. Andante 8‘50
3. III. Presto 5‘56

Jascha Heifetz violin / Violin William Primrose viola / Viola
RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra conductor / Dirigent Izler Solomon
recorded / aufgenommen 1956

■ Casals Festival at Perpignan MOZART Sinfonia concertante (REC. 1951)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791)
Sinfonia concertante Es-Dur, KV 364
4. I. Allegro maestoso 13‘24
5. II. Andante 14‘11
6. III. Presto 6‘40

Isaac Stern violin / Violine William Primrose viola / Viola
Perpignan Festival Orchestra conductor / Dirigent Pablo Casals

recorded / aufgenommen 1951
Total Time 61‘21

CD 4

CD 4 ■ HEIFETZ - PRIMROSE - PIATIGORSKY (1961)

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) TRIO OP. 9 NO. 2 IN D MAJOR / D-DUR

1. I. Allegretto 6‘50

2. II. Andante quasi allegretto 4‘26

3. III. Menuetto: Allegro 3‘52
4. IV. Rondo: Allegro 5‘15

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)
5. Sinfonia No. 4 in D Minor, BWV 790 / Sinfonia d-Moll 1‘36
6. Sinfonia No. 9 in F Minor BWV 795 / Sinfonia f-Moll 2‘31
7. Sinfonia No. 3 in D Major BWV 789 / Sinfonia D-Dur 1‘16

Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)
Trio No. 2 in B Flat Major D. 581 / Trio B-Dur
8. I. Allegro moderato 4‘43
9. II. Andante 4‘25
10. Menuetto 3‘19
11. Rondo 4‘24

Jascha Heifetz violin / Violine
William Primrose viola / Viola
Gregor Piatigorsky cello / Cello
recorded / aufgenommen 1960
Total Time 42‘39

CD 5

■ BERLIOZ Harold in Italie (1958)
Hector Berlioz (1803 – 1869)
Harold en Italie
1. I. Harold aux montagnes / Harold in the Mountains 12‘11
2. II. Marche des pélerins / March of the Pilgrims 6‘45
3. III. Sérénade / Serenade 6‘34
4. IV. Orgie des brigands / Orgy at the Brigands 12‘36

William Primrose viola / Viola
Boston Symphony Orchestra conductor / Dirigent Charles Munch
recorded / aufgenommen 1958

■ BONUS
5. Harold en Italie: 12‘59
I. Harold aux montagnes / Harold in the Mountains

William Primrose viola / Viola
Boston Symphony Orchestra conductor / Dirigent Sergei Koussevitzky
recorded / aufgenommen 1944
Total Time 51‘07

CD 6

■ SCHUBERT Trout Quintet (1957)
Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)
Piano Quintet in A Major Op. 114 “The Trout” /
Klavierquintett A-Dur „Forelle”
1. I. Allegro vivace 10‘21
2. II. Andante 7‘48
3. III. Scherzo: Presto 4‘21
4. IV. Tema con variazioni: Andantino 8‘22
5. V. Finale: Allegro giusto 6‘49

Szymon Goldberg violin / Violine William Primrose viola / Viola
Nikolai Graudan cello / Cello Stuart Sankey doublebass / Kontrabass
Victor Babin piano / Klavier
recorded / aufgenommen c. 1957

■ BONUS
6. Ave Maria 4‘37

William Primrose viola / Viola Sidonie Goosens harp / Harfe
recorded / aufgenommen 1935

William Walton (1902 – 1983)
Viola Concerto
7. I. Andante comodo 7‘34
8. II. Vivo con molto preciso 3‘49
9. III. Allegro moderato 11‘12

William Primrose viola / Viola The Philharmonia Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent Willam Walton recorded / aufgenommen 1946
Total Time 64‘55

CD 7

■ MOZART Quintets Vol. I Quintet in G Minor K. 516 /
Quintet in C Minor K. 406 (1959)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791)
Quintet in G Minor K. 516 / Quintett g-Moll
1. I. Allegro 8‘02
2. II. Menuetto: Allegretto 5‘35
3. III. Adagio ma non troppo 9‘52
4. IV. Adagio. Allegro 10‘10

Quintet in C Minor K. 406 / Quintett c-Moll
5. I. Allegro 6‘08
6. II. Andante 4‘12
7. III. Menuetto in canone 4‘04
8. IV. Allegro 5‘42

William Primrose viola / Viola
The Griller String Quartet
recorded / aufgenommen 1959
Total Time 53‘47

CD 8

■ MOZART Quintets Vol. II in E Flat Major 614 /
Quintet in D Major K. 593 (1959)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791)
Quintet in E Flat Major K. 614 / Quintett Es-Dur
1. I. Allegro di molto 4‘56
2. II. Andante 8‘30
3. III. Menuetto: Allegretto 3‘48
4. IV. Allegro 5‘06

Quintet in D Major, K. 593 / Quintett D-Dur
5. I. Larghetto. Allegro 7‘18
6. II. Adagio 9‘05
7. III. Menuetto: Allegro 4‘51
8. IV. Allegro 3‘27

William Primrose viola / Viola
The Griller String Quartet
recorded / aufgenommen 1959
Total Time 47‘02

CD 9

■ MOZART Quintets Vol. III Quintet in C Major K. 515 /
Adagio & Fugue in C Minor K. 546 (1960)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791)
Quintet in C Major K. 515 / Quintett C-Dur
1. I. Allegro 10‘00
2. II. Menuetto 5‘36
3. III. Andante 10‘02
4. IV. Allegro 7‘23

5. Adagio & Fugue in C Minor K. 546 / c-Moll 7‘51

William Primrose viola / Viola
The Griller String Quartet
recorded / aufgenommen 1959
Total Time 40‘54

CD 10

■ BENJAMIN Sonata / HARRIS Soliloquy (1948)
Artur Benjamin (1893 – 1960)
Sonata for Viola and Piano / Sonate für Viola und Klavier
1. I. Elegy 6‘33
2. II. Waltz 4‘55
3. III. Toccata 3‘39

Roy Harris (1898 – 1979)
Soliloquy and Dance
4. I. Soliloquy 6‘26
5. II. Dance 6‘09

William Primrose viola / Viola Wladimir Sokoloff piano / Klavier (1-3)
Johana Harris piano / Klavier (4-5)
recorded / aufgenommen 1942 (4-5) 1945 (1-3)

■ BONUS
Fritz Kreisler (1875 – 1962)
String Quartet in A Minor / Streichquartett a-Moll
6. I. Fantasia: Moderato 8‘00
7. II. Scherzo: Allegro vivo con spirito moto 4‘53
9. IV. Finale: Allegro molto moderato 2‘00

Fritz Kreisler, Thomas Petre violins / Violinen William Primrose viola / Viola
Lauri Kennedy cello / Cello recorded / aufgenommen 1935
Total Time 49‘11