Beethoven and more 2011 podcast #11: Full of nuance

'I wanted to combine the Beethoven cycle with a modern piece and asked Richard Dubugnon to write a new sonata for me,' violinist Julian Rachlin said. This marks the German premiere of the piece, titled 'Violiana.'Richard Dubugnon
Violiana for violin, viola and piano
Julian Rachlin, violin and viola
Itamar Golan, piano
MP3 recorded by Deutsche Welle (DW) in the chamber music hall of the Beethoven House, Bonn, on September 19, 2011

Swiss composer Richard Dubugnon was born in 1968 in Lausanne and studied in Paris and London. He became famous internationally through pieces commissioned by Radio France and by conductors Kurt Masur and Paavo Järvi. Alongside his orchestral works, his main interest is in colorful and refined chamber music.
Violinist Julian Rachlin has never made a secret of his love for the viola. So when Rachlin asked Dubugnon to compose a work for strings for him, it was clear that he'd be switching between both instruments in the piece.

In a sense, Dubugnon's "Violiana" is not modern music but digs into the past, echoing the classical tradition. "I like Richard Dubugnon's work," said Julian Rachlin. "I thought that it would be a wonderful counterpoint to the cycle of Beethoven sonatas. I have a lot of respect for his work and that's why I'm very happy that he wrote a piece for Itamar and me."

Author: Marita Berg / gsw
Editor: Rick Fulker