Uploaded February 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
PSAPPHA ENSEMBLE
Vicci Wardman - viola
Benjamin Powell - piano
This performance was streamed live on 12th November 2020 from Hallé St Peter's in Manchester (UK) without an audience. This is a new edit of the original livestream and presented in 4K. To view the 4K version we recommend you use Google Chrome or the Firefox browser.
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Betsy Jolas’s wrote Quartre Duos for viola and piano in 1979. The work began its life as a test piece for viola for the Paris Conservatoire - the opening work in this set. All four of these character pieces are in some way similar to those found in the Baroque suites of Francois Couperin, a composer whom Jolas has always loved. Because like Couperin, the Quatre Duos reflect abstract emotional states and personality traits, rather than referencing anything specific.The viola is an instrument of great significance to Jolas: Harold in Italy, the viola concerto by Berlioz, is a piece that she says triggered in her a new way of thinking about music when she first heard it performed in her youth.
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Psappha is grateful for the support we receive from funders which enables us to reach a wider audience. With thanks to Arts Council England; PRS Foundation; Foyle Foundation; Granada Foundation; and the RVW Trust.
Please support Psappha's work: psappha.com/support-us
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LEARN MORE AND FOLLOW PSAPPHA
Website: psappha.com
Subscribe to Psappha's Enewsletter: buff.ly/31HjEHV
Twitter: twitter.com/PsapphaEnsemble
Facebook: facebook.com/psappha.ensemble
Instagram: instagram.com/psapphaensemble
FILM PRODUCTION
Rob Kelledy - Sound Recording and Mastering
Soup Collective - Cameras
Tim Williams - Editor and Producer
PSAPPHA ENSEMBLE
Vicci Wardman - viola
Benjamin Powell - piano
This performance was streamed live on 12th November 2020 from Hallé St Peter's in Manchester (UK) without an audience. This is a new edit of the original livestream and presented in 4K. To view the 4K version we recommend you use Google Chrome or the Firefox browser.
----
Betsy Jolas’s wrote Quartre Duos for viola and piano in 1979. The work began its life as a test piece for viola for the Paris Conservatoire - the opening work in this set. All four of these character pieces are in some way similar to those found in the Baroque suites of Francois Couperin, a composer whom Jolas has always loved. Because like Couperin, the Quatre Duos reflect abstract emotional states and personality traits, rather than referencing anything specific.The viola is an instrument of great significance to Jolas: Harold in Italy, the viola concerto by Berlioz, is a piece that she says triggered in her a new way of thinking about music when she first heard it performed in her youth.
-----
Psappha is grateful for the support we receive from funders which enables us to reach a wider audience. With thanks to Arts Council England; PRS Foundation; Foyle Foundation; Granada Foundation; and the RVW Trust.
Please support Psappha's work: psappha.com/support-us
-----
LEARN MORE AND FOLLOW PSAPPHA
Website: psappha.com
Subscribe to Psappha's Enewsletter: buff.ly/31HjEHV
Twitter: twitter.com/PsapphaEnsemble
Facebook: facebook.com/psappha.ensemble
Instagram: instagram.com/psapphaensemble
FILM PRODUCTION
Rob Kelledy - Sound Recording and Mastering
Soup Collective - Cameras
Tim Williams - Editor and Producer
