BRUCH’S ROMANCE OP.85

Violist and composer Konstantin Boyarsky considers nerves, narrative and the influence of the opera in his discussion of this late Romantic piece

From Bruch’s Romance for Viola and Orchestra op.85. Urtext edition, paperbound with marked and unmarked string parts. Ed. Norbert Gertsch. Pf reduction Max Bruch. Va fingering and bowing Jürgen Weber. Order no.HN785, ISMN 979-0-2018-0785- 0. €9.50. Printed with permission of G. Henle Verlag, Munich © 2004

Bruch wrote this beautiful piece very well for the viola, without any major traps or choking moments. He composed it in 1911, when there were many new and modern ideas developing in classical music, but it is still a late Romantic work. He was old-fashioned – he really stuck to his guns stylistically, even though other composers were exploring new styles around that time – and I respect that. The simplicity of structure is wonderful, with its lush tunes and moments of real dialogue between the solo viola and the orchestra. It’s a pleasure to play as well as to listen to.

Brave beginnings

One of the first times I performed this piece was during a tour in Mexico, in a humongous concert hall that seats around 3,000 people. It was overwhelming, especially because the start is quite nerve-racking! For two bars the mellow strings creep up to where you come in, and then you have to pull yourself together, overcome the adrenalin, and begin. I think the worst mistake is if you start thinking that it’s terrifying. Instead, if you focus on the kind of vibrato and sound you want at the start, soon you’ll be so busy trying to create that effect that it will help to take your mind off your nerves.

Of course, not only do you have to have the right mindset, but you must also have practised, and you have to be ready to play. Having good bowings and fingerings is crucial. Sometimes I write down two versions, because there is always an alternative way of looking at any music. No one can ever be 100 per cent certain that a performance is going to start in exactly the way they intend it to, so be ready to implement a plan B, plan C or plan D, on the spot, if necessary.

THE SOLOIST

PHOTOS ANDREJ USPENSKI

HOUSE; GUEST PROFESSOR, ROYAL

NAME KONSTANTIN BOYARSKY

NATIONALITY BRITISH–RUSSIAN

STUDIED WITH INNA GAUHMAN, NATASHA BOYARSKY, FELIX ANDRIEVSKY, SIMON ROWLAND-JONES

POSITIONS HELD PRINCIPAL VIOLA, ROYAL OPERA COLLEGE OF MUSIC, LONDON

‘Try to open up the overtones of the instrument, to explore that vocal sound as though you’re singing an opera aria’

See Boyarsky perform the world premiere of his own Viola Concerto with conductor Hobart Earle and the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra at bit.ly/3pKKhYM

It’s magical and slightly sad, like an old, romantic movie

A connection to the opera

Bruch wrote this piece for Maurice Vieux, who was at that time the principal violist of the Paris Opera. That is a connection that I enjoy in particular, because I am one of the principal violists of the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. At the moment we’re rehearsing the ballet Giselle, by Adolphe Adam, and in the second act there’s a pas de deux with a wonderful, famous viola solo that to me sounds similar to the opening solo of Berlioz’s Harold in Italy, with all of its lushness and its harp accompaniment. In both these pieces, and also in Bruch’s Romance, the viola timbre is so like a human voice. Try to open up the overtones of the instrument, to explore that vocal sound as though you’re singing an opera aria, to create that same wonderful atmosphere.

Bruch wrote the Romance in such a beautiful way that I don’t feel there is much need for rubato. If you just stick to what is written on the page, it will make sense. Sometimes people play a major ritenuto into the orchestral material immediately before figure B, but I don’t do too much here, because I feel that it breaks the sense of continuity as you hand the material over to the orchestra, and it makes it more difficult for the conductor to take over.

To me, this music is like a small, romantic novel, written in a noble, subtle way, so I wouldn’t over-indulge in vibrato either, or it can sound too sickly. Take a step back and don’t do too much – the best desserts are the ones that aren’t too sweet. For example, after the orchestra takes over the theme from figure B, the viola has a second solo, this time in forte. If you overdo the dynamics or your vibrato here, you won’t have anything left to give for the real climax at figure F.

A change of scene

I love the change of scenery from figure D, where the orchestra plays the main material and the viola starts to accompany. It is so satisfying! There’s an element of nostalgia here, as though Bruch is thinking back about something pleasant that happened in the past, but with a hint of sorrow.

I personally can relate to that, when I think about friends who are not with us here in this world any more. My best friend died in a hospice in 2017, from a brain tumour, and now one of my closest relatives is seriously ill with a similar condition. When I think of the birth of my two children, it’s completely the opposite: it’s like the sunshine of sunshines, and the definition of true, pure love. Those different poles help me to navigate between feelings, and they inject my subconscious with new, mixed emotions and ideas that I can bring into my music, both when I am performing and when I am composing.

I also love the passages either side of figure F, with their violinistic virtuosity. The run in bar 63 can sound scrambled, so it’s important to play this fortissimo with clear articulation and a strong rhythmic structure, so that your fingers know when to land. I like to imagine the Incredible Hulk leaping into the air and then coming back down on to his landing point. You need those landing points too, to help you to play accurately and with order, momentum and flow, with controlled bow distribution and string changes. Having that sense of direction will help you to improve the quality and clarity of the passage.

Reflections

From figure G, Bruch reflects on the material from the opening of the piece; then from bar 81, he looks back to bar 21. For each of these recaps and reflections, decide whether to play exactly what you played before, or if there is a new element that you want to add. I like to play these passages less energetically the second time around, as the story gradually winds down towards a beautiful sunset. Be careful not to ruin the mood by playing out-of-tune double-stops at H! They look simple, but they are not – you really have to nail them in terms of quality.

The piece winds down from figure I, with so much colour and nostalgia, moving from the lower end of the instrument to the top. It’s magical and slightly sad, like an old, romantic movie. I’ve been spoilt by having so many amazing visual aids in the sets and choreographies of the Royal Opera House, and I find that comparing music to visual arts such as paintings, sculptures and movies really helps me to communicate what I want to say on the viola.

INTERVIEW BY PAULINE HARDING

ROMANZE

Herrn Maurice Vieux, Solobratschisten der Großen Oper und der Conservatoire-Concerte in Paris zugeeignet