Elgar & Schnittke: Viola Concertos

For some, playing the Elgar Cello Concerto in a viola transcription will seem pure chutzpah, for others a continuation of an old tradition. Either way, David Aaron Carpenter proves his credentials as a new viola star with an agile, nuanced reading of the Elgar and a powerful account of the Schnittke. With Eschenbach and the players on fired-up form, this is one heck of a calling-card for the new boy.

Spellbinding...stunning debut...extraordinarily moving...eloquent performance.

David Aaron Carpenter...demonstrates a phenomenal technique - and more importantly, a rich and penetrating tone...Carpenter realises the concerto's bold personality with trenchant insight and self-belief.

...brilliant recorded duet...a powerful, beautifully detailed intimate account, intensifying the already notable vox humana quality of the [Elgar Concerto]...a searching, desolately heartfelt reading [of the Schnittke Concerto].

If there's such a thing as an overnight-star violist, it's David Aaron Carpenter...he makes an excellent case for the viola version of Elgar's concerto...Carpenter is in league with the best...Much credit is no doubt due to Christoph Eschenbach, who has recorded lots of Schnittke concertos with great conviction.