# Rebecca Clarke



## Klavierspieler

From the Wikipedia article:



> Rebecca Clarke (27 August 1886 - 13 October 1979) was an English classical composer and violist best known for her chamber music featuring the viola. She was born in Harrow and studied at the Royal Academy of Music and Royal College of Music in London, later becoming one of the first female professional orchestral players. Stranded in the United States at the outbreak of World War II, she settled permanently in New York City and married composer and pianist James Friskin in 1944. Clarke died at her home in New York at the age of 93.


I ran across her viola sonata some time ago but didn't really care for it at the time. I've just recently come back to it and found myself really enjoying it, as well as her other works. I was surprised to find that she didn't have a thread here and have set about to remedy that.


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## Kivimees

Lots to like on this CD.


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## Celloman

In her own words:

"And when I had that one little whiff of success that I've had in my life, with the Viola Sonata, the rumour went around, I hear, that I hadn't written the stuff myself, that somebody had done it for me. And I even got one or two little bits of press clippings saying that it was impossible, that I couldn't have written it myself. And the funniest of all was that I had a clipping once which said that I didn't exist, there wasn't any such person as Rebecca Clarke, that it was a pseudonym for Ernest Bloch!"

I'm listening to the _Viola Sonata_ right now. Apparently, it's the most oft-performed work for viola and piano. So far, I think it's excellent...


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## Klavierspieler

Celloman said:


> So far, I think it's excellent...


I agree. 

I had the opportunity last January to play in a masterclass for a violist who met her and gave the sonata its first performance in about fifty years. It was very interesting to hear him talk about her and the piece, although I didn't always agree with his assessments. He said that some parts of it were very badly written, but the examples he cited and the reasons he gave didn't quite hold up for me.


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## Orpheus

I'm not sure I like the middle movement of the "Viola Sonata" too much, but at least it has the virtue of brevity. It sounds to me rather like one of those scherzos that was written just for the sake of nodding to tradition by having a scherzo type movement at that point, not because the composer had any particularly inspired ideas to put into it. Then, in lieu of inspiration, she turned the movement into an extended technical exercise.  

Besides this gripe, though, it's a fine work and a worthy addition to the sadly limited solo repertoire of the viola. I particularly like the finale, which is both creative and satisfyingly dynamic. Dumka is a lovely little piece, too, as is Morpheus (the latter being one of those rare pieces that is utterly idiomatic to the viola and makes full use of its unique timbre, I doubt it would work so well on any other instrument). I keep meaning to check out more by this composer, but unfortunately tend to get sidetracked en route!


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## stevederekson

Rather mediocre sonata.


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## Five and Dime

There's a new Rebecca Clark disc out:









Rebecca Clarke: Music for Cello and Piano

I'm just starting to listen now. So far, it sounds great!


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## Pugg

stevederekson said:


> Rather mediocre sonata.


I second this opinion .


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