New Comma Baroque’s Phillip Serna joins Jamin Hoffman and the Concord Chamber Orchestra in a special collaboration presenting TWO concert works featuring the viol: Rudolph Dolmetsch’s 1941 Concertino for Viola da Gamba and Small Orchestra and the U.S. Premiere of Carl Friedrich Abel’s Concerto Violo de Gambo in A major!

Rudolph Dolmetsch (1906-1942), second child of Early Music pioneer Arnold Dolmetsch, was an accomplished composer, keyboardist, and is regarded as the first modern viola da gamba virtuoso. After entering the Royal College of Music in 1936, Rudolph’s compositions turned from a focus on smaller chamber and solo works towards larger symphonic compositions. His Concertino for Viola da Gamba and Small Orchestra was completed April 21, 1941 at Elbridge Gun Site, Chichester. Tragically, it was to be among his last works as he drowned at sea when the Ceramic was torpedoed off the Azores by German forces in 1942. The Concertino was first realized by Leyton Ring for publication in 1992, received its world premiere in Newcastle, UK in 1993, published by PRB Productions in 1995 and later received its U.S. premiere by New Comma Baroque‘s Phillip Serna in 2010. Other works on the program include Balakirev’s Overture on Three Russian Pieces, Harty’s Suite from Handel’s Water Music. Hindemith’s Eight Pieces for Strings, Riley’s In C and Abel’s Concerto Violo de Gambo in A-major.

Rudolph Dolmetsch’s Concertino for Viola da Gamba and Small Orchestra as Published by PRB Productions

For more information on the Dolmetsch Concertino, please visit http://tinyurl.com/PRBDolmetsch & for more information on PRB Productions, please visit http://www.prbmusic.com/. For more information on Rudolph Dolmetsch, the Dolmetsch family, and their pioneering work in the Early Music revival, visit http://www.dolmetsch.com/Rudolph.htm.