Being in lockdown has given us greater opportunity for musical exploration from our own homes - unearthing works we’ve not listened to for some time and discovering musical gems we’ve never heard before. With so much at our fingertips, it is often difficult to know where to begin.

Viola player Timothy Ridout - winner of the 2019 RPS Allianz Instrumentalist Prize - has curated a Spotify playlist of his most cherished works for the instrument, specially for RPS Members, introducing us to some of the instrument's unsung riches. Alongside the playlist, he tells us why he has chosen each of the pieces and where you might explore further treasures.

You can listen to the playlist and follow his commentary on each track below. What do you think of this selection? Are there any other pieces you would include in this list? Get in touch and let us know.

This is a collection of viola pieces I love and have listened to many times over the past years. Unfortunately I am limited to the recordings available on Spotify - the most notable loss is the vast collection of recordings on the label Hyperion, which include some magnificent recordings by the violist Lawrence Power. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of gems available on Spotify!

Two recordings which I couldn't put here, but that I would love to draw listeners attention to are the two discs of Viola and Piano Music by York Bowen, recorded by Lawrence Power and Simon Crawford Phillips. I would also recommend the Harold in Italy recording with Antoine Tamestit, Marc Minkowski and Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble.

This playlist is a mix of short pieces as well as larger scale works, and there are many many more great pieces and recordings out there! But I hope that this proves to be an interesting introduction to the viola, its repertoire and some violists who I admire!

1. Le Soir by Louis Vierne - performed by Tabea Zimmermann and Thomas Hoppe
   The elegant, graceful and silky sound which Tabea Zimmermann plays with are what attract me to this recording. This is also a real gem of a little piece, and mostly unknown, which is why I have chosen it to open my programme. This is the first of two pieces by Vierne, I recommend listening to the other piece too, and in fact the whole album. It is called Romance Oubliée.
   
2. Romance by Bruch - performed by Yuri Bashmet and the London Symphony Orchestra
   Bashmet plays with an old school golden sound and a special sense of vibrato which glows.
   
3. Sinfonia Concertante by Mozart - performed by Vilde Frang, Maxim Rysanov, and Archangelo
   I find this to be an extremely stylish recording of the Concertante under the direction of Jonathan Cohen, and it’s an energetic and uplifting performance.
   
4. Romeo and Juliet: death of Juliet by Prokofiev - performed by Lawrence Power and Simon Crawford Phillips
   This is a very early recording from Lawrence Power, but even here his sense of tonal variety is absolutely extraordinary. Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet is something which I think works surprisingly and remarkably well for viola and piano!
   
5. Solfeggio in C Minor by CPE Bach (arr primrose) - performed by William Primrose
   William Primrose was an absolute master of the instrument - a true virtuoso, and this little recording always brings a smile to my face!
   
6. Arpeggione Sonata by Schubert - performed by Antoine Tamestit and Markus Hadulla
   Antoine Tamestit has an absolutely wonderful way of phrasing. The Arpeggione Sonata is played on many instruments, but I find this recording on the viola particularly special and elegant. Beautiful music and beautiful playing!
   
7. and then I knew t’was wind by Takemitsu - performed by Nobuko Imai, Aurele Nicolet, Naoko Yoshiko
   This recording really transports me somewhere, and Nobuko Imai is one of the great violists of our time. I consider her to be a living legend!
   
8. Sinfonia Concertante by Mozart - performed by Lionel Tertis, Albert Sammons, London Philharmonic Orchestra
   A very different Sinfonia Concertante to the one which I listed earlier, but equally charming. And I have to draw your attention to the crazy cadenza that they play! I believe it was composed by Tertis.
   
9. Bonus Track - Suite for viola and orchestra by Vaughan Williams - performed by Timothy Ridout and Orchestra de Chambre de Lausanne
   Finally, I was very hesitant about whether to include this or not as it is my own recording, but decided to because it is such a beautiful piece. It's a forgotten gem, not even known to many viola students, and while a version with piano does exist, there aren't many recordings of this piece with viola and orchestra!