Those relying purely on the CD title may wonder: did Schubert write music for viola and piano? The short answer is no, but the longer answer is more nuanced. In fact, Schubert composed his "Arpeggione" sonata for the then new but now forgotten arpeggione. That was a kind of strummed guitar designed by Viennese instrument maker Johann Georg Staufer. This instrument quickly disappeared into oblivion,
… as did Schubert's sonata, one of the few pieces written specifically for the arpeggione. It was not until 1871, 43 years after Schubert's death, that the sonata was published, as a precautionary measure combined with a version for cello and a version for viola with piano accompaniment. The cello version became best known, but the piece also works excellently on viola, as Andreas Willwohl and Daniel Heide demonstrate on this album. This makes the "Arpeggione" sonata a welcome addition to the still limited chamber music repertoire with the viola in the leading role. The same is true of Shostakovich's poignant Viola Sonata, which the composer completed just four days before his death. As in his last symphonies and string quartets, this piece exudes the spirit of death. The long solo cadenza expresses the detachment and desolation that the deathly ill Shostakovich must have felt. Schubert's bittersweet melancholy and Shostakovich's wry realism may be miles apart, but both pieces provide goosebumps on this album. (JWvR)more