Alto Appassionato
Timothy Ridout (viola), Jonathan Ware (piano)
Awards:
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Gramophone Magazine, June 2026, Editor's Choice
A knock-out album opener and a stylistically wide-ranging programme teeming with fascinating intersections and brand-new transcriptions...the aristocratically poised passion is an album-wide...
Alto Appassionato
Timothy Ridout (viola), Jonathan Ware (piano)
Purchase product
Awards:
-
Gramophone Magazine, June 2026, Editor's Choice
A knock-out album opener and a stylistically wide-ranging programme teeming with fascinating intersections and brand-new transcriptions...the aristocratically poised passion is an album-wide...
About
From the tenderness of Fauré’s songs to the famous Sonata by Franck, via Honnoré, Büsser and Enescu, the viola here champions the French School in its widest sense: full of lyricism, sophistication and intensity, here is a programme to match the abilities of Timothy Ridout and his partner at the piano, Jonathan Ware.
Contents and tracklist
Spotlight on this release
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Presto Presents... Timothy Ridout and Jonathan Ware
14th May 2026
In the latest episode of Presto Presents, viola-player Timothy Ridout and pianist Jonathan Ware perform and discuss music from their new album Alto Appassionato, released on Harmonia Mundi last month.
Awards and reviews
-
Gramophone MagazineJune 2026Editor's Choice
June 2026
A knock-out album opener and a stylistically wide-ranging programme teeming with fascinating intersections and brand-new transcriptions...the aristocratically poised passion is an album-wide joy.
23rd April 2026
Ware is an accomplished and rhythmically acute musician, vital in a work [the Franck sonata] where the piano is often first among equals. Ridout’s glowing tone and consummate technique bring this richly layered music to life, from the wistful passions of the opening Allegretto ben moderato to the lyrical felicities of the finale.
29th April 2026
Franck’s ruminative melodies suit the viola’s darker colouring, and both players pitch in with almost venomous glee when the music turns stormy and fiery. Calmer emotions dominate Ridout’s other transcriptions on the album: six of Fauré’s often poignantly reflective songs. We lose the words, it’s true; but we gain Ridout, riding the melodic lines with huge sensitivity and beauty.
