Lux & Umbra: Solo Viola and Violoncello da Spalla Recital by JIANG Wenhan

Young violist and Co-Principal Viola of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Jiang Wenhan, will present an exceptionally experimental recital. The artist will employ both the viola and the rarely seen shoulder-rest cello in China to construct two distinct sonic worlds.

In the first half, Jiang Wenhan has devised a “Baroque-inspired suite” for viola, ingeniously juxtaposing Hermann's Romantic preludes, avant-garde 20th-century pieces by Ligeti and Koutath, with Bach's monumental ‘Chaconne’. This aims to explore the rich expressive potential often overlooked in the viola, revealing an intrinsic logic where musical vocabulary spanning three centuries resonates with the Baroque spirit in its underlying structure.

The second half centres on the Baroque shoulder-rest cello. This ancient five-stringed instrument, played resting on the shoulder, is considered the conceptual prototype for Bach's composition of the Sixth Suite for Unaccompanied Cello. Jiang Wenhan will not only use it to recreate the period character of Bach's works but also boldly tackle the ‘Passacaglia’ from Britten's Third Suite for Solo Cello. This interplay between an ancient instrument and a modern work of nostalgia, a dialogue across time, promises an unprecedented auditory experience for the audience.