Wild Purple for solo viola by Joan Tower
Published by Associated Music Publishers, Inc.
Joan Tower (1938 - ) is a prominent American composer of primarily instrumental music, known for a wide-range of kinetic, tactile, and exciting music for orchestral and chamber forces. Early studies in the serialist mode later yielded to styles inclusive of color and shape, in the lineage of Stravinsky and Messiaen.
"Wild Purple" (1998) for solo viola was written for legendary violist Paul Neubauer. As is typical for Tower, it is a sensory piece. She writes: "I always thought of the viola sound as being the color purple. Its deep, resonant and lusicious timbre seems to embody all kinds of hues of purple. I never thought of the viola as being particularly wild. So I decided to try and see if I could create a piece that has wild energy in it and meet the challenge of creating a virtuosic piece for solo viola". The piece has a breathless energy, continuously accelerating yet, even as it finds moments of repose and relief. It is a modern recital classic for the contemporary viola player. Master level, Grade 6.
