Hans Gál: Music for Viola, Vol.1
Music for Viola, Volume 1
Suite Concertante for Viola and Orchestra, op.102a
Divertimento for Violin and Viola, op.90, no.3
Trio for Oboe, Violin and Viola, op.94
Sonata for Viola and Piano, op.101
Hanna Pakkala (viola), Reijo Tunkkari (violin), Takuya Takashima (oboe), Irina Zahharenkova (piano)
Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, Sakari Oramo
Toccata Classics 2019
TOCC 0535
Where to buy or listen
Hans Gál: Music for Viola, Volume 1
Hans Gál • Hanna Pakkala (viola); Reijo Tunkkari (violin); Takuya Takashima (oboe); Irina Zahharenkova (piano); Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra; Sakari Oramo (conductor)
About this release
Hans Gál wrote extensively for the viola during his years in exile in Edinburgh, and this first volume in Toccata Classics’ series gathers four of his finest works for the instrument. The programme opens with the Suite concertante for viola and orchestra, a four‑movement concerto‑like work whose airy melodies and gentle humour belie its wartime origins. It is followed by the lyrical Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 101, the playful Divertimento for Violin and Viola, Op. 90 No. 3, and the expressive Trio for Oboe, Violin and Viola, Op. 94. Violist Hanna Pakkala is joined by members of the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra and pianist Irina Zahharenkova, with Sakari Oramo conducting the orchestral contribution.
Where to buy or listen
What critics said
Gramophone’s Guy Rickards praised this disc for its sensitive performances and warmly lyrical playing. Other Finnish critics noted how Pakkala’s tone and phrasing complement Gál’s long‑spun melodies, and several publications highlighted the affectionate, witty spirit of the suite and divertimento.
Further context
Written in the 1940s and 1960s, these works show Gál continuing to favour classical forms and melodic warmth even after emigration. The Suite concertante effectively functions as a concerto and is here played by the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra under Sakari Oramo. The chamber pieces reveal the composer’s delight in conversational counterpoint and charming dance rhythms.
