Hans Gál: Works for Viola and Piano
Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 101
Impromptu for viola and piano
Suite for Viola and Piano, Op. 102a
Magdalena Tchórzewska (viola), Katarzyna Wasiak (piano)
RecArt 0045, 2022
Where to buy or listen
Hans Gál: Works for Viola & Piano
Hans Gál • Magdalena Tchórzewska (viola); Katarzyna Wasiak (piano)
About this release
According to the RecArt label, this album gathers the only surviving compositions Hans Gál wrote for viola and piano. He composed the Sonata Op.101, Impromptu and Suite Op.102a during his exile in England in the 1940s, and the project aims to revive forgotten composers. The label describes the music as lyrical and charming, with English idioms mingled with Viennese warmth.
Source: RecArt · release page · accessed 1 Apr 2026
Where to buy or listen
- Physical purchase: RecArt online store (CD)
- Physical purchase: Amazon
- Download / Streaming: Spotify
- Download: Apple Music
- Download: Idagio
- Download: Deezer
- Download: Empik
What critics said
MusicWeb International — “Hans Gál – Works for Viola & Piano”
Reviewer: John France · Publication date: 20 Mar 2023 · Rating / distinction: Positive review · Format note: Full review
France comments that the performers “bring great sensitivity and energy to these works,” and notes that the recording is complemented by an excellent booklet and clear sound.
John France applauds Tchórzewska and Wasiak’s persuasive advocacy for Gál’s neglected viola music. He highlights the diversity of moods – pastoral, melancholy and playful – and concludes that the disc is an essential acquisition for anyone interested in 20th‑century chamber repertoire.
Pizzicato — “Hans Gál – Works for Viola and Piano”
Reviewer: Uwe Krusch · Publication date: 2023 · Rating / distinction: Positive review · Format note: Full review (in German)
Krusch notes that this is “a special recording because it concentrates exclusively on Gál’s viola pieces” and praises the performers for their lively character and technical mastery.
The reviewer describes the album as an important contribution to Gál’s discography. He applauds the musicians for capturing the music’s wit and poetic charm and emphasises the album’s value in highlighting works that had long languished in obscurity.
