Release date October 2025 with Evil Penguin Records
Mathis Rochat, viola
Abigél Králik, violin
Howard Griffeths, conductor
BBC Wales Philharmonic
British Viola Concertos
Herbert Howells (1892‒1983)
William Walton (1902‒1983)
Arthur Benjamin (1893‒1960)
1. Howells: Elegy for Viola, String quartet and String Orchestra
2.-4. Walton: Concerto for Viola and Orchestra
5.-7. Benjamin: Romantic Fantasy for violin, viola and orchestra
In his album, Walton. Benjamin. Howells.: “The Ballad of the Salty Sea”, violist Mathis Rochat explores British musical life in the first half of the 20th century. Recorded with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Howard Griffiths, and featuring Abigél Králik on violin as solo partner, this CD reflects a period in which the viola freed itself from its supporting role to become a fully-fledged solo instrument. The recording captures the essence of a time when composers such as Walton, Howells and Benjamin embraced the viola as a vehicle for expression, evoking melancholy, lyricism and boldness.
The programme provides a historical overview of late Romanticism in Britain, a period during which violists such as Lionel Tertis and William Primrose inspired composers to feature the instrument prominently in orchestral works. Rochat's decision to pair Walton's renowned Concerto for Viola and Orchestra with lesser-known pieces by Howells and Benjamin was an intentional move to showcase the diversity of the British musical style of that era. The subtitle, “The Ballad of the Salty Sea”, reflects Rochat's admiration for Hugo Pratt's graphic novel, which blend adventure, melancholy, and poetry. For Rochat, the title symbolises the spirit of the album: music as a journey through unknown waters, where each movement and motif tells a story. Thus, this recording is not only a tribute to an influential period in twentieth-century music, but also a personal exploration of imagination, identity and time.
