Gregory K. Williams

I have been overwhelmed by the support that SHADOWS: The Unaccompanied Viola Sonatas of Günter Raphael has been receiving, and a few friends have been asking about how to get a hold of some of his music. It seems like Günter Raphael’s first sonata, (op. 7, no. 1, Tracks 1-6 on the album) which was written in 1923, and published in 1924 by Breitkopf & Härtel, is seemingly out of print right now (hence why I found it in a used bookshop). One of my colleagues suggested recommending getting a hold of it through WorldCat, and there are some libraries that do own copies of it.

Sonata op. 7, no. 1

For the two later sonatas, op. 46, no. 3 (Tracks 7-9), and op. 46, no. 4 (Tracks 10-13), you are in luck, they are available on SheetMusicPlus.com (and probably in other places). 

Op. 46, no. 3 & 4

As part of one of my New Year’s resolutions, I have been making it my mission to listen to more recordings of friends and colleagues, and trying to share some of my favorite recordings! In poking around on Spotify, I stumbled upon one track from Julian Kerins’ 2018 album “Maelstroms,” the song “The Perks of Fragility.” It is a beautiful song, and I love how the strings support Julian’s singing. The strings were recorded in November 2017, by some of my Red Door Chamber Players colleagues, Lisa Casal-Galietta and Johnny Weizenecker on violins, myself on viola, and Diana Golden on cello. The song (and the rest of Julian’s catalog) are also totally worth listening to!

Julian Kerins, “The Perks of Fragility,” from the album Maelstroms