Book presentation: Rebecca Clarke - Voci ritrovate

Book presentation: “Voci ritrovate”, with Ilaria Giani, Chiara Mazzocchi and Clara Foglia

Featuring a performance of Rebecca Clarke’s Sonata for Viola and Piano, presented by the Stauffer Academy

Niccolò Corsaro, viola
Clara Dutto, piano

Rebecca Clarke (1886–1979)

Sonata for Viola and Piano (1919)

I. Impetuoso – Poco agitato
II. Vivace
III. Adagio – Allegro

Voci ritrovate brings to light two protagonists that have long remained in the shadows: the viola, often overshadowed by the other string instruments, and the violist and composer Rebecca Clarke, to whom this volume devotes the first monographic study published in Italy.

Combining history, analysis and critical reflection, the book traces the viola’s gradual emergence as a solo instrument, from its subordinate role in the orchestra to its full recognition in the twentieth century, when it became a particularly fertile ground for new explorations of timbre and expression. Within this context, Clarke’s Sonata for Viola and Piano (1919) stands as one of the most significant contributions to the viola repertoire of the period. The volume explores its musical features while providing listening tools accessible to both specialists and a wider audience.

Rebecca Clarke is also portrayed in all her human and artistic complexity: a self-aware, ironic musician deeply engaged with the cultural world of her time. Without overlooking issues of gender, the narrative avoids simplifications and stereotypes, offering instead a nuanced and rigorous portrait.