Viola
Piano
Even prolific geniuses such as Schubert and Mozart left behind numerous sketches and incomplete drafts that are rarely given attention alongside the celebrated masterpieces but sometimes contain the most daring experiments. In their duo recital, Nils Mönkemeyer and William Youn examine some of the fragments that have come down to us from these two composers in contemporary completions. In addition to these musical mosaics, they also perform Mozart’s Violin Sonata K. 379 and Schubert’s famous “Arpeggione” Sonata, both in arrangements for viola.
You’ve been collaborating with Nils Mönkemeyer for quite some time. What’s at the core of your partnership?
We share a musical bond. We’ve been playing together for 14 years now, our first concert was in 2009. Over time, we’ve developed a deep understanding of each other, and I feel very comfortable performing with him. Also, there aren’t many pieces written for piano and viola, so we’ve been creative in crafting programs and discussing new ideas. Nils is a great partner in exploring new possibilities. This is also part of the program we’ll be performing at the Pierre Boulez Saal.
You’ve been collaborating with Nils Mönkemeyer for quite some time. What’s at the core of your partnership?
We share a musical bond. We’ve been playing together for 14 years now, our first concert was in 2009. Over time, we’ve developed a deep understanding of each other, and I feel very comfortable performing with him. Also, there aren’t many pieces written for piano and viola, so we’ve been creative in crafting programs and discussing new ideas. Nils is a great partner in exploring new possibilities. This is also part of the program we’ll be performing at the Pierre Boulez Saal.
You’ve chosen to pair two well-known works by Mozart and Schubert with several fragments and sketches. What drew you to this experiment?
I’ve been wondering how to describe this program in a few words. The other day, I went to see a William Turner exhibition, which included pieces he painted for public display but also some that were not meant for an audience—more private works like sketches and drafts in which he experimented. There was one in particular from his Venice sketchbook. We all know what Venice looks like, but this was just a silhouette with a bit of white and pink and yellow—you couldn’t really tell what it was unless you looked at the title. And then you realize: maybe it’s there, he may have used these colors to express certain emotions. I think sometimes music can also work like this—leading listeners to imagine.
How does this translate to your program?
For me, Mozart and Schubert are the most mysterious composers. Unlike Bach or Beethoven, who were very clear about their intentions, Mozart’s compositions often invite different interpretations. When I began working on pieces by Mozart and Schubert, I found myself questioning their musical meanings. In some of Mozart’s piano works, he seemed to be in such a hurry he didn’t provide specific instructions for the left hand, requiring me to interpret and fill in the accompaniment. Schubert, on the other hand, left his Sonata in F-sharp minor D 571 incomplete—it’s just a single movement. Similar questions about intention came up with the Mozart pieces we’ve selected for this program: are they unfinished or complete as they are? For the Sonata K. 379, for instance, which has two movements, there might have been a rondo at the end that Mozart didn’t write, or perhaps it was forgotten. The most famous work on the program is Schubert’s “Arpeggione” Sonata, composed for a forgotten instrument. I wondered why Schubert would have written such a piece and how it would have originally sounded. All of these questions emerged when we started developing this program.
This is not the first time you’ve worked with composer Isabel Mundry. How did this particular project come about?
A few years ago, when she was the artist in residence at Mozartfest in Würzburg, I performed her Piano Quintet. We share a profound love for Mozart, so when Nils and I were talking about his music and constant pursuit of new paths and ideas, we decided to ask Isabel if she would be interested in examining fragments of Mozart and compose something in response to them. It’s intriguing—what she has written sometimes serves as a bridge to Mozart and at other times forms a reaction or conclusion to his compositions. Some of the fragments are just a few bars, others are a bit longer, and you don’t always know where they stop. Considering what Isabel saw in these fragments becomes more like a conversation, inviting listeners to use their imagination.
You’ve also completed a fragment of a sonata movement by Schubert yourself. How did you go about this?
It was a very different kind of work compared to what Isabel has done. I don’t think anyone will notice my efforts—it was me as an interpreter, not a composer. This movement is a small piece in sonata form. To me it feels almost like an improvisation, an impromptu. It breaks off just before the recapitulation, and it seemed clear to me where it would lead, so I took the opportunity to finish it by adding a few bars. Rather than ending abruptly, it now feels like a whole piece.
Interview: Wioleta Zochowska
