Viola Concerto

After writing two cello concertos and two violin concertos, Lindberg had long wanted to write a concerto for viola. Lindberg realizes that although the viola is not as prominent as a solo instrument, it offers an enormous variety of possibilities thanks to its different expressive capabilities. While the Viola Concerto is related to Lindberg's Violin Concerto No. 1 in terms of orchestration, it is also related to his grand and brilliant Piano Concerto No. 3 (2022), which he wrote for Yuja Wang. Although the two works are very different, they are based on a similar harmonic idiom that combines pentatonicism with overtone harmonies. The fanfare-like opening of the first movement introduces an expansive and bright sonority and presents the soloist as a confident hero who is the undisputed protagonist of this musical story. The first two movements are separated by a brief pause, but the beginning of the second movement still feels like a reaction to the closing chords of the first movement. The final movement is much more energetic than the first two movements. The soloist is asked to improvise a cadenza, after which the music erupts into a lively finale in asymmetrical time signatures. At the climax, the orchestra unleashes a fireworks display of colors and concludes the work brilliantly.