Viola Sonata No.2 - Enrique Santos (mexican composer)

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    This week we are going to talk about the Mexican composer Enrique Santos and his Viola Sonata. He was born in Mexico City and since he was a child showed interest in music, beginning with piano lessons, at 12 years old he started to compose in a self-taught way, a few years later he got into the National Conservatory of Music and studied with Rodolfo Halffter. He has written works for chamber music, orchestral works, and especially for piano solo, his works have been played by the principal mexican orchestras, and soloists, besides in the USA and Rusia. He is a member of the Composers League, of the Mexican Authors and Composer Society (SACM in spanish).

    Inside the Composers League, he knew the violist Sergio Ortíz and wrote for him two Viola Sonatas and one Concert for Viola and Orchestra, in the same way, he has a String Trio where the viola has an important participation.

    The Viola Sonata has three movements: I- Andante, II-Adagio, III-Rondo. It is a work with an easy language, in some times it can remember us impressionism music, with unexpected changes of tempo and dialogues between the viola and piano. In this recording, we are listening to the wonderful performance by Rie Watanabe on the viola and Josef Olechowski on the piano. In YouTube is the complete work of this Sonata.

Luis Chab

References:

    Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de México. www.sacm.org.mx