A journey through music of different eras performed with great sensitivity by violist Krzysztof Komendarek-Tymendorf.

The album title, ‘Quantum of Silence’ implies a sound in which there is silence or a vacuum to be filled, alludes to his focus on creating music not only via the notes themselves but during the spaces in between.

The viola was rarely treated as a solo instrument until the 20th century, so in order to cover a wide chronological timespan this programme includes arrangements of violin works as well as original pieces composed for solo viola, many of them written by contemporary Polish composers specifically for Krzysztof Komendarek-Tymendorf.

The album opens with Biber’s legendary ‘Passacaglia’ from his ‘Mystery’ Sonatas, followed by Khachaturian’s final work, his cadenza-like Sonata-Song. We hear the Cadenza by the great Polish composer Penderecki, alongside a range of new works written by young Polish composers, heard here in world-premiere recordings.

“First-class playing and a wonderfully varied solo viola album” – violist Paul Neubauer, Juilliard School