Our February Recording of the Month features Timothy Ridout playing Elgar’s Viola Concerto. What, Elgar wrote a Viola Concerto? Well, not quite, but he did approve, and even conduct a viola arrangement by legendary violist Lionel Tertis (and very well received it was too). Ridout, a rapidly rising star who is about to tour Australia with Musica Viva, couples the Elgar with another relative rarity, Bloch’s Suite for Viola and Orchestra, a colourful work influenced by the music of Java, Sumatra and Borneo. Clive Paget caught up with the young British violist to talk transcriptions, tweaking Tertis, and going on an adventure with Bloch.

What’s your personal history with the Elgar Cello Concerto, and then when did you realise there was a viola arrangement of it?

My mum is a professional cellist, so I was kind of aware of the piece since my childhood. Since my early teens I was also aware of the Jaqueline du Pré recording. I first came across the viola arrangement through David Aaron Carpenter’s recording, probably around the time he released it about a decade ago. I was very much aware of Lionel Tertis, because my former teacher, who I had from 14 to 17,...