Senfter: Five Pieces Op. 76b for Viola and Piano

In 1932 Johanna Senfter wrote Sechs Stücke for the church holidays for viola and organ. She arranged five of them for viola and piano as well. They are remarkable, atmospheric and colourful character pieces. The carol In dulci jubilo is used as the centrepiece for Weihnachten (Christmas). The first piece has a calmly undulating, sometimes almost weightless character in a widely dotted 9/8 metre. In contrast, Karfreitag (Good Friday) flows in a sombre B flat minor, interrupted by threatening, dramatic sections. Auferstehungsfeier (Resurrection celebration) is certainly the most unusual in formal terms, and also the longest of the five pieces. A rhapsodic character with many smaller tempo and mood changes develops into almost orchestral splendour. Himmelfahrt (Ascension) follows with much more restraint, often in a flow characterised by triplets and syncopations. The cycle concludes with Totensonntag (Sunday of the Dead) in an almost consistently calm and peaceful character, ending reconciliatively in F major.