On March 13 2026, Simax Classics released a new album showcasing music for viola and strings, performed by soloist Lars Anders Tomter and the Norwegian string ensemble 1B1, under the direction of their leader, Jan Bjøranger. The album features two important works by Norwegian composer Rolf Wallin – his large-scale viola concerto Under City Skin, as well as an arrangement of a shorter work, Elegy. The album also includes the viola concerto Ombra by Icelandic composer Haflidi Hallgrímsson, and Arvo Pärt’s work Fratres.
Under City Skin (2009) was commissioned by the Risør Festival of Chamber Music with funding from Det Norske Komponistfond. A 30-minute work for viola, strings and surround sound, it takes us on a journey through the rhythms and sounds of a modern city landscape, questioning whether what we see and hear in the urban jungle contain hidden meanings for us.
The Mercedes. The High-heeled Shoes. The Park at Night. The Cash Register. The Bus. The City Hall Bells.
In Berlioz's famous viola concerto, young Harold goes to Italy to broaden his mind. Here, our protagonist goes under the skin of the city’s sounds, in a quest to find out what forces are hiding within.
Elegy (2009) is a short work composed after Wallin’s sister Erna died at a very young age. Originally written for trumpet and organ, this beautiful work was first performed by Wallin at Erna’s funeral, at the 12th century stave church in Lom, Norway. It has been performed many times since in a version for trumpet and strings, and now, in this recording, you can hear it in a version for viola and strings.
Where Under City Skin takes us on a journey through a modern, urban landscape, Halgrimsson’s viola concerto Ombra (1999), meaning “shadow”, is a very different type of journey, one that conjures images of an expansive and mysterious landscape. Commissioned by the Icelandic State Broadcasting Corporation, and dedicated to Lars Anders Tomter, the work showcases the full technical vocabulary of the solo instrument, with the orchestra very much playing a subsidiary role that aims at enhancing the poetic and dramatic nature of the solo instrument.
The album also contains one of Arvo Part’s most well-known compositions, Fratres (1977), heard on this recording in an arrangement by Lars Anders Tomter for viola and strings.
