’A viola that wants the spotlight – and finally takes it’
The Violist from Michael Stephen Brown’s song cycle Pas de Trois puts the viola where it has always secretly wanted to be: at the centre. A former violist himself, composer-pianist Brown treats the instrument as a fully realised character – ambitious, reflective and done with polite accompaniment.
Written for Paul Neubauer, the work invites the viola to interrupt, linger, and assert itself, while Brown’s original poetry reveals the violist’s inner monologue –desire, doubt, and defiance included.
Alongside Neubauer are soprano Susanna Phillips and pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, performing as the SPA Trio. The SPA Trio features on Brown’s debut album as a composer, TWELVE BLOCKS, out on 13 February on First Hand Records.
Original poem by Michael Stephen Brown:
II. The Violist
A violist strolled down the quiet lane,
His viola in hand, he grinned in vain.
He played for the trees, the birds in flight,
But all he truly craved was the spotlight.
’Oh, where are you going?” a stranger asked,
’To play my tune, for I am quite basked
In glamour and glory, the world’s my stage –
I am the star, the muse of this age!’
He paused for effect, a dramatic pose,
His bow held high, the music rose.
He glanced at the sky, beneath fleeting clouds –
In his heart, he knew he had made them proud.
’I play for the heavens, the earth, and the sun,
For no one can match me, not anyone!’
He twirled his bow with a self-assured flair,
Ignoring the birds who flew through the air.
Oh, the sun shines for me, and me alone,
This bright spotlight is mine to own.
‘Can we share the light?’ the stranger said,
But the violist smirked and turned his head.
– Michael Stephen Brown, 2024
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