“The first time I encountered the score of Romance Oubliée I remember that after just glancing at the score, I was struck by how the voicing, tonality and texture of the piano part seemed to be so well suited for the guitar. To me the piece has a deeply nostalgic feel and towards the end, it is as if Liszt is trying to imitate a guitar, quietly serenading in the night with all those indications of slowly arpeggiated chords As a keen arranger I always try to find new expressive possibilities for the guitar and even though Liszt’s pianistic style and late romantic harmonies perhaps are not the first thing that come to mind when thinking of the guitar and it’s repertoire, this piece adapted to the instrument in an effortless and natural way with very few alterations from the original needed. It is my hope that this lovely little piece will be a welcome addition to the unjustly small repertoire for viola and guitar – a truly wonderful combination of instruments that complement each other beautifully, and whose sonorities and register are almost perfectly matched.
I would like to thank my colleague Emlyn Stam, with whom I have performed this work many times, for his thoughtful phrasing and fingering of the viola part.”
Jacob Kellerman