Michael Hall, viola
Press
“Violist Michael Hall Performs Works by the UNCG Faculty Composers”
“Hall is one of the great violist and educators of our time.”
“The rich and vibrant timbre of the viola truly came out in Hall’s performance.”
“Highlights included violist Michael Hall performing the premiere of Rob Deemer’s “Cantastoria,” the fruit of a relationship that began at last year’s event [New Music Gathering].”
– Rob Deemer, “Cantastoria”
“Violist Michael Hall was featured in “Elegia in Memoriam John Paul II” by Marta Ptaszynska. This is a mesmerizing, deeply felt composition enhanced by the application of the wide expressive range of the viola. In Hall’s hands, the instrument seemed at times to weep, at other times to dance.”
– Ear Taxi Festival
“The small gem of the evening was Elliott Carter’s “Figment IV” for solo viola performed by Michael Hall. This quicksilver piece, which is over in a flash (3 minutes), packs lightning changes in a short space and was performed scrumptiously and with attentive detail by Hall.
– University of Chicago
“Antahkarana” (2010) also explores a wider pitch continuum than that of standard 12tET. The unfretted solo viola...is the ideal vehicle for Prangcharoen’s explorations. The work also very effectively exploits harmonics, which were expertly rendered here by violist Michael Hall – conjures up the mysterious, the exotic, and the sublime.”
“Hall’s tone was silky and shimmering, always precise and taut.”
“Kee Yong Chong was brilliantly done by Hall!”
– Chong, “Temple Bell Still Ringing in My Heart”
“One simply can not describe how startlingly effective a dialog between a viola a a closely miked, amplified, rubbed and blown balloon can be!”
– Paul Rudy’, “At Rome Around Jovian Moons”
“Lowry and Hall joined in a thrilling performance of Luciano Berio’s “Naturale” (1985) for viola, percussion and recorded Sicilian folk singer. Hall was warm and expressive, contrasting well with the ghostly percussion and the raw visceral recorded folk songs...”
– Luciano Berio, “Naturale”
“Hall’s broad yet clear tone brought the richly dark moments to life while possessing the technique to toss off the work’s frequent triple and quadruple stops with clarity and ease.”
– Ligeti, “Sonata for Solo Viola”
“Hall, with Robert Pherigo on the piano made a very convincing case for this angry, yet engaging work.”
–Antonio Celso Ribeiro, “Syrian Requiem”
“Hall takes great care with the score’s myriad directions, resulting in an intensity and beauty that would delight any composer, as well as any audience.”
“Hall’s technique is superb throughout and manages to sound like five different violas - pensive, taut, with some ‘extended’ viola techniques. Few recordings achieve such level of detailed commitment from the artists.”
– Mara Gibson, “Canopy”
“The author was fascinated to hear a Bach Suite performed on viola. Michael Hall convinced this listener that he can play with utter sensitivity and superb capacity.”
– J.S. Bach, Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1005
– Udine, Italy
“We heard an utterly masterful viola solo by Michael Hall, making his NYC solo debut.”
“Mr. Hall, playing it from memory, accommodated us with sheer involvement and a gorgeous tone...with progressively lovely phrasing and color shifts. Sheer musical rapture.”
– Marta Ptaszynska, “Elegia: in Memoriam John Paul II
“The most intimate of all the works is “Antahkarana”, a mostly eerie and ethereal study given an excellent reading by Chicago-based violist Michael Hall.”
Recording review of Narong Prangcharoen’s “Antahkarana”, solo viola
Albany Records 1322
“It is titled One Voice, which is reflected in the seamless interweaving achieved by the fine collaborators: mezzo Megan Ihnen and viola player Michael Hall.”
Mara Gibson, “One Voice”
Navona Records
“Michael Hall: Artistic Director of The Bandung Philharmonic”
“Hall and Delfin offered a vivacious rendition.”
– World premiere of Evan Williams’ “The Devil in the Belfy” for viola and piano
– Ear Taxi Festival, Chicago 2021