British composer Peter Racine Fricker (1920-1990) is known among violists for his masterly Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, Op. 18, dedicated to and premiered by the famous Scottish violist William Primrose. He wrote two other works that feature the viola: Three Movements for Viola Solo, Op. 25, and Fantasy for Viola and Piano, Op. 44.
Fricker was a well-respected and prolific composer, one of the foremost young composers to emerge in England after World War II. After his move to the United States in 1964, the prominence he had established in his homeland virtually disappeared, and he never became a household name in America. Despite this, it is my contention that his music deserves study and a place in our repertoire.
The above-mentioned Concerto has remained available in print since its initial publication. Fantasy for Viola and Piano was published in 2014 by the American Viola Society. This essay gives an introduction to these two works which are currently in circulation. The Concerto is considered from the standpoint of viola technique and pedagogy, while the Fantasy is briefly analyzed in terms of Fricker’s stated compositional ideals. The culmination of this work is a performance edition of the Three Movements, to be published later this year by the American Viola Society.