American Record Guide Review

Portrait of the Viola – Rebecca Clarke Sonata

Helen Callus's (Nov/Dec 2002) recording of the sonata and several other short pieces by Clarke reveals two virtues a soloist must have to become a real artist; an analytical mind and the imagination to express the wisdom gained from analysis. Callus's main virtue is that she balances the sonata's mood better [than other recordings]. She is less declamatory at the start of I, but she has more to say as the movement progresses, knowing how to make the more reflective passages more interesting. She has more fun with the fey chinoiserie of II. In III, she navigates the dreamlike currents of melody with much greater understanding. Callus doesn't need brilliant passages to keep the music interesting.

In 1944, Clarke arranged 'I'll Bid My Heart Be Still', a Scottish folk song with heartbreaking lyrics by Thomas Pringle, for her Scottish fiancé James Frisken. It was her last work for viola. Callus builds to a powerful climax that expresses unforgettably a love that will not yield to death. [Her performance] brought tears to my eyes. The night I wrote this review, I found her performance so moving, so addicting, that I kept listening to it over and over before I could bring myself to finish the review and go to bed. I must have listened to it a dozen times. Very rarely have I felt a need to listen to a recording over and over. Only really great artistry can hold a listener in thrall like that, and that is the artistry of Helen Callus.

-Magill, American Record Guide