Rolla: Concerti per viola e archi

Alessandro Rolla (1757-1841), a native of Pavia, debuted as a violist at the age of fifteen, performing a concerto of his own composition. After this brilliant debut, Rolla's talents led to his obtaining particularly important positions such as the first viola of the Royal Orchestra of Parma beginning in May 1782. He produced a great number of violin concertos of high technical virtuosity, which spread his fame as a composer and virtuoso beyond the Alps. In 1802 he accepted the position of first violin and concertmaster of the orchestra at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, a post he would hold until 1833.