Played flawlessly by Miles Hoffman. (His channel is MilesHoffmanViola)
This short 5-minute work remains to be Stravinsky's only contribution to viola literature. It has been said that world renowned violist William Primrose once proposed commissioning a viola concerto from Stravinsky, but Stravinsky was not interested in the project, so he went to Bartok instead who did agree to the offer. The Elegy was commissioned by Germain Prevost to honor the memory of Alphonse Onnou (1893-1940). Prevost, who was an extremely sentimental man, not only commissioned Stravinsky for this work, but also his friend Darius Milhaud, who wrote three works for viola and piano in memory of Onnou as well. Undoubtedly in the war torn year of 1944, in which this work was composed, there were many victims worthy of this somber token of remembrance.