Your Favorite Viola Piece and Why?
What is a viola piece that holds a special place in your heart, either as a performer or a listener?
Whether it's a virtuosic showpiece, a serene slow movement, or a personal favorite you love to play, we want to hear about it!
Share what makes this piece stand out for you—does it evoke strong emotions, challenge your technique, or have a meaningful backstory? Let’s dive into each other’s favorite repertoire and discover new gems together!
3 replies
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My father was a violist and when I was a child, he used to practice in the evenings after we went to bed. My fondest memories of the viola are falling asleep with my dad practicing the Schubert Arpeggione Sonata when he was preparing for his Performers Licentiate Exams in South Africa.
I fell in love with the sound of the viola and my dad's viola had an especially warm sound. He played on a quite large Max Möller viola which he obtained when he was a student in Amsterdam. The Schubert brings back so many different memories - all of them very fond memories!
Later in life my dad always tried to persuade me to also play the viola but I was too lazy to put in the effort to get my head around the alto clef! I did use his instrument to practice scales and practiced my violin repertoire on the viola to strengthen my left hand, but never got to actually playing viola repertoire.
Later in life one often wish you listened to advice your parents gave you when you were young - I should have listened to my dad at the time and not wait until now to pick up the viola!
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I like Viola Concerto by William Walton. It's a fantastic piece for the viola; there are many gorgeous melodic lines to express the beautiful tone of the viola and also crazy moments to show off certain virtuosic techniques. Those techniques are challenging, I am still learning how to present the piece excellently with my viola and Tonebase is a great place to learn from.
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It came as a revelation when I started playing viola a little over 3 years ago, after playing violin for many years, that there were many new composers I'd never heard of. There are so many beautiful pieces but one I really love is Rebecca Clarke's Morpheus. It's very evocative and the English sounding harmonies are wonderful