{"id":2341,"date":"2019-05-04T14:14:22","date_gmt":"2019-05-04T18:14:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/creatureandcreator.ca\/?p=2341"},"modified":"2019-06-30T16:15:57","modified_gmt":"2019-06-30T20:15:57","slug":"music-of-the-viola","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/creatureandcreator.ca\/?p=2341","title":{"rendered":"Music of the Viola"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The viola is much under-rated. The instrument is difficult to play and its sound box is not optimal for its range of notes. Violists are the butt of numerous jokes<\/a> maligning their tuning and their timing. Nevertheless, in the hands of a master, the viola has a wonderfully rich sound, melancholy in its low register and silvery in the high. Of all the strings it is perhaps most similar to the normal human voice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Early History <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The modern viola\nfirst appeared in the late 16th<\/sup> century (Riley, 1991). Until then\nstring music had been played on viols of various sizes. These had evolved from\nguitar-like instruments, but were played with a bow rather than plucked. Most viols\nwere held between the legs (da gamba<\/em>),\nalthough the smaller ones were occasionally played on the arm (da braccio<\/em>). Viols typically had 6\nstrings.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 16th<\/sup>\nand 17th<\/sup> centuries, the luthiers in Cremona, Northern Italy \u2013 Andrea\nAmati and his sons, Antonio Stradivari, Andrea Guarneri, and others \u2013 produced\na new kind of stringed instrument with 4 strings. They used four sizes to fit\nthe normal vocal ranges: violin (soprano), viola (tenor, alto), cello (baritone)\nand bass (bass). Different sized violas were initially made for the tenor and\nalto ranges, but as time passed one viola was used for both. Music for the\nviola is written in the alto clef. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The viola is\nlarger than the violin, with a length that varies between 38cm and 43 cm compared to the\nviolin\u2019s 35.5 cm. The viola bow is a little heavier than that of the violin. The\nviola\u2019s sound box is smaller than it should be for its range of notes. This can\nbe seen by comparing the sizes of violin, viola, cello and bass \u2013 the viola is\ncloser in size to the violin than to the cello rather than intermediate between\nthe two. This is necessary if the instrument is to be played on the arm:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Violin, viola, cello, bass<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Because it was\ndifficult to play and largely used to complete the middle notes of the harmony\nrather than to play the melody, the viola was not popular with string players.\nThe viola section of the symphony orchestra often came to be filled with failed\nviolinists. The following is a comment from 1766:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The viola is\ncommonly regarded as of little importance in the musical establishment. The\nreason may well be that it is often played by persons who are either still\nbeginners in the ensemble or have no particular gifts with which to distinguish\nthemselves on the violin, or that the instrument yields all too few advantages\nto its players, so that able people are not easily persuaded to take it up.\n(Quantz, 1766, quoted by Boyden and Woodward, 2001)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years several luthiers have tried to make the viola more resonant and easier to play. An intriguing modern viola is the Viola Pellegrina of David Ravinus<\/a>, which accentuates the volume of the sound box by using a novel shape and tilts the board and neck to facilitate the fingering. Rudolf Haken has recorded using a Viola Pellegrina. The following figure compares it to a Stradivari violin named after one of its first owners, the Count of Archinto: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Early Viola Music<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The viola serves\nto play the middle notes in the harmony. Most early string music used it simply\nfor this purpose. Themes were introduced and carried by the violins or the\ncellos. Several pieces of classical chamber music, such as Mozart\u2019s viola\nquintets, benefit immensely form the subtle harmonizing of the viola, but for\nthe most part the viola is not heard separately from the ensemble. Concertos\nwritten for the viola, e.g. by Carl Stamitz, Alessandro Rolla and Franz Anton\nHoffmeister, were few and are unfortunately now rarely played.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most important piece of classical music for the viola is Mozart\u2019s Sinfonia Concertante for<\/em> violin and viola in E-flat major K.364\/320d<\/em>, composed in 1779, <\/em>The following is an excerpt from the Andante movement played by Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman, with Zubin Mehta conducting the <\/strong>Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Huberman Festival, Tel Aviv, 1982:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lionel Tertis<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the 19th<\/sup> century, Tertis was widely heard in chamber music concerts, and by1903 he was the first viola in the Queen\u2019s Hall Orchestra. He was popular, and provided his fans with souvenir postcards signed \u201cYours very sincerely, Lionel Tertis\u201d (see illustration on the right). At the Royal Academy, he taught many new viola students, among them Rebecca Clarke. At the Royal Academy he also interacted with York Bowen, Benjamin Dale and Arnold Bax, all of whom composed works for the viola. Full of enthusiasm and talent, Tertis quickly brought the viola out of obscurity and made it recognized as a solo instrument. This striking change gave him the title of his first autobiography: Cinderella no more<\/em> (1953).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cartoon by Rene Bull included in a program for a concert by Lionel Tertis at the Wigmore Hall in 1911<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

  Tertis concertized widely in Britain. Europe and America. In Berlin in 1907, together with York Bowen he played Brahms Sonata for Viola in E-flat major Opus 120, No 2, Dale\u2019s Suite for Viola<\/em>, and York Bowen\u2019s Viola Sonata Opus 18 <\/em>to great applause(White, 2006, p 18). Brahms\u2019 viola sonatas were initially written for clarinet but were adapted by Brahms himself for the viola. To give some sense of the Berlin program the following is an excerpts from the beginning of the third movement of the Brahms sonata (Andante con moto<\/em>) as played by William Primrose with Gerald Moore on piano (a 1937 recording). Primrose was Tertis’s successor as the world\u2019s leading violist:   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tertis recorded extensively for Vocalion (1919-1923), and for Columbia (1924-1933). Many of the recorded pieces were adapted by Tertis from music originally written for other instruments or for voice. Among the transcriptions was Bach\u2019s sacred song Komm, s\u00fc\u00dfer Tod<\/em>, BMW 478. The words are from an unknown poet. The first verse follows; the whole poem is online<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

Komm, s\u00fc\u00dfer Tod, komm sel\u2019ge Ruh!
Komm f\u00fchre mich in Friede,<\/em>
weil ich der Welt bin m\u00fcde,
ach komm! ich wart auf dich,
komm bald und f\u00fchre mich,
dr\u00fcck mir die Augen zu.
Komm, sel\u2019ge Ruh!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n\nCome, sweet death, come, blessed rest!
Come lead me to peace
because I am weary of the world,
O come! I wait for you,
come soon and lead me,
close my eyes.
Come, blessed rest!\n\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

This Bach song was\nalso transcribed for orchestra in 1946 by Leopold Stokowski. The full\norchestral version is powerful. Tertis\u2019 1925 recording is heart-breaking. We\nhave grown to love sad songs and the viola sings them well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Ernest Bloch <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ernest Bloch (1880-1959) was born in Switzerland and came to the USA in 1916. The photo on the right is from 1917. After the competition he went on to a very successful career in composition and teaching. His music uses both ancient and modern harmonies, but is immediately appealing. Many of his compositions are related to Jewish traditions, such as the Suite Hebra\u00efque<\/em> for viola and piano<\/em> of 1951. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rebecca Clarke<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Rebecca Clarke (1889-1979) studied viola at the Royal Academy of Music with Lionel Tertis. She came to the United States in 1916 and supported herself by performing both in chamber ensembles and as a soloist. The photo at the right is from 1919. She also composed music, especially for the viola, and performed her compositions as part of her performances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Berkshire Festival competition was the closest that Rebecca Clarke came to appropriate recognition for her compositions. Years later she called it her \u201cone little whiff of success.\u201d No one was sure who Rebecca Clarke was. The general opinion was that a woman could not produce such fine music. Some even suggested that the name was a pseudonym for Ernest Bloch! In 1923, Elizabeth Coolidge commissioned a Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello<\/em>. Thereafter she continued her career as a violist and occasionally composed music. Most of Clarke\u2019s compositions, however, were performed by her in concerts and not published until after her death. There is an excellent website<\/a> about her life and work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following\nexcerpts provide a taste of the 1919 Berkshire competition. The first is the Allegro ironico<\/em> movement of Bloch\u2019s\nsuite played by Paul Neuberger, accompanied by Margo Garrett:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The viola has a particular affinity for the human voice. In 1884 Brahms published Two Songs for Alto, Piano and Viola<\/em>, Opus 91 (Miyake, 2018). The lyrics of the first song (Gestillte Sehnsucht<\/em> \u2013 Longing soothed) are from a poem by Thomas R\u00fcckert, the first verse of which is given below (and the whole poem is available online<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

In gold\u2019nen Abendschein getauchet,
Wie feierlich die W\u00e4lder stehn!
In leise Stimmen der V\u00f6glein hauchet
Des Abendwindes leises Weh\u2019n.
Was lispeln die Winde, die V\u00f6gelein?
Sie lispeln die Welt in Schlummer ein.

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

Bathed in golden evening light,
How solemnly the forests stand!
The soft voices of the birds breathe
The wafting of the evening winds
What do the winds and birds whisper?
They whisper the world to sleep.
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The following is the\nbeginning of Gestillte Sehnsucht <\/em>sung\nby Janet Baker with Cecil Aronowitz on viola and Andr\u00e9 Previn on piano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

When righteous Joseph\nwedded was
\nUnto a virtuous maid
\nA glorious angel from Heaven came
\nUnto that virtuous maid.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

O mortal man, remember\nwell 
\nWhen Christ our Lord was born; 
\nHe was crucified betwixt two thieves, 
\nAnd crown\u00e8d with the thorn.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The text of the complete carol is available online<\/a>. The following excerpt is the beginning of Grainger\u2019s viola arrangement as played by Paul Coletti and Leslie Howard:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

I\u2019ll bid my heart be still,
And check each struggling sigh;
And there’s none e’er shall know
My soul’s cherish’d woe,
When the first tears of sorrow are dry.
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

They bid me cease to weep
For glory gilds his name;
But the deeper I mourn,
Since he ne’er can return
To enjoy the bright noon of his fame!
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Again, it is\ninterestingto compare excerpts from\nthe vocal and viola versions. The raw a\ncapella<\/em> voice is that of Sylvia Tyson from the 1965 Ian and Sylvia album Early Morning Rain<\/em>, and the viola and\npiano performance is by Philip Dukes and Sophia Rahman. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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William Walton<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Cecil Beaton\u2019s 1926 photograph of William Walton (1902-1983)\nportrays him against a cubist background that Beaton had painted himself. The\nintent was to present Walton as Britain\u2019s modernist composer. And indeed, many\nof his compositions broke with traditions putting forth new rhythms and\nharmonics. Yet, at heart he was still a romantic. His music was emotional\nrather than dry, lush rather than austere \u2013 \u201cthe reaction of a mind\nfundamentally romantic to the events in a most unromantic world\u201d (Avery, 1947).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walton\u2019s Concerto\nfor Viola and Orchestra in A minor<\/em> (1929) is considered by many as his most\nimportant composition. The concerto was written for Tertis, but he initially\nfound it too modern and Paul Hindemith played the premiere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breaking with tradition, its first movement, is an Andante comodo<\/em>. Walton greatly admired\nProkofiev\u2019s first violin concerto (1923), which had begun in this way and there\nare notable similarities between the works. The following is the beginning of\nthe first movement as played by Helen Callus with Marc Taddei conducting the\nNew Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Against the growling of the orchestra the viola\nclaims its rights and interweaves its song with the flute. <\/p>\n\n\n\n