This article is about the musical instrument. For Viola, the genus of plants including violets and pansies, seeViola (plant). For other uses, seeViola (disambiguation).
In the past, the viola varied in size and style, as did its names. The wordviola originates from the Italian language. The Italians often used the termviola da braccio, meaning, literally, 'of the arm'. "Brazzo" was another Italian word for the viola, which the Germans adopted asBratsche. The French had their own names:cinquiesme was a small viola,haute contre was a large viola, andtaile was atenor. Today, the French use the termalto, a reference to its range.
The viola was popular in the heyday of five-partharmony, up until the eighteenth century, taking three lines of the harmony and occasionally playing themelody line. Music notation for the viola differs from most other instruments in that it primarily uses thealto clef. When viola music has substantial sections in a higher register, it switches to thetreble clef to make it easier to read.
The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between 25 and 100 mm (1 and 4 in) longer than the body of a full-size violin (i.e., between 38 and 46 cm [15–18 in]), with an average length of 41 cm (16 in). Small violas typically made for children typically start at 30 cm (12 in), which is equivalent to ahalf-size violin. For a child who needs a smaller size, a fractional-sized violin is often strung with the strings of a viola.[3] Unlike the violin, the viola does not have a standard full size. The body of a viola would need to measure about 51 cm (20 in) long to match the acoustics of a violin, however a viola of that size can only be played vertically like a cello, hence the nameVertical viola.[4] For centuries, viola makers have experimented with the size and shape of the viola, often adjusting proportions or shape to make a lighter instrument with shorter string lengths, but with a large enoughsound box to retain the viola sound. Prior to the eighteenth century, violas had no uniform size. Large violas (tenors) were designed to play the lower register viola lines or second viola in five part harmony depending on instrumentation. A smaller viola, nearer the size of the violin, was called analto viola. It was more suited to higher register writing, as in the viola 1 parts, as their sound was usually richer in the upper register. Its size was not as conducive to a full tone in the lower register.
Several experiments have intended to increase the size of the viola to improve its sound and harmony.Hermann Ritter'sviola alta, which measured about 48 cm (19 in), was intended for use inWagner's operas.[5] TheTertis model viola, which has wider bouts and deeper ribs to promote a better tone, is another slightly "nonstandard" shape that allows the player to use a larger instrument. Many experiments with the acoustics of a viola, particularly increasing the size of the body, have resulted in a much deeper tone, making it resemble the tone of a cello. Since many composers wrote for a traditional-sized viola, particularly in orchestral music, changes in the tone of a viola can have unintended consequences upon the balance in ensembles.
One of the most notable makers of violas of the twentieth century was EnglishmanA. E. Smith, whose violas are sought after and highly valued. Many of his violas remain in Australia, his country of residence, where during some decades the violists of theSydney Symphony Orchestra had a dozen of them in their section.
More recent (and more radically shaped) innovations have addressed the ergonomic problems associated with playing the viola by making it shorter and lighter, while finding ways to keep the traditional sound. These include the Otto Erdesz "cutaway" viola, which has one shoulder cut out to make shifting easier;[6] the "Oak Leaf" viola, which has two extra bouts;viol-shaped violas such asJoseph Curtin's "Evia" model, which also uses a moveable neck and maple-veneeredcarbon fibre back, to reduce weight:[7] violas played in the same manner as cellos (seevertical viola); and the eye-catching"Dalí-esque" shapes of both Bernard Sabatier's violas in fractional sizes—which appear to have melted—and David Rivinus'Pellegrina model violas.[8]
Other experiments that deal with the "ergonomics vs. sound" problem have appeared. The American composerHarry Partch fitted a viola with a cello neck to allow the use of his 43-tone scale, called the "adapted viola". Luthiers have also created five-stringed violas,[9] which allow a greater playing range.
A person who plays the viola is called aviolist or aviola player. The technique required for playing a viola has certain differences compared with that of a violin, partly because of its larger size: the notes are spread out further along the fingerboard and often require different fingerings. The viola's less responsive strings and the heavier bow warrant a somewhat different bowing technique, and a violist has to lean more intensely on the strings.[10]
The viola is held in the same manner as the violin; however, due to its larger size, some adjustments must be made to accommodate. The viola, just like the violin, is placed on top of the left shoulder between the shoulder and the left side of the face (chin). Because of the viola's size, violists with short arms tend to use smaller-sized instruments for easier playing. The most immediately noticeable adjustments that a player accustomed to playing the violin has to make are to use wider-spaced fingerings. It is common for some players to use a wider and more intensevibrato in the left hand, facilitated by employing the fleshier pad of the finger rather than the tip, and to hold thebow and right arm further away from the player's body. A violist must bring the left elbow further forward or around, so as to reach the lowest string, which allows the fingers to press firmly and so create a clearer tone. Different positions are often used, including half position.
The viola is strung with thicker gauge strings than the violin.[11] This, combined with its larger size and lower pitch range, results in a deeper and mellower tone. However, the thicker strings also mean that the viola responds to changes in bowing more slowly. Practically speaking, if a violist and violinist are playing together, the violist must begin moving the bow a fraction of a second sooner than the violinist. The thicker strings also mean that more weight must be applied with the bow to make them vibrate.
The viola'sbow has a wider band of horsehair than a violin's bow, which is particularly noticeable near thefrog (orheel in the UK). Viola bows, at 70–74 g (2.5–2.6 oz), are heavier than violin bows (58–61 g [2.0–2.2 oz]). The profile of the rectangular outside corner of a viola bow frog generally is more rounded than on violin bows.
"Normal" stringing shown here; some players reverse the G and C.First position viola fingerings
The viola's four strings are normally tuned in fifths: the lowest string isC (anoctave belowmiddle C), with G, D, and A above it. This tuning is exactly one fifth below the violin,[12] so that they have three strings in common—G, D, and A—and is one octave above the cello.
Each string of a viola is wrapped around apeg near the scroll and is tuned by turning the peg. Tightening the string raises the pitch; loosening the string lowers the pitch. The A string is normally tuned first, to the pitch of the ensemble: generally 400–442 Hz. The other strings are then tuned to it in intervals offifths, usually by bowing two strings simultaneously. Most violas also haveadjusters—fine tuners that make finer pitch adjustments. Some violists will choose to only have one fine tuner on the A string; others choose to have fine tuners on all strings. These adjust the tension of the string via rotating a small knob above thetailpiece. Such tuning is generally easier to learn than using the pegs, and adjusters are usually recommended for younger players and put on smaller violas, though pegs and adjusters are usually used together. Some violists reverse the tuning of the C and G strings, so that the thicker C string does not turn so severe an angle over thenut, although this is rare.
Small, temporary tuning adjustments can also be made by stretching a string with the hand. A string may be tuned down by pulling it above the fingerboard, or tuned up by pressing the part of the string in the pegbox. These techniques may be useful in performances such as live concerts, reducing the ill effects of an out-of-tune string or viola until a proper opportunity to tune.
The tuning C–G–D–A is used for the great majority of all viola music.[13] However, other tunings are occasionally employed, both inclassical music, where the technique is known asscordatura, and in somefolk styles.Mozart, in hisSinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E♭, wrote the viola part in D major, and specified that the violist raises the strings in pitch by asemitone. He probably intended to give the viola a brighter tone so the rest of the orchestra would not overpower it. Tertis, in his transcription of theElgar cello concerto, wrote the slow movement with the C string tuned down to B♭, enabling the viola to play one passage an octave lower.
A renewal of interest in the viola by performers and composers in the twentieth century led to increased research devoted to the instrument.Paul Hindemith andVadim Borisovsky made an early attempt at an organization, in 1927, with the Violists' World Union. But it was not until 1968, with the creation of the Viola-Forschungsgesellschaft, now theInternational Viola Society (IVS), that a lasting organization took hold. The IVS now consists of twelve chapters around the world, the largest being theAmerican Viola Society (AVS), which publishes theJournal of the American Viola Society. In addition to the journal, the AVS sponsors the David Dalton Research Competition and thePrimrose International Viola Competition.
The 1960s also saw the beginning of several research publications devoted to the viola, beginning with Franz Zeyringer'sLiteratur für Viola, which has appeared in several versions, the most recent being in 1985. In 1980, Maurice Riley produced the first attempt at a comprehensive history of the viola, in hisHistory of the Viola, which was followed with a second volume in 1991. The IVS published the multi-language Viola Yearbook from 1979 to 1994, during which several other national chapters of the IVS published respective newsletters. The Primrose International Viola Archive atBrigham Young University houses the greatest amount of material related to the viola, including scores, recordings, instruments, and archival materials from some of the world's greatest violists.[14]
Music that is written for the viola primarily uses thealto clef, which is otherwise rarely used. Viola music employs the treble clef when there are substantial sections of music written in a higher register. The alto clef indicates the placement of C4 on the middle line of the staff.[15]
As the viola is tuned exactly one octave above the cello, music that is notated for the cello can be easily transcribed for alto clef without any changes in key. For example, there are numerous editions ofBach's Cello Suites transcribed for viola.[16] The viola also has the advantage of smaller scale-length when compared to the cello. This means that the stretches needed by cellists to play certain notes are easier to achieve on the viola. However, occasional changes must be made due to differences in the ways that the two instruments are played, as well as their differences in range.
In early orchestral music, the viola part was usually limited to filling inharmonies, with very littlemelodic material assigned to it. When the viola was given a melodic part, it was often duplicated (or was in unison with) the melody played by other strings.[17]
TheBrandenburg Concertos, a set of concerti grossi composed byJ. S. Bach, are unusual for their time in their use of viola. The third concerto grosso, scored for three violins, three violas, three cellos, and basso continuo, requires virtuosity from the violists. Indeed, Viola I has a solo in the last movement which is commonly required in orchestral auditions.[18] In the sixth concerto grosso,Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, scored for 2 violas "concertino", cello, 2violas da gamba, and continuo, the two violas play the primary melodic roles.[19] Bach also used this unusual ensemble in his cantatasGleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fällt, BWV 18 andMein Herze schwimmt im Blut, BWV 199, in which the chorale is accompanied by an obbligato viola.
The viola plays an important role inchamber music. Mozart used the viola in more creative ways when he wrote his sixstring quintets. The viola quintets use two violas, which frees them (especially the first viola) for solo passages and increases the variety of writing that is possible for the ensemble. Mozart also wrote for the viola in hisSinfonia Concertante, a set of two duets for violin and viola, and theKegelstatt Trio for viola, clarinet, and piano. The youngFelix Mendelssohn wrote a little-knownViola Sonata in C minor (without opus number, but dating from 1824).Robert Schumann wrote hisMärchenbilder for viola and piano. He also wrote a set of four pieces for clarinet, viola, and piano,Märchenerzählungen.
Max Bruch wrote a romance for viola and orchestra, his Op. 85, which explores the emotive capabilities of the viola's timbre. In addition, his Eight pieces for clarinet, viola, and piano, Op. 83, features the viola in a very prominent, solo aspect throughout. HisConcerto for Clarinet, Viola, and Orchestra, Op. 88 has been quite prominent in the repertoire and has been recorded by prominent violists throughout the 20th century.
From his earliest works,Brahms wrote music that prominently featured the viola. Among his first published pieces of chamber music, the sextets for strings Op. 18 and Op. 36 contain what amounts to solo parts for both violas. Late in life, he wrote two greatly admiredsonatas for clarinet and piano, his Op. 120 (1894): he later transcribed these works for the viola (the solo part in hisHorn Trio is also available in a transcription for viola). Brahms also wrote "Two Songs for Voice, Viola and Piano", Op. 91, "Gestillte Sehnsucht" ("Satisfied Longing") and "Geistliches Wiegenlied" ("Spiritual Lullaby") as presents for the famous violinistJoseph Joachim and his wife,Amalie.Dvořák played the viola and apparently said that it was his favorite instrument: his chamber music is rich in important parts for the viola. TwoCzech composers,Bedřich Smetana andLeoš Janáček, included significant viola parts, originally written forviola d'amore, in their quartets "From My Life" and "Intimate Letters" respectively: the quartets begin with an impassioned statement by the viola. This is similar to Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven all occasionally played the viola part in chamber music.
Gabriel Fauré'sRequiem was originally scored (in 1888) with divided viola sections, lacking the usual violin sections, having only a solo violin for theSanctus. It was later scored for orchestra with violin sections, and published in 1901. Recordings of the older scoring with violas are available.[20]
While the viola repertoire is quite large, the amount written by well-known pre-20th-century composers is relatively small. There are many transcriptions of works for other instruments for the viola and the large number of 20th-century compositions is very diverse. See "The Viola Project" at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where Professor of ViolaJodi Levitz has paired a composer with each of her students, resulting in a recital of brand-new works played for the very first time.[21]
Charles Wuorinen composed his virtuosicViola Variations in 2008 for Lois Martin.Elliott Carter also wrote several works for viola including hisElegy (1943) for viola and piano; it was subsequently transcribed for clarinet.Ernest Bloch, a Swiss-born American composer best known for his compositions inspired by Jewish music, wrote two famous works for viola, theSuite 1919 and theSuite Hébraïque for solo viola and orchestra.Rebecca Clarke was a 20th-century composer and violist who also wrote extensively for the viola.[23] Lionel Tertis records that Elgar (whose cello concerto Tertis transcribed for viola, with the slow movement in scordatura),Alexander Glazunov (who wrote anElegy, Op. 44, for viola and piano), andMaurice Ravel all promised concertos for viola, yet all three died before doing any substantial work on them.
The viola is sometimes used in contemporary popular music, mostly in theavant-garde.John Cale ofThe Velvet Underground used the viola,[26] as do some modern groups such asalternative rock band10,000 Maniacs,Imagine Dragons,[27] folk duoJohn & Mary,[28]British Sea Power,[29] The Airborne Toxic Event,Marillion, and others often with instruments in a chamber setting.Jazz music has also seen its share of violists, from those used in string sections in the early 1900s to a handful of quartets and soloists emerging from the 1960s onward. It is quite unusual though, to use individual bowed string instruments in contemporary popular music.
Among the great composers, several preferred the viola to the violin when they were playing in ensembles, the most noted beingLudwig van Beethoven, Bach[31] and Mozart. Other composers also chose to play the viola in ensembles, includingJoseph Haydn,Franz Schubert, Mendelssohn, Dvořák, andBenjamin Britten. Among those noted both as violists and as composers areRebecca Clarke and Hindemith. Contemporary composers and violistsKenji Bunch,Scott Slapin, andLev Zhurbin have written a number of works for viola.
Amplification of a viola with apickup, aninstrument amplifier (and speaker), and adjusting the tone with agraphic equalizer can make up for the comparatively weaker output of a violin-family instrument string tuned to notes below G3. There are two types of instruments used for electric viola: regular acoustic violas fitted with apiezoelectric pickup and specialized electric violas, which have little or no body.[32] While traditional acoustic violas are typically only available in historically used earth tones (e.g., brown, reddish-brown, blonde), electric violas may be traditional colors or they may use bright colors, such as red, blue or green. Some electric violas are made of materials other than wood.
Most electric instruments with lower strings are violin-sized, as they use the amp and speaker to create a big sound, so they do not need a large soundbox. Indeed, some electric violas have little or no soundbox, and thus rely entirely on amplification. Fewer electric violas are available than electric violins. It can be hard for violists who prefer a physical size or familiar touch references of a viola-sized instrument, when they must use an electric viola that uses a smaller violin-sized body. Cale, formerly of The Velvet Underground, is one of the more notable users of such an electric viola and he has used them both for melodies in his solo work and fordrones in his work with The Velvet Underground (e.g. "Venus in Furs"). Other notable players of the electric viola areGeoffrey Richardson ofCaravan[33] and Ramsey.[34]
