The Case of the Tuneless Viola

Most violists are drawn to the instrument because of its timbre and colour, a quality like purple velvet. But this very characteristic is also the reason for the dearth of viola tunes in the string quartet literature, Violists world-wide complain about the lack of opportunity to shine with a really luscious solo in a string quartet.

Perhaps the 3 most loved viola melodies in the quartet repertoire are those beginning the Smetana and the Bartok 6th, and in the second movement of the Shostakovich's 1st. Both Bartok and Shostakovitch begin the theme with the viola completely alone. Smetana gives the cello long sustained notes and the 2 violins quiet slurred accompanying quavers (eighths) in a low register.

I began looking at the way composers deal with the problem of register and colour when I began arranging short works for my own string quartet, We as a quartet meet at regular intervals to spend pleasurable evenings playing together for the sheer joy of it. But we also perform often at weddings, parties etc. For such functions composers such as Brahms, Bartok, and even sometimes Mozart and Haydn are unsuitable. We have a fair repertoire of light classical and popular works, but needed more. I put together a few and we tried them out one evening. Our viola player, Daniel Glancy, left that night with a “cat that stole the family cream” smile. For I had given him melodies which purred away in his favourite register. “Great arrangements, these,” was his reaction.

We decided, thereafter, Danny and I, that we would put together an album of string quartet, arrangements of public domain works, which would feature the viola. It would be called “Viola Dream”. In “Viola Dream” the viola always has at least one real melody, not just a snippet, as is often the case in most quartets, if the viola is featured at all. In the first flush of enthusiasm we had no difficulty. Danny's first arrangement was “Softly Awakes My Heart” from Samson and Delilah by Saint-Saens. It is the jewel of our collection. What a sybaritic sensation to play! The accompaniment is lucid, with light semiquaver (sixteenth) spiccato, or quaver(eighth) pizzicato. Not only does the viola shine, but the 2 violins are allowed to share the second theme. The whole work is so beautiful that even the cellist is happy.

My first contribution was an arrangement of the slow movement of Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata. Again, no problems. Although the harmonies are warm and thick, each instrument has a solo which soars over the accompaniment - a pleasure to play for all four instruments.

Encouraged by our success we plunged into more arrangements. It was then that we encountered a couple of disasters. I arranged for quartet, a beautiful song named “Tranquillity” by Tom Mitchell, a contemporary Australian composer, (with his copyright permission). In its original form of piano solo, Tranquillity lives up to its name. In my quartet version for “Viola Dream”, the whole was thick and turgid. The viola was lost in a miasma of dense rain forest.

I then delved into the established quartet repertoire to see how the great composers dealt with viola soli. Of course the biggest problem was finding the viols soli! Certainly there are some, but few of the caliber given to the other three instruments. Many viola soli are doubling the cello or violin soli, or are merely parts of a tune, answering or continuing a theme. Beethoven is kind to every instrument especially in his fugal type passages, but seldom in his quartets have what I would call a real complete melody, variation movements being notable exceptions.

Haydn metes out rather shoddy treatment to the viola in terms of melody - a couple of nice bits in Op. 33 No. 2, and in Op. 76 No. 5. the viola is allowed “out” in movements with variations, especially the “Emperor” quartet

Mozart? - a lovely theme in the closing passage of K 590. Of course there are the viola quintets and lots of other chamber works which have superb parts for the viola, but here I am addressing only string quartets.

Brahms gives the viola a lovely counter tune with Violin 1, in the 3rd movement of the C minor. It's always a moot point which instrument has the main tune, the viola usually insisting on precedence. Violin 2 and cello play soft spiccato quavers. In Brahms Op 67, the second movement begins with a really satisfying lengthy theme for the viola. Brahms lets the viola be heard by muting the other three instruments accompanying with a light airy rhythm.

In Schubert's string quartets the viola is seldom allowed to announce anything by herself. Snippets of themes, and longer passages shared with other instruments is usually all she gets.

The Dvorak “American” quartet begins with a fine viola solo. Dvorak lets the viola through by giving a long note and then a pizzicato passage to the cello and pianissimo semiquavers to the violins. Although the viola part of the “American's” second movement is purely accompaniment to the melodies the other instruments share, the accompaniment itself is so beautiful one could almost be tempted to count this as an important solo for the viola, and indeed is often played as such without detracting from the whole.

Dvorak on the whole is generous to the viola in quartets but even more so in works for other chamber music combinations. I feel that it is these latter works that Dvorak has won his reputation for writing well for the viola.

Violists who have not yet encountered the delightful work “Five Greek Dances” by Nikos Skalkottas should immediately try to purchase a copy. In particular the fourth dance “Arkadikos” begins with a lilting melody for viola. the other three instruments take a back seat here with pizzicato chords.

When Shostakovitch writes a viola tune he often allows it to play completely alone, as in No. 1, or with only the cello as in No. 8, third movement.

As my quartet does not explore the regions of twentieth century to any great extent, I shall refrain from commenting any further in this area. Before I continue I should say here that I am not dismissing as inadequate the above great composers! The quartet repertoire is a rich field of superb music, and the composers mentioned have succeeded admirably for this medium. I believe they “neglected” the viola because of its very qualities. It has such a warm mellow tone and blends so well with the other instruments, that to let it be heard and to contribute to the composition as a whole, the composer is compelled to use certain techniques which could impose an unwelcome constraint.

When true full length viola quartet soli are examined it is evident that most composers have used one or several of the following techniques to allow the viola a balance within the four instruments:-

* Give the viola the top voice in a harmonic texture

* Tacet for one, two, or all three other voices

* Pizzcato accompaniment from the violins, or all three voices

* Send the violins into a very high register, well away from the viola voice

* Light spiccato, and/or airy rhythms to accompany the viola tune

Having analyzed these techniques, Danny and I went back to slave over hot staves, and came up with some more works which are a delight to play.

“Celeste Aida” was tailor made for our requirements. Verdi did the creative work for the accompaniment with a light rhythmic figure in the bass, and light spiccato or tremolo for the two upper voices.

Debussy's “Cake-walk” was a piece of cake, with lots of perky accompaniment figures available.

Dvorak lived up to his reputation as a violist's composer. His sensuous song “Song to the Moon”, from the opera “Russalka”, could have been written for the viola in mind.

Handoshkin's “Canzona” from his viola concerto is a definite success as a string quartet. Violists don't often get a chance to play a concerto with an orchestra, which is of course how the Handoshkin is meant to be played. But it lends itself to the string quartet medium, allowing the arranger to distribute juicy soli to the fairly among the quartet members, while still keeping the violas very very happy.

The Viola and Violists

The viola is the middle-range instrument of the violin family. It is sometimes cavalierly referred to as the "big fiddle." Its position in the violin family somewhat parallels the alto voice of the normal SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) arrangement in a choir of voices, the alto being just below the soprano range. In fact, the French word for viola is l'alto. As do other members of the violin family‹violin, cello, contrabass‹the viola has four strings, the lowest of which descends at an interval of a fifth below that of the violin.

The viola is played with a bow and placed on the shoulder, as is the violin, in contrast to the cello, which is placed between the player's legs. In German the viola is the Bratsche, which comes from the Italian braccio, meaning "arm," or to be played on the arm in contrast with being played on the leg. The etymology of the word viola, or viola da braccio, leads some historians to believe that when the violin family emerged as an entity in Italy during the early part of the sixteenth century, the viola may have appeared slightly before the violin, violino being a diminutive form of viola. Violists often like to think that they may indeed have been at the head of the family, at least historically.

Primrose, while establishing his career in America in the early 1940s by playing not only in the cultural centers but also in scores of midwestern communities and even numerous backwoods settlements was often asked the question, "What is the difference between the violin and the viola?" This question was posed by well-meaning people who had never heard the instrument. Primrose recalled that he usually went into a kind of esoteric exposition referring to the difference in sound and range, of course, but also explaining that the viola was on an average about two inches longer than the violin‹wider, thicker, etc. After offering this lengthy explanation innumerable times, he decided to shorten the answer by saying that the viola was a "violin with a college education."

Much has been conjectured and written about the historical and musical reasons for the viola's subservient position before the twentieth century to the more brilliant violin and powerful cello. Cecil Forsyth, in his widely used book, Orchestration (London; Macmillan, 1914), takes an over-the-shoulder glance at the viola's and violists's comparative humble station in musical life:

The viola has perhaps suffered the ups and downs of musical

treatment more than any other stringed-instrument. In the

late sixteenth and early seventeenth century it held much the

same position in the orchestra that the 1st and 2nd violins

occupy today. The violin with its higher pitch and its more

exquisite tone-colour, was continually `knocking at the

door,' and the viola found itself servant where once it had

been master."

Forsyth invites the reader to examine scores representative of the post-Bach, or early classic period, and, here, in a rather hyperbolic review of the situation, he writes:

[Here] we feel that the viola is often merely a source of

anxiety to the composer. We feel that he must have regarded

its existence as something in the nature of a prehistoric

survival. The instrument was there and had to be written

for. Interesting but subordinate contrapuntal middle-parts

were, however, still a thing of the future. The viola,

therefore, either did nothing or something which by the

ingenuity of the composer was made to appear as much like

nothing as possible. If all else failed it could always play

the bass, and, though this often resulted in an unnecessary

and uncomfortable three-octave-bass, it was better than

filling the part with rests."

Concerning the instrument itself, Forsyth makes this observation:

. . . a betwixt-and-between instrument imperfect in

construction, "difficult" and somewhat uneven in

tone-quality, and undeniably clumsy to manage. The viola

more than any other stringed instrument is liable to have

some one or two wolf notes in its compass. In fact very few

violas are wholly free from this defect. The opposite

disease, commonly known as sleep, seems to affect it less.

Perhaps its constitution, inured for centuries to sleepy

passages, has by now become immune to the microbe of sleeping

sickness.

We can wonder to how many inadequately prepared violists Forsyth was subjected during his lifetime when he remarks:

[The top string's] quality has something nasal and piercing;

something suffering, even unpleasant. A prominent melody on

this string becomes unbearable after a short time.

He offers the listener some hope, however, when the viola is played on its two middle strings.

[They] are at once the least characteristic and the most

sympathetic. Lacking the piercing unhappy quality of the

top-string, they combine well with almost anything in the

orchestra . . . . It is on these two strings that the viola

does most of the accompanying and filling-up work, to which a

great part of its existence is devoted.

And finally, the reward for any who would wish to hear a viola:

The bottom-string of the viola is the most characteristic of

all. In fact, to the average concert-goer the viola is only

a viola when it is on its bottom-string. "Somber, austere,

sometimes even forbidding," its mere sound, even in the

simplest phrases, is sufficient to conjure up the image of

Tragedy.

In perhaps the most redeeming and forward-looking observation Forsyth offers from his turn-of-the-century viewpoint, he observes:

The above remarks must not be taken as pointing backwards to

the bad old days when viola players were selected merely

because they were too wicked or senile to play the violin.

Those days are happily gone forever.

Johann Joachim Quantz in his famous Versuch einer Anweisung . . . of 1752 adjured violists to be at least as technically well equipped as second violinists, and from the days of the first-known concert violist, Carl Stamitz (1745-1801), the rise of viola technique toward the vaunted legerdemain of violinists has been steady, albeit slow. Primrose in 1941 identified a long-standing problem with the viola from a listener's perception:

Whenever we hear it said that the viola ranks among the less

expressive instruments, we may be sure that the speaker has

not had the instrument properly revealed to him, and that his

opinion has been formed by listening to inferior playing. A

vicious circle of thought surrounds the viola. One hears it

badly played, one is well aware that it sounds unpleasant,

and one draws the conclusion that such an instrument must be

highly limited. In point of fact, it is not limited. Even a

cheap viola produces a pleasing sound, in hands that know how

to play it.

Another misconception that has haunted the violist and the instrument is the assumed "paucity" (a favorite adjective of concert reviewers, and especially uninformed critics) of the viola repertoir. Primrose in an interview with Burton Paige stated:

In approaching the viola we must rid our minds of several unwarranted preconceptions about it. First of all, it need by no means be confined to the realm of the purely ground bass instruments. We think of the viola chiefly as an orchestral and ensemble instrument, because so much of its notable music has been written for group playing. But it is also possible to find a vast amount of distinguished solo music for the viola. I (Primrose) have frequently presented solo recitals of viola music, in many parts of the world, building as many as eight different programs, none of them including as many transcriptions or arrangements as are to be found on the average violin program.

Violists themselves may be guilty of having contributed to the impression that the viola literature is limited. Certainly, it is smaller than that written for the violin or piano, but violinists and pianists, too, tend to present over and over the standard repertoire in their programming. This is a great disservice to composers who have left many outstanding instrumental pieces that, from lack of being know about, sheer laziness on the part of performers to investigate, or fear by soloists and managers of lowered box office receipts, have been neglected and, consequently, never introduced into the "hit parade" of popular repertoire. The general public tends to like what they know, and thus know what they like as do many soloists‹including violists‹who tend to play repetitively what they hear other soloists play. One consolation for the violist is that since a viola recital in comparison with a violin recital is much rarer, most of what he or she may present in a concert is relatively new to the listener.

To allay any doubts regarding the depth and breadth of the viola repertoire, one need only take to hand the monumental work of Franz Zeyringer, his Literatur für Viola (2nd edition, Hartberg, Austria, Schönwetter, 1985). With thoroughness Professor Zeyringer has attempted to codify all of the repertoire written for the viola, alone and in combination with other instruments, since the sixteenth century. It might astonish the reader to know, for instance, that at least 750 pieces have been written for viola without accompaniment: 1,300 for viola and orchestra, and 3,000 for viola and piano.

Potentially, a violist could select from an expansive repertoire of more than 14,000 pieces, according to Zeyringer's bibliography (at this time approximately one-third of this repertoire is housed in PIVA). Most of these are not transcriptions, but were originally conceived by composers for the instrument. Not all are masterworks, of course, but the same can be said for the repertoire of any instrument. Although the violist does not enjoy ten sonatas for the instrument by Beethoven, as the violinist does, or two concertos by Brahms, as the pianist, the violist need not lament. There is enough worthwhile literature to occupy a lifetime.

It is perhaps curious that some leading composers did not write more works for the viola, especially those who chose the viola as their performing instrument. Bach preferred playing the violas so that he could be "in the middle of the harmony." His second wife, Anna Magdelena wrote, "Whatever troubles there were [in the first few years in the Thomas School], they found no place in our home. They belonged `outside,' and there they remained when Sebastian sat down beside the klavier or took out his viola." Before permanently settling in Vienna, Beethoven played viola in the court orchestra at Bonn. His instrument can be seen today displayed in his native city at the Beethovenhaus. To this subject, Ralph Aldrich has penned:

Eat out thy heart, O Cello proud,

And Violin, go don thy shroud.

Pray Saint Cecilia's mercy mild

Forgive thy up and downbows wild,

For she in sacred restitution,

Bless'd VIOLA'S contribution,

Paying IT the compliment

Of genius' favoured instrument.

Mozart, Schubert, Dvorak, Britten,

All for orchestras have written.

Hear, O Man, and earth rejoice. . .

VIOLA played they all‹BY CHOICE!

Composers in the nineteenth century, beginning with Beethoven, started writing more equal voicing in the string quartet and the string section of the orchestra. Brahms, Dvo_ák, and especially Wagner gave the viola within the ensemble a more prominent, even soloistic role. Technical demands placed on violists by Richard Strauss were no less than for other instrumentalists of the orchestra. The viola was propelled into the twentieth-century, and with that came a new dawning.

The redoubtable Lionel Tertis (1876-1975), born on the same day as the master cellist Pablo Casals, was a feisty Englishman who would not take "no" for an answer when he demanded of composers that they write for his instrument, the viola, in an idiomatic fashion, treating it as a separate entity in the family of stringed instruments. Tertis was the first of three prominent violists who converted from the violin to the viola during the first half of this century, demonstrating that the viola was a viable concertizing instrument. Paul Hindemith (1895-1963), one of the foremost composers of our time, a highly skilled violist and widely known as a soloist and member of a distinguished string quartet, wrote copiously for his instrument. Hindemith bequeathed a lasting written legacy to violists. Completing this formidable triumvirate of twentieth century violists was William Primrose. Yehudi Menuhin puts it succinctly: "If Lionel Tertis was the first protagonist, Primrose was certainly the first star of the viola."

About half a century ago, Primrose noted that the viola and violists were emerging from generations of misunderstanding and benign neglect:

It is gratifying to observe the unmistakable awakening of interest in viola playing. There was a time, not too long ago, when the viola was not only neglected but thoroughly misunderstood. Indeed, the misunderstanding caused the neglect. A clearer comprehension of the uses, technic and scope of the viola has already increased its popularity and this fact also points to a still deeper penetration into one of the richest and most rewarding fields of musical activity.

Since the dawn of this century, violists have sensed an increasing respect coming their way from various corners of the musical and psychoanalytical-musical world. The great conductor Artur Nikisch came to the conclusion that a player's psyche depended upon the instrument he played. Nikisch characterized violists as being calm and good-natured. Henry Ellis Dickson, for thirty years a violinist in the Boston Symphony, wrote in a short volume, Gentlemen, More Dolce Please! (1969), that among the different sections of the orchestra, viola players are the least troublesome. Ralph Greenson, a Los Angeles psychoanalyst and an amateur violinist, has observed among orchestra string players the "Prima Donna on the first violin," the "Bon Vivant on cello," and the "Mortician on bass," while saying of the "Middleman on viola," that "the infighting for advancement that goes on among the more populous violin desks is not for him; that is why he switched over from the violin years ago. The cerebral sort, he lives for chamber music, which offers more challenge than the routine supporting role that composers give his instrument." Finally, the eminent music critic Irving Kolodin left this assessment: "As a fledgling viola player I naturally regard all other violists as studious chaps who don't have the finger facility of the notenfresser who make agile first violinists, but are better read, have heard more music, and are, altogether, men of superior taste."

Leading contemporary composers, such as Walton and Bartók, have discovered a new potential of the instrument, it seems, and more music has been written for the viola during our time than ever before. Running concurrently with this phenomenon is the rising technical standard of playing among younger violists (notable among women) and, most interesting, the appearance more and more of echt violists, those who started on the instrument rather than changing over from violin later. This would have been unheard of a generation ago.

The twentieth century has discovered the viola, and violists appear to have found their own identity. If the ignominy suffered by players who were "too decrepit or immoral to play the violin and were sentenced to scrape away the winter of their discontent as violists" still lingers in the minds of some modern violists, one senses that the memory is fading fast.

How to Choose a Viola

One of the most common beliefs in choosing a viola is that the more you pay the better the tone. This is unfortunately not true. There are some people who get a fine sounding viola for a small amount of money and there are some who spend a lot of money for a poor sounding viola.

There are many criteria in evaluating a viola. Unfortunately tone is not typically near the top. For the most part here is the list of characteristics of a viola that determine price, in declining order of importance:

• The Maker
• Country of Origin
• Condition
• Age
• Physical Beauty
• Tone
• Investment Potential
• Size
• Arching (flat as opposed to high)
• Responsiveness/playability

The Maker
This problem is more difficult for a violist than for a violinist. Stradivari made over 600 violins and perhaps 10 violas. He made some fine sounding violins, some mediocre sounding violins and some poor sounding violins. The principle is the same with the viola. Results vary with each instrument. A viola is made of wood. Each piece of wood vibrates differently. The spruce top is the sounding board. Spruce is generally considered to the be best material for the sounding board of a string instrument. It is the sounding board for the piano, harpsichord, guitar, lute, etc. Each piece of spruce vibrates differently.

In addition to the spruce top the back, sides, blocks, even the fingerboard vibrate. It is impossible to duplicate this combination of vibrating parts from one instrument to another. Therefore don't let the name intimidate you when trying a viola. If it dosen't sound well don't feel guilty if you don't hear the magical quality that is supposed to be in there.

Over and over I hear the complaint that "I have this Vuillaume, Gagliano or Scarampella. The only problem I have with it is it doesn't sound well." I have seen any number of fine violists trade-in a fine sounding viola for a big name instrument that doesn't sound. They think there is some sort of way of coaxing this mythical or supposed tone out, or trying a new bridge, soundpost, bass bar, etc. There are many very expensive violas that don't sound worth a darn and some inexpensive ones that sound fabulous.

Country of Origin
Most people think the Italian instruments are the best. The Italians have a few advantages here. The viola was invented in Italy and the earliest music for the viola comes from Italy. Also the Italians have rarely gone in for commercialism in string instrument making like France and Germany, for instance, where there are whole factories devoted to string instrument making. Chances are if the viola is Italian it was made by one person or if the person had some reputation, with the help of apprentices, assistants or students in a small enterprise supervised by the person whose name is on the viola. "Handmade" is the catchword here as opposed to machines or many hands making the same viola.

Condition
With an older viola condition becomes very important. A viola with a lot of cracks that have been repaired can give the owner fits. It may sound well when it is purchased, but changes in the weather, bumps, lack of humidity or too much humidity can cause structural and/or tonal problems. Cracks can open, form, the neck can drop, buzzes can occur and endless problems can result from many repairs. I never send a viola to Puerto Rico or Alaska that has any structural repairs because of the extremes in their climates.

Age
There is no question that all things being equal, an old viola will sound better than a new one. With age the wood hardens and becomes more resonant. If the viola has a soft varnish age will make the varnish harden also. However, a new viola is much more preferable to an old viola with many repairs. A good new viola will improve with age. (On the other hand a new viola with plates that are too thin may deteriorate with age). All in all, the condition of an old viola must be weighed with the advantages of the structurally perfect condition of a new viola.

Physical Beauty
If I line up 5 or 6 violas for a customer to try, the first one he or she usually goes for is the best looking one. Quite often people will zero in on a viola if it is highly flamed or if it has a one piece back. The flaming has little to do with the tone. Even if I ask the person before he or she tries the instruments "does the appearance matter?" and they say "all I want is a beautiful tone" they will gravitate to the best looking instrument. It is difficult to enjoy a meal which may taste great but looks horrible. There are many modern makers who take great pains to make violas look like an old Italian masterpiece. If there is a connection with the physical beauty and tone it has to do with how much time and money the maker has put into working on the instrument and the quality of the materials used. However, the antiquing doesn't make the viola sound better. The choice of wood for its beauty as opposed to its acoustical properties will be detrimental to the sound.

Tone
There are hundreds of adjectives that describe the tone of a viola. "Warm, lyrical, rich, clear, deep, smooth, brilliant, and on and on. The most important one though, is power. A good viola will be loud. Power is measurable in concrete terms. Over and over I ask these hypothetical questions. Why do you think an orchestra has 12 violas and 3 flutes? The answer is one flute produces the power of 4 violas. Have you ever seen a viola drown out a piano? Other tonal characteristics to look for are of lesser importance such as evenness, wolf tones or lack of them, clarity of sound, etc. A viola can never be too loud. It is the only instrument with the exception of the violin where the tone comes out of a hole three inches from the left ear and aimed directly at the ear. The viola sounds much louder to the player than to the audience. A flute blows the tone out away from the players ears, as does the clarinet, trumpet etc. If you have been playing on a viola with a sweet and warm quality under the ear, a viola with a strong tone will make you jump when you first try it. However within one hour or so you can get used to it and going back to a viola with a soft tone will leave you frustrated.

Investment Potential
A good Italian and or French viola with papers from a reputable authenticator can be a good investment. In the past 50 years or so the prices on these instruments have increased dramatically. However, if you are a player trying to make a career, a viola that has the type of tone and durability, size, etc. that you want should outweigh the investment potential. For a collector or an amateur this might not be the case. I tell customers that after you play a recital and nobody can hear you you can't turn to the audience and say "but the viola has great investment potential and marvelous papers!!!"

Size and Physical Comfort
The viola unlike the violin is too small for its acoustical range -- to be correct for its acoustical range a viola should be 21" long as opposed to the generally considered full size of 16 1/2". The size of a viola has never been standardized as all things being equal, the bigger it is (up to 21") the better it will sound. Unfortunately at 21" it is virtually impossible to play. I get many complaints about back problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc., from people with a 17" viola. There have been attempts over the years to play the viola between the legs like a cello that haven't worked. Contemporary makers are experimenting with different shapes such as inverted upper shoulders, an inverted shoulder just on the upper treble side to make it easier to shift and other shapes. All of these shapes have one object: to increase the size of the air mass inside the viola and still make it relatively easy to handle. One should choose the size that protects your health rather than the one that gives you a slightly better tone but is damaging to your body. I find that a good 15 1/2" and larger (up to the 16 1/2") will work quite well.

The string length, like the body size, has never been standardized. There are some larger violas with a shorter string length which might work well with somebody who has long arms but short fingers. Occasionally a larger nut can shorten the string length and make it easier to play.

Arching (high as opposed to flat)
Most people don't like high arching as a viola with high arching will tend to have a nasal quality and not produce the power of a good viola with relatively flat arching. There are some contemporary makers who copy the Stainer model with the high arching. I generally try to avoid this model as in my opinion power is the most important quality in any stringed instrument. The Italian instruments with high arching have not gone up in value anywhere near as much as the ones with the flatter arching.

Responsiveness/Playability
Violists generally prefer an easy response as opposed to violinists who like the violin to fight back a bit. The viola being bigger and heavier requires more physical effort to get the sound out and stop the strings with the left hand. In general if a viola has a dark alto-like tonal quality the response and playability will be easier than if the tone is bright and brilliant. Unfortunately if the tone is dark on the lower strings it will tend to be dark on the upper strings where more brilliance is necessary. This is a trade-off that must be addressed. A good solution would be a viola that is not too dark on the bottom but has a top that is brilliant enough.

Additional Considerations

It is very important to deal with a violin shop as opposed to a store that sells other musical items such as flutes, guitars, keyboards, etc. Bowed string instruments need people with specialized training and focus who can do proper set-ups, select the best strings for the individual instrument, and generally maximize a stringed instrument's potential. An expensive instrument can sound and behave as badly as a student instrument if it is not properly set-up. Since a violin shop is so specialized most string players in a particular city will usually know about and recommend the best shops.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should a viola teacher help students pick a viola?
A teacher's input can be very helpful in selecting a viola, particularly if the teacher is a good player. Sound can be very subjective and the student should have the benefit of a good ear for sound from the teacher.

It is important, however, to make sure the teacher can be objective in the selection. There are occasions where the teacher is getting a commission from the dealer or shop. Since the teacher is spending a lot of time in the decision process he or she should be compensated. However, if there is a choice for instance between a couple of instruments, one from a shop where the teacher gets a commission and another from a shop that doesn't give commissions, it is important that the best instrument is recommended. This can be a very awkward situation.

What is the price range for an intermediate or advanced instrument?
For a reasonably serious student to professional the range is likely to be between approximately $1250 - $5000. Depending on your situation it may be better to start from the other side of the equation: how much can you spend? Then, look for the best sounding instrument in good condition in that range. Viola making is a very inexact science. There are many fine expensive violas that don't sound well and there are many inexpensive cellos that do sound well. You need to pick up as many as you can and play them.

When should I rent instead of buy or vise versa?
It is a good idea to rent if the person playing is a beginner. This gives you the flexibility of getting rid of the instrument if there isn't progress. However, most rental instruments are of the most basic quality, which means they don't have a great sound and may not be as "playable" as a higher quality instrument. There is always a dilemma here. Ideally you should rent a viola long enough to evaluate whether there is a true interest in learning and playing the instrument. When an adequate level of seriousness is evidenced, invest in the best instrument you can afford at the next level. (The "next level" is a very broad place.) A playable, good sounding instrument makes practicing much more pleasurable and will increase progress. If the student is committed, the time to upgrade is at the point the when the musician can tell the difference between a cheap starter instrument and a better one.

Many shops give you credit for a certain amount of money in the rental and will apply it to the purchase of either that instrument or a better one.

Should I buy from eBay?
Occasionally there are good buys on eBay but most of the time it is a bad idea. The main problem is that you can't try the instrument before you buy it. The instrument might be a bargain but unplayable. The viola might be "worth" the money but have an inferior tone. Once again a high price doesn't guarantee a good tone and visa versa. I have seen at least three instances where a violin purchased on eBay -- supposedly from abroad with a high price and purportedly made by such and such a maker -- turned out to be a fake for which the customer grossly overpaid. Buyer Beware!

Making stringed instruments is both an art and a science. Selecting one is similar. Some of your considerations should be logical: is the instrument in good repair? Will it hold or increase its value? Is it "playable" for me? But you also have to use your emotions and artistic judgement: does this instrument delight me? Can I make it sing? Does it give me chills? You're going to spend a lot of time with this instrument, whatever you pay for it, so evaluate it on as many levels as you can.

Profile of the Viola

Name of Instrument: Viola

Family: String

How to Play: The viola is held and played much like the violin. The musician places the bottom end of the viola in between his chin and shoulder then uses a bow to produce notes. Great composers such as Haydn, Mozart, Strauss and Berlioz,wrote parts for the viola. A good example is in Don Quixote where the viola is used to play the part of Sancho Panza.

Types: The viola belongs to the violin family of instruments and is tuned a fifth lower than the violin. The viola is the tenor voice in a string ensemble. Its' tone is darker than that of the violin and it is longer than the violin by about 2 inches.

First Known Violas: The first violas are believed to have been made in the 15th century and evolved from the viola de braccio (Italian for "arm viol"). During the 18th century, the viola was used to play the part of the cello. Although not a solo instrument, the viola is an important member of a string ensemble.

Viola Players: Three notable violists are Walter Trampler, Lionel Tertis and William Primrose. Paganini played the viola occasionally. Other famous composers such as Schoenberg and Bartók also wrote parts for the viola.

The Viola

The viola may look like a violin but it certainly has its' own unique tone. It is tuned a fifth lower than the violin and functions as the tenor instrument in a string ensemble. Violas didn't enjoy immediate prominence when it first emerged. But thanks to great composers such as Mozart. Strauss and Bartók, the viola has become an integral part of every string ensemble. Learn more about the viola.

Music Education In The News: The board of the New Zealand School of Music has appointed Dr Elizabeth Hudson as its' first director. Dr. Hudson teaches at the University of Virginia and has an MA and PhD in musicology from Cornell University. Read more about this news here.

This Day In Music History: 1985 - The German composer Karl Marx died at the age of 87.