Viola concerto

The viola concerto is a concerto contrasting a viola with another body, usually a full or string orchestra but sometimes smaller. Early examples of the viola concerto include among others Georg Philipp Telemann's concerto in G, and several concertos by Carl Stamitz. The first concertante work to use the viola without caution — though extreme virtuosity only later became identified as the value desired in a concerto soloist — was the violin and viola Sinfonia Concertante of Mozart.

Related Topics:
Concerto - Viola - String - Orchestra - Georg Philipp Telemann - Carl Stamitz - Sinfonia Concertante - Mozart

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The viola has not been a popular instrument, and like the cello suffers from problems of projection against an orchestral ensemble. According to, for instance, Alfred Einstein among others, the essence of the concerto is not the display of virtuosity but conflict and resolution, and the viola is less suited than the piano, or even the violin, to balance itself against an orchestra that is not deliberately underused by the composer. One must consider also that viola players were often violinists retreated in ranks, and viola soloists few, until fairly recently! William Walton unleashed, though he did not necessarily begin, a more substantial output of viola works in the 20th century for newer and more capable players, and these in turn — Lionel Tertis for instance — arranged works originally for other (such as Edward Elgar's cello concerto.)

Related Topics:
Cello - Alfred Einstein - 20th century - Lionel Tertis - Edward Elgar - Cello concerto

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