Famous viola solos

(yes, there are, more than you think)

Are you wondering which are the famous viola solos? Then you are on the right way because at least you are not one of those who ask “are there any viola solos?” (let alone famous ones…)

First of all we have to make this clear: what do you mean with viola solos?

A solo can be either a composition where only one performer plays (with nobody else around), or a composition where one or more performers play the most important role in a work, with some accompaniment (usually piano or orchestra). These are generally called sonata, or concerto.

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Then there are some viola solos which are not sonatas or concertos but are solos within a major composition not intended for viola. For example, there are some famous viola solos in the opera and ballet repertoire, where the principal viola in the orchestra is required to play solo. There are also some quite famous viola solos in symphonic repertoire, where it is the whole viola section that plays the solo, that is, the main line.

As to orchestra solos, Berlioz, in the section about the viola of his Treatise on instrumentation and orchestration, pointed out the special characteristic of the viola sound and the best ways to use the violas to obtain very good effects, like using violas and cellos together as Beethoven did in his 5th Symphony.

Here you’ll find some works that are the most famous viola solos. This doesn’t at all mean they are the best ones or the only existing viola solos. Actually, the list of viola solos is much longer than most people would imagine (in fact, a gentleman called Franz Zeyringer made a hugely admirable job and compiled a whole book of viola compositions, Literatur für Viola. In case you fancy having a look at it, sometimes it is available for purchase here).

Here is our, let’s say, top 20 list (actually, a few more). You can read more about some works by clicking on the title or buy sheet music or CDs. The titles below are original for viola, also see all solos including transcriptions.

Famous unaccompanied viola solos

• Reger, 3 Suites for solo viola Sheet music
  CD all Suites CD Suite n.1
• Bach-Kodaly, Fantasia cromatica Sheet music

Famous solos for viola with piano
(viola sonatas)

• Brahms, 2 Sonatas op.120 Sheet music
  CD Sonata n.1    CD Sonata n.2
• Schubert, Sonata “Arpeggione”
  Read about it Sheet music CDs

Famous solos for viola with orchestra
(concertos for one or more instruments)

• Telemann, Concerto for viola and string orchestra
  Read about it Sheet music  CD
• Telemann, Concerto for 2 violas and string orchestra Sheet music CD
• Hoffmeister, Concertos for viola and orchestra (in D & in B)
  Sheet music  CD
  
• Stamitz, Concerto for viola and orchestra
  Read about it Sheet music CD
• Berlioz, Harold in Italy, Symphony with solo viola
  Read about it Sheet music  CD
• Paganini, Sonata for Grand’Viola and Orchestra
  Read about him Sheet music   CD
• Walton, Concerto for viola and orchestra
  Read about it  Sheet music    CD
• Bartok, Concerto for viola and orchestra
  Read about it  Sheet music   CD
• Bach, Brandenburg Concerto n.6 for two violas and string orchestra Sheet music
• Mozart, Sinfonia Concertante for violin, viola and orchestra
  Sheet music           Sheet music     
  

Click here for a full list of viola concertos from A to Z

Viola solos within orchestra
(principal viola solos)

Symphonic:
• Strauss, Don Quixote

Ballet

• Prokofiev, Romeo & Juliet
• Adam, Giselle
• Delibes, Coppelia

Ballet orchestral solos sheet music

Opera

• Puccini, Manon Lescaut
• Weber, Der Freischutz
  Read about it

Orchestral solos sheet music + CD

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Famous viola solos within orchestra
(section solos)

• Beethoven, Symphony n.5, 2nd movement
• Bruckner, Symphony n.4, 1st movement
• Brahms, Symphony n.3, 1st movement
• Brahms, German Requiem
• Shostakovich, Symphony n.5, 1st movement

So, next time you listen to some of these famous orchestral compositions, you can pay a bit of extra attention to catch the viola (or violas)!

Buy orchestral viola solos and excerpts

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Go from Famous viola solos to Viola concertos

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Tweets by @MonicaCuneViola

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