The Best Viola Books
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So I started to read books in English and there are a few. Here are my favourite ones, most of them do not require knowledge of music notation or technique, I mean you don't need to be a musician to enjoy them, any music lover can. Some others are aimed at players, because they refer to technical aspects of playing, so a non musician may not be interested.
Many of these viola books are now out of print, therefore you can only buy used books from second hand bookstores. Especially now this is easy, with many Internet stores you can buy books online, nearly any book, from all the corners of the world.
However, I have to say that my favourite online bookshop is AbeBooks, because there I could find books I wasn't able to find anywhere else, like some of the viola books I mention here in this page. Try yourself!
USA website UK-Europe website
"The
history of the viola"
By Maurice W. Riley (1980)
A
really complete book, everything about the viola is in it: history,
the early Italian makers, the viola during the baroque era, in France
and England, in Germany and Austria in the classical era, viola bows,
viola teaching methods, literature for viola, musical examples, photos
of violas, important 19th century
violist, including Rolla and Paganini, experiments with viola
size, Tertis, Primrose, Hindemith, the viola in the 20th century,
biographies of violists, even a glossary and the viola names in many
languages. It comes with a lively foreword by William
Primrose.
The only problem with this book is that it is out of print, but you can find it in used books shops or in libraries. This book was translated into Italian in 1983. Recommended for any viola player and music lover who wants to know about the viola.
Buy
Maurice Riley's "The history of the viola", vol.1
"The
history of the viola"
volume II
By Maurice W. Riley (1984)
A few years after the previous book, the author published a second
volume. it is indeed like a supplement, more material on the same
subject.
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more photos of ancient violas, more experiments, a list of viola concertos including some really unknown to the vast majority of players, a chapter on the scordatura, one on Hindemith, one on the French school, one on the viola in Italy, and Argentina, Yugoslavia, the Czech school the final part is on the viola in 1980-90, international Viola Society, more biographies of violists.
If you've read the first volume, you'll want to read the second one. Also this book is out of print, but you can find it in used books shops or in libraries. Recommended for any viola player and music lover who wants to know about the viola.Buy Maurice Riley's "The history of the viola", vol.2
"Cinderella
no more"
By Lionel Tertis
(1953)
The first autobiography
written by Tertis at the age of 77. It's about how he brought the viola
to be no longer neglected and considered the Cinderella of the
string family, but an instrument with its own character and personality.
Also this book is out of print, but you can find it in used books shops or in libraries. Recommended for any music lover.
Buy Lionel Tertis's "Cinderella no more"
"My
viola and I"
A
Complete
Biography With Beauty of Tone in String Playing and Other Essays
By Lionel Tertis
(1974)
Tertis was the man who came to viola rescue
and made it really recognized as a solo instrument. This book is his
the story of his very long and interesting life(99 years!), how he
started (at 12,
working to pay his lessons), battled
for the viola cause, the works he commissioned, his design for a better
viola, easier to play, his first recordings. He was the first world
famous viola player and influenced many other players. This book
includes other essays written in previous years.
If you like biographies, I recommend this, it's also nice to read and discover about musical times from the end of the 19th century. Recommended for any music lover.
Again,
this book is out of print, but you can find it in
used books shops
or in libraries.
Buy
Lionel Tertis's "My viola and I"
"Walk
on the North side"
By William Primrose
Primrose was strongly influenced by Tertis in his
decision to play the viola instead of the violin, they even played
together Mozart's concertante and then it's when he decided.
This is another life story, for those who love to know musicians as real persons. Read about Primrose's childhood as a child prodigy, his many interests besides music, such as chess, boxing, cricket, airplane piloting, conductors, colleagues, how Primrose actually started his solo violist career, recordings,
Another
book that's out of print, but you can
find it in
used books shops
or in libraries. Recommended for any music lover.
Buy
William Primrose's "Walk on the North side
"Playing
the viola - Conversations with William Primrose"
By David Dalton
This is a technical book, very useful for players
of different levels. It is written in form of dialogue with David
Dalton, who was his pupil and in charge of the PIVA (Primrose
International Viola Archive) for many years.
Here Primrose talks about all aspects of playing the viola:
the teacher-student relationship, playing the viola coming from the
violin, how to
practice, repertoire, stage presence and manners, performance practice,
the left hand (you can even get to know his own fingerings in some
works), programs, recordings, competitions and more.
It's like having lessons with Primrose himself, which is really invaluable.
This
book is in print, actually it gets printed on demand.
Recommended for all viola players (although also violin
players
can learn a lot from a great virtuoso).
Buy
David Dalton's "Conversations with William Primrose"
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"Violin
and Viola"
By Yehudi Menuhin and William Primrose
This is mainly a book about the violin with the
viola section by Primrose, who is like a guest, kindly invited by
Menuhin. The viola
part is really short, but nonetheless interesting, so it is the violin
bigger part. Here Menuhin talks about how to practice, yoga etc. It's
good for both violin and viola players, students and teachers. It is
still in print so you can find it easily
in most shops.
If you cannot find any of the Primrose's viola books, at least read this one, you can start knowing him, I find his style always enjoyable, not serious. You'll enjoy it.
This book is in print. Recommended for all violin and viola players.
Buy Menuhin's and Primrose's "Violin and Viola"
"Literature für Viola"
By Franz Zeyringer
This is volume is the most comprehensive list of printed and manuscript music for viola in all combinations with all other instruments, containing about 14,000 entries. A good source of inspiration for new repertoire and to show to those who say there is not much viola music.
This book is out of print, although it can be found in
libraries and used books stores. Recommended for all viola players.
Buy
Franz
Zeyringer's "Literature
für Viola"
"Bartok's Viola ConcertoThe remarkable story of his swansong"
By Donald G. Maurice
The now most often
performed viola concerto, commissioned by William Primrose, was left
unfinished in 1945. This book, written in 2004, tells the story of it, from the composer's friend Tibor Serly's work to decipher and reconstruct the manuscript, to the first performance and to the other revised editions now available.
Based
on interviews and documents made available recently, fascinating
reading, to know more about Bartok, the musical environment.
This book is in print. Recommended for all viola players and Bartok's enthusiasts.
Buy
"Bartok Viola Concerto - The
remarkable story of his swansong"
"Borrowed" viola books
The following books are not viola books strictly speaking, they are violin books, but the principles they teach apply perfectly to the viola too, therefore I include them in this viola books page because they are very useful and I recommend them.
"A
new approach to violin playing"
By Kato Havas
(1961)
This is the first book written
by the violin teacher Kato Havas. It is about how to prevent and
eliminate physical tension and injuries caused by violin and viola
playing. It is based on how the body works, how to use the natural
balances instead of force and pressure. With detailed explanations and
practical exercises,how
to
practice, the relation between physical and mental tension.
With a foreword by Yehudi Menuhin.
I think knowing how to prevent physical problems is even more important with the viola, because being bigger than the violin it can more easily cause physical injuries.
This book is in print, has been since it was published for the first time. Recommended for all string players.
Buy
Kato Havas's "A new approach to violin playing"
"The
twelve lesson course
in A new approach to violin playing"
By Kato Havas
(1964)
This is the second book written
by Kato Havas. It is organized in twelve lesson, each one about
an aspect of violin and viola playing, also with folk tunes to be
played as a duet
With a foreword by Yehudi Menuhin.
This book is in print, has been since it was published for the first time. Recommended for all string players.Buy
Kato Havas's "The twelve lesson course"
"Stage
fright, Causes and cures"
By Kato Havas
(1973)
This is the last book written
by Kato Havas. It analyzes all aspects and reasons for stage fright, a
very common and serious problem among performers of any level. I gives
the causes and cures for the fear of the trembling bow, of being out of
tune, of high positions and shifts, of not being fast enough and more
fears. It is a practical book, not just to be read, you need to read it
and apply it.
Also this book is in print, has been since it was published for the first time. Recommended for all string players.
Buy Kato Havas's "Stage fright, Cause and cures"
Read
this page for tips on how
to overcome stage fright.
More viola books and music books
In the Viola Bibliography
page you can read about other books mentioned or consulted for this
website
These are not the only existing viola books, they are my favorite ones, I'll add a few more as soon as I find some.
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