Viola Concertos
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Viola concertos? This is something unheard of to most people and even music Origins of the ConcertoThe origin of the word Concerto is not certain,
apparently it
means to contend, dispute, fight and also work together. Over the centuries, the term concerto has changed its meaning, indicating slightly different forms. At the beginning, in the 16th century, it was used for a group of voices, in fact the word concerto was used for the first time in 1519 in Rome, Italy, to refer to an ensemble of voices getting together with music. The
first publication with this name of works for voices and instruments is
by the Venetians Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli, a collection of Concerti,
dated 1587. Up to the first half of the 17th century, the term Concerti
was used in
Italy for vocal works accompanied by instruments, many publications
appeared with this title. Initially also the word "sinfonia"
was used instead of concerto. Later, the word Concerto came to indicate a particular musical form, involving a larger group of performers forming a contrast with a smaller group of players or a solo instrument player, or various groups of players within the orchestra.
It was during this period (from mid 16th century) that
the instruments
of the so-called violin family
(violin, viola, cello, double bass) were created and the most famous
makers,
such as Amati, Stradivari and Guarneri, lived. In many cases the
instruments
doubled the five-part voice
ensembles, with two violins, two
violas (alto and tenor) and bass. See also the history of the viola
for more on this. Meanwhile, this Italian musical form became known in
Germany, so in 1619 the first works with this name appeared, by Schutz. The Instrumental Concerto
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Baroque, music historians refer to a period that roughly goes
from 1600 to 1750. The best known
Baroque composers were Bach, Haendel, Telemann, Vivaldi, Corelli. There are not many concertos for viola in the Baroque era. However, the first known viola concerto is a Baroque one, by Georg Phillip Telemann, read about it. Here they are:
Considering the broader, original meaning of the term concerto, we can include also works featuring the viola in a solo (or concertante) role with other instruments. Such works are:
Classical Viola Concertos
Classicism is a musical period
quite well defined: conventionally it goes from about 1750 to mid 19th
century, including composers such as Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Rolla. There are several
viola concertos, although they are not
very well known. The most famous
classical concertos for viola and orchestra are:
Among these, there is one of the most wonderful works ever written: Mozart Sinfonia Concertante for violin, viola and orchestra. There are more:
Romantic Viola ConcertosRomanticism
was a literary and artistic movement started in Germany and flourished
all over Europe from about 1820-30 for about a century. Musically, it
was characterized by the
rise of many virtuoso performers of nearly all instruments. The most
famous, the personification of all virtuosos was Nicolò
Paganini, maybe the most famous violin player, who played the viola
too. Other virtuosos were performers such as Chopin, Liszt
for the piano, the double bass player Bottesini just to name a few. From the Romantic era, there are no compositions that
can be called real concertos for viola and orchestra. in fact, the
violin was the undisputed protagonist of the musical scene, together
with the piano. However, there are some very good works with the viola
in a concertante role with orchestra.
Modern Viola Concertos (XX
century)
From the beginning of 20th century many composers start to write viola
concertos, especially thanks to viola champions Lionel
Tertis
first and William Primrose later. Thanks to them the viola has become
accepted as a solo instrument at the same level of violin and cello
and now it's normal for composers to write concertos for viola. |
 William Primrose plays Walton's Concerto conducted by Walton, Mp3 |
 William Walton: Concerto CD, William Primrose, viola William Walton, conductor |
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