# Best viola parts in chamber music



## bil6748

Looking for what you guys think are some of the best viola solos in any type of ensemble: quartet, quintet, etc... 

I can recommend a lot of Shostakovitch's works as well as the Phantasy Quintet by Vaughan Williams (Honestly check out that quintet the viola solos across all the movements are amazing!)

Thanks! Viola POWER!


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## Quartetfore

bil6748 said:


> Looking for what you guys think are some of the best viola solos in any type of ensemble: quartet, quintet, etc...
> 
> I can recommend a lot of Shostakovitch's works as well as the Phantasy Quintet by Vaughan Williams (Honestly check out that quintet the viola solos across all the movements are amazing!)
> 
> Thanks! Viola POWER!


Dvorak played The viola and gave it fine parts to play in some of his later Quartets. His Terzetto, Op74 is scored for 2 Violins and Viola. Anton Reger`s first Piano Trio is scored for Viola rather than Cello. I like the Viola myself since my eldest Daughter played the Viola in a String Quartet for several years.


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## Brahmsian Colors

Not quite of the quartet/quintet ilk, but another one of those lovely pastoral works from Vaughan Williams: Suite For Viola and Small Orchestra.


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## Triplets

Quartetfore said:


> Dvorak played The viola and gave it fine parts to play in some of his later Quartets. His Terzetto, Op74 is scored for 2 Violins and Viola. Anton Reger`s first Piano Trio is scored for Viola rather than Cello. I like the Viola myself since my eldest Daughter played the Viola in a String Quartet for several years.


The Janacek quartets?


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## Mandryka

Feldman, Piano, violin, viola, cello
Berio Sequenza VI
Schoenberg trio

You may like to explore the Bach Gamba sonatas, Nabuko Imai recorded them, BWV 1027-1029.


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## kyjo

Vaughan Williams' String Quartet no. 2. It's practically a viola concerto! Each movement opens with a viola solo and the dark-hued richness of the instrument is featured throughout the work.


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## eugeneonagain

Arthur Lourie's duo for violin and viola gives a good voice to the viola and shows how versatile it is, capable playing the part of cello and violin in turn.


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## Rogerx

All great recommendations, I will add this one:


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## juliante

kyjo said:


> Vaughan Williams' String Quartet no. 2. It's practically a viola concerto! Each movement opens with a viola solo and the dark-hued richness of the instrument is featured throughout the work.


That description has got me interested!


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## Olias

I would suggest Mozart's "Kegelstatt" Trio for clarinet, viola, and piano. Probably Martin Frost's recording.


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## Pat Fairlea

Didn't Hindemith write a Sonata or two for solo viola?


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## bil6748

Do you have a link to any recordings online? (For the Lourie violin/viola duo)


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## Josquin13

Among my favorite works for viola are: (1) Mozart's 6 Viola Quintets, (2) Brahms Viola Sonatas 1 & 2, Op. 120, (3) Brahms Two Songs for Alto, Viola, and Piano, Op. 91, (4) Schumann's Märchenbilder for Viola & Piano, Op. 113, and (5) Fantasiestücke for Viola & Piano, Op. 77, (6) Debussy's Sonata for Flute, Harp, & Viola (a great favorite), (7) Charles Koechlin's Sonata for Piano & Alto, Op. 53, (8) Shostakovich's Viola Sonata, Op. 147, and (9) Bartok's (unfinished) Viola Concerto, Sz. 120, BB 128 (commissioned by William Primrose).

Mozart String Quintet, K. 593:





Mozart String Quintets, K. 515 and K. 516:





Brahms Viola Sonata No. 1, Op. 120:





Brahms Viola Sonata No. 2, Op. 120:





Brahms Viola Sonatas 1 & 2, Op. 120:





Brahms Two Songs for Alto, Viola, & Piano, Op. 91:





Schumann Märchenbilder for Viola & Piano, Op. 113:





Schumann Fantasiestücke for Viola & Piano, Op. 77:





Debussy Sonata for Flute, Harp, & Viola, L. 137:





Charles Koechlin Sonata for Alto & Piano, Op. 53:





Shostakovich Viola Sonata, OP. 147:













Bartok Viola Concerto:


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## elgar's ghost

Pat Fairlea said:


> Didn't Hindemith write a Sonata or two for solo viola?


He wrote four (1919, 1922, 1923 and 1937) and all are worth hearing, my favourite being the third one which has a tasty final movement in variation form. Hindemith was a viola player himself so he had a natural affinity for the instrument when composing for it.










I also like Max Reger's three suites for solo viola (1915):


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## Merl

I love Rysanov's viola treatments of the Bach (Cello) Suites. He makes them dance.


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## Pat Fairlea

elgars ghost said:


> He wrote four (1919, 1922, 1923 and 1937) and all are worth hearing, my favourite being the third one which has a tasty final movement in variation form. Hindemith was a viola player himself so he had a natural affinity for the instrument when composing for it.
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> I also like Max Reger's three suites for solo viola (1915):


Thanks for the well-informed confirmation.
And I'm fairly sure I have heard Elgar's Cello Concerto rearranged for viola.


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