Notes for Violists

A Guide to the Repertoire

David M. Bynog

Notes for Performers

Offers in-depth information about thirty-five of the best-known pieces in the viola repertoire
Provides historical and analytical insights on each work that will enrich readers' understanding and performances
Draws on many little-known and previously unpublished sources and includes translations for many non-English sources

Notes for Violists

A Guide to the Repertoire

David M. Bynog

Description

Notes for Violists: A Guide to the Repertoire offers historical and analytical information about thirty-five of the best-known pieces for the instrument, making it an essential resource for professional, amateur, and student violists alike. With engaging prose supported by fact-filled analytical charts, the book offers rich biographical information and insightful analyses that help violists gain a more complete understanding of pieces like Béla Bartók's Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, Rebecca Clarke's Sonata for Viola and Piano, Robert Schumann's Märchenbilder for Viola and Piano, op. 113, Carl Stamitz's Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in D Major, Igor Stravinsky's Élégie for Viola or Violin Unaccompanied, and thirty other masterpieces.

This comprehensive guide to key pieces from the viola repertoire from the eighteenth through the twentieth century covers concertos, chamber pieces, and works for solo viola by a wide range of composers, including Bach, Telemann, Mozart, Hoffmeister, Walton, and Hindemith. Author David M. Bynog not only offers clear structural analyses of these compositions but also situates them in their historical contexts as he highlights crucial biographical information on composers and explores the circumstances of the development and performance of each work. By connecting performance studies with scholarship, this indispensable handbook for students and professionals allows readers to gain a more complete picture of each work and encourages them to approach other compositions in a similarly analytical manner.

Notes for Violists

A Guide to the Repertoire

David M. Bynog

Notes for Performers

Preface
Acknowledgments

Chapter 1. Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, BWV 1051
Chapter 2. Béla Bartók: Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, Sz. 120 (BB 128)
Chapter 3. Hector Berlioz: Harold in Italy, op. 16
Chapter 4. Ernest Bloch: Suite hébraïque
Chapter 5. York Bowen: Sonata No. 1 in C Minor for Viola and Piano, op. 18
Chapter 6. Johannes Brahms: Sonata for Clarinet (or Viola) and Piano in E flat Major, op. 120, no. 2
Chapter 7. Benjamin Britten: Lachrymae, op. 48
Chapter 8. Max Bruch: Romanze for Viola and Orchestra, op. 85
Chapter 9. Henri Casadesus: Concerto in B Minor for Viola and Orchestra (attributed to G. F. Handel)
Chapter 10. Rebecca Clarke: Sonata for Viola and Piano
Chapter 11. George Enescu: Concertstück for Viola and Piano
Chapter 12. Cecil Forsyth: Concerto in G Minor for Viola and Orchestra
Chapter 13. Lilian Fuchs: Sonata Pastorale for Unaccompanied Viola
Chapter 14. Aleksandr Glazunov: Élegié for Viola and Piano, op. 44
Chapter 15. Paul Hindemith: Sonata for Viola and Piano, op. 11, no. 4
Chapter 16. Paul Hindemith: Der Schwanendreher: Concerto after Old Folksongs for Viola and Small Orchestra
Chapter 17. Franz Anton Hoffmeister: Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in D Major
Chapter 18. Johann Nepomuk Hummel: Sonata for Piano and Viola, op. 5, no. 3
Chapter 19. Bohuslav Martinü: Rhapsody-Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, H. 337
Chapter 20. Felix Mendelssohn: Sonata in C Minor for Viola and Piano
Chapter 21. Darius Milhaud: Quatre Visages for Viola and Piano, op. 238
Chapter 22. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sinfonia concertante for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra, K. 364 (320d)
Chapter 23. Krzysztof Penderecki: Cadenza for Viola Solo
Chapter 24. Quincy Porter: Suite for Viola Alone
Chapter 25. Max Reger: Three Suites for Solo Viola, op. 131d: No. 1 in G Minor
Chapter 26. Robert Schumann: Märchenbilder for Viola and Piano, op. 113
Chapter 27. Dmitry Shostakovich: Sonata for Viola and Piano, op. 147
Chapter 28. Carl Stamitz: Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in D Major
Chapter 29. Igor Stravinsky: Élégie for Viola or Violin Unaccompanied
Chapter 30. Toru Takemitsu: A Bird came down the Walk, for viola and piano
Chapter 31. Georg Philipp Telemann: Concerto in G Major for Viola, Strings, and Basso continuo, TWV 51:G9
Chapter 32. Ralph Vaughan Williams: Suite for Viola and Small Orchestra
Chapter 33. Henry Vieuxtemps: Élegié for Viola and Piano, op. 30
Chapter 34. William Walton: Concerto for Viola and Orchestra
Chapter 35. Carl Maria von Weber: Andante e Rondo ungarese for Viola and Orchestra, J. 79

Bibliography
Index

Notes for Violists

A Guide to the Repertoire

David M. Bynog

Notes for Performers

Author Information

David M. Bynog enjoys a diverse musical career as performer, researcher, and educator. A former Editor of the Journal of the American Viola Society, he established the sheet-music publishing branch of the American Viola Society in 2010 and has edited more than forty compositions for publication. Currently the Head of Acquisitions at Fondren Library, Rice University, he holds degrees from Louisiana State University and Rice University.

Notes for Violists

A Guide to the Repertoire

David M. Bynog

Notes for Performers

Reviews and Awards

"A wonderful new resource, this book is available in a variety of formats, contains interesting historical and analytical information on 35 major viola repertoire works, from Telemann to Penderecki. Composer biographies, analysis of works and setting the works in their historical and social context make this a fascinating read ... This book is highly praised by my esteemed USA viola colleagues, and I recommended this book unreservedly." -- Helen Tuckey, AUSTA National Journal Reviews

"David Bynog's new book is irresistible...All violists owe a debt of gratitude to David Bynog for this masterful book, which will serve as an inexhaustible resource for decades to come." -- Andrew H. Weaver, The Catholic University of America, Journal of the American Viola Society

"The persuasive capsules will be invaluable to program-note writers and casual music lovers, while the scope of the music provides an insight into the world of the viola." -- Laurence Vittes, Strings

"David Bynog's deep love and equally deep knowledge of the viola and its repertory's 'greatest hits' shine through in every chapter of this book. It is a must-have for every viola student and teacher, providing an invaluable 'jumping off point' for the preparation of an informed performance of each of these masterpieces. What a gift it is to the viola community to have this wonderful research and analysis all in one place!" -- Carol Rodland, Violist, Professor of Viola and Chamber Music, The Juilliard School

"A fascinating book highlighting important select works for viola. I found it a captivating treasure-trove of unexpected insights into every composer's life, each composition, and its place now in history. A must for all who love the viola!" -- James F. Dunham, Professor of Viola and Chamber Music, Rice University, Shepherd School of Music