Speaker 1: Welcome to the I Can't Sleep Podcast for I help
Speaker 1: you drift off one fact at a time. I'm your host,
Speaker 1: Benjamin Boster, and today's episode is about the viola. The
Speaker 1: viola is a string instrument of the violin family and
Speaker 1: is usually bowed when played. The viola is slightly larger
Speaker 1: than the violin and has a lower sound. Since the
Speaker 1: eighteenth century, it has been the middle or alto voice
Speaker 1: of the violin family, between the violin, which is tuned
Speaker 1: a perfect FIfF higher, and the cello, which is tuned
Speaker 1: an octave lower. The strings from low to high are
Speaker 1: typically tuned to see three G three, E, D four
Speaker 1: and A four. In the past, the viola varied in
Speaker 1: size and style, as did its names. The word viola
Speaker 1: originates from the Italian language. The Italians often used the
Speaker 1: term vio da braccio, meaning literally of the arm. Bradzeau
Speaker 1: was another Italian word for the viola, which the Germans
Speaker 1: adopted as braccia. The French had their own names. Santiem
Speaker 1: was a small viola, olcontre was a large viola, and
Speaker 1: tai was a tenor. Today, the French used the term
Speaker 1: alto a reference to its range. The villa was popular
Speaker 1: in the heyday of five part harmony upon until the
Speaker 1: eighteenth century, taking three lines of the harmony and occasionally
Speaker 1: playing the melody line. Music notation for the viola differs
Speaker 1: from most other instruments and that it primarily uses the
Speaker 1: alto clef. When viola music has substantial sections in a
Speaker 1: higher register, it switches to the trouble clef to make
Speaker 1: it easier to read. The viola often plays the inner
Speaker 1: voices in string quartets and symphonic writing, and it is
Speaker 1: more likely than the first violin to play accompaniment parts.
Speaker 1: The viola occasionally plays a major soloistic role in orchestral
Speaker 1: or chamber music. Examples include the symphonic poem Don Quixote
Speaker 1: by Richard Strauss, the Thirteenth Quartet by Dmitri Shostakovich, and
Speaker 1: a symphony with a main viola line, Rolon Italy by
Speaker 1: Hector Belios. In the earlier part of the twentieth century,
Speaker 1: more composers began to write for the viola, encouraged by
Speaker 1: the emergence of specialized soloists such as Lionel Turtis and
Speaker 1: William Primrose. English composers Arthur Bliss Edwin York poem. Benjamin Dale,
Speaker 1: Frank Bridge, Benjamin Britten, Rebecca Clarke, and Ravon Williams all
Speaker 1: wrote substantial chamber and concert works. Many of these pieces
Speaker 1: were commissioned or written for Turtise, William Walton, Boros Love, Martineau,
Speaker 1: tou Takemitsu, Tibor Surley, Alfred Schnitt and Bella Bartok have
Speaker 1: written well known villa concertos. The concerti by Bartok, Paul
Speaker 1: hindemidt Karl Stommads, George Philip Tillemann, and Walton are considered
Speaker 1: major works of the viola repertoire. Hindemid, who was a violist,
Speaker 1: wrote a substantial amount of music for viola, including the
Speaker 1: Concerto der Schwananderer. The viola is similar in material in
Speaker 1: construction to the violin. A full size viola's body is
Speaker 1: between twenty five and a hundred millimeters longer than the
Speaker 1: body of a full size violin was an average length
Speaker 1: of forty one centimeters. Villas for children typically start at
Speaker 1: thirty centimeters. For century, these viola makers have experimented with
Speaker 1: the size and shape of violas, often to make a
Speaker 1: lighter instrument with shorter string lengths, but with a large
Speaker 1: enough sound box to retain the sound associated with the instrument.
Speaker 1: Prior to the eighteenth century, a large viola known as
Speaker 1: a tenor was designed to play lower notes. A smaller
Speaker 1: size viola alto viola was used for higher register. Several
Speaker 1: experiments have intended to increase the size of the viola
Speaker 1: to improve sound and harmony. Rmond Ritter's viola alta, which
Speaker 1: measured about forty eight centimeters, was intended for use in
Speaker 1: Wagner's operas. The Tortois model viola, which has wider bouts
Speaker 1: and deeper ribs to promote a better tone, is another
Speaker 1: slightly non standard shape that allows the player to use
Speaker 1: a larger instrument. Many experiments with the acoustics of a viola,
Speaker 1: particularly increasing the size of the body, have resulted in
Speaker 1: a much deeper tone, making it resemble the tone of
Speaker 1: a cello. Since many composers wrote for a traditional size viola,
Speaker 1: particularly in orchestral music, changes in the tone of a
Speaker 1: viola can have unintended consequences upon the balance and ensembles.
Speaker 1: One of the most notable makers of viola's of the
Speaker 1: twentieth century was Englishman A E. Smith, whose violas are
Speaker 1: sought after and highly valued. Many of his violas remain
Speaker 1: in Australia, his country of residence, where, during some day
Speaker 1: decades the violas of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and a
Speaker 1: dozen of them in their section. More recent and more
Speaker 1: radically shaped innovations have addressed the ergonomic problems associated with
Speaker 1: playing the viola by making it shorter and lighter while
Speaker 1: finding ways to keep the traditional sound. These include the
Speaker 1: Auto Rida's cutaway viola, which has one shoulder cut out
Speaker 1: to make shifting easier, the Oakley fiola, which has two
Speaker 1: extra bouds. Viol shaped vilas such as Joseph Curtain's Evia model,
Speaker 1: which also uses of movable neck and maple veneered carbon
Speaker 1: fiber back to reduce weight, vila's played in the same
Speaker 1: manner as cellos, and the eye catching dolly esque shape
Speaker 1: apes of both Bernard Sabatiers violas and fractional sizes which
Speaker 1: appeared to have melted, and David Rivinus's Pellegrina model viola.
Speaker 1: Other experiments that deal with the ergonomics versus sound problem
Speaker 1: have appeared. The American composer Harry Parch fitted a viola
Speaker 1: with a cello neck to allow the use of his
Speaker 1: forty three toned sco called the adapted viola. Bluetiers have
Speaker 1: also created five stringed vilas, which allow a greater playing range.
Speaker 1: A person who plays a viola is called a violist
Speaker 1: or a viola player. The technique required for playing a
Speaker 1: viola has certain differences compared with that of a violin,
Speaker 1: partly because of its larger size. The notes are spread
Speaker 1: out further along the finger board, although they do not
Speaker 1: usually require different fingerings. The viola's less responsive strings and
Speaker 1: the heavier bow warnt a somewhat different bowing technique, and
Speaker 1: a violus has to lean more intensely on the strings.
Speaker 1: The viola is held in the same manner as the violin, However,
Speaker 1: due to its larger size, some adjustments must be made
Speaker 1: to accommodate. The viola, just like the violin, is placed
Speaker 1: on top of the left shoulder, between the shoulder and
Speaker 1: the left side of the face. Because of the viola's size,
Speaker 1: violas with short arms tend to use smaller sized instruments
Speaker 1: for easier playing. The most immediately noticeable adjustments that a
Speaker 1: player accustomed to playing the violin has to make are
Speaker 1: to use wider spaced fingerings. It is common for some
Speaker 1: players to use a wider and more intense vibrato in
Speaker 1: the left hand, facilitated by employing the fleshier pad of
Speaker 1: the finger rather than the tip, and to hold the
Speaker 1: bow and right arm further away from the player's body.
Speaker 1: A violist must bring the left elbow further forward or
Speaker 1: around so as to reach the lowest string, which allows
Speaker 1: the fingers to press firmly and create a clearer tone.
Speaker 1: Different positions are often used, including half position and most commonly,
Speaker 1: third position. The viola is strung with thicker gage strings.
Speaker 1: In the violin, this combined with its larger size and
Speaker 1: lower pitch range, results in a deeper and mellower tone. However,
Speaker 1: the thicker strings also mean that the viola responds to
Speaker 1: changes in bowing more slowly. Practically speaking, if a violist
Speaker 1: and violinists are playing together, the violist must begin moving
Speaker 1: the bow a fraction of a second sooner than the violinist.
Speaker 1: The thicker strings also mean that more weight must be
Speaker 1: applied with the bow to make them vibrate. The viola's
Speaker 1: bow has a wider band of horsehair than a violin's bow,
Speaker 1: which is particularly noticeable near the frog or heel. In
Speaker 1: the UK, viola bows at seventy to seventy four grams
Speaker 1: are heavier than violinbows. The profile of the rectangular outside
Speaker 1: corner of a viola bow frog generally is more rounded
Speaker 1: than the violin bows. The viola's four strings are normally
Speaker 1: tuned in fifths. The lowest string is C and octave
Speaker 1: below middle C, with G, D and A above it.
Speaker 1: This tuning is exactly one fifth below the violin, so
Speaker 1: that they have three strings in common G, D and A,
Speaker 1: and is one octave above the cello. Each string of
Speaker 1: a viola is wrapped around a peg near the scroll
Speaker 1: and is tuned by turning the peg. Tightening the string
Speaker 1: raises the pitch. Loosening the string lowers the pitch. The
Speaker 1: A string ring is normally tuned first to the pitch
Speaker 1: of the ensemble, generally four hundred to four hundred and
Speaker 1: forty two hertz. The other strings are then tuned to
Speaker 1: it in intervals of fifths, usually by bowing two strings simultaneously.
Speaker 1: Most violas also have adjusters fine tuners that make finer
Speaker 1: pitch adjustments. Some violas will choose to only have one
Speaker 1: fine tuner on the A string mothers choose to have
Speaker 1: fine tuners on all strings. These adjust the tension of
Speaker 1: the string viola rotating a small knob above the tailpiece.
Speaker 1: Such tuning is generally easier to learn than using the pegs,
Speaker 1: and adjusters are usually recommended for younger players and put
Speaker 1: on small are volas, though pegs and adjusters are usually
Speaker 1: used together. Some violas reverse the tuning of the C
Speaker 1: and G strings so that the thicker C string does
Speaker 1: not turn so severe an angle over the nut, although
Speaker 1: this is rare. Small temporary tuning adjustments can also be
Speaker 1: made by stretching a string with the hand. A string
Speaker 1: may be tuned down by pulling it above the fingerboard,
Speaker 1: or tuned up by pressing the part of the string
Speaker 1: in the peg box. These techniques may be useful in
Speaker 1: performances such as live concerts, reducing the dissonance of an
Speaker 1: out of tuned string or viola until a proper opportunity
Speaker 1: to tune. The tuning C three G three D four
Speaker 1: A four from lowest to highest is used for the
Speaker 1: great majority of all viola music. The strings are tuned
Speaker 1: perfect fifths apart. However, other tunings are occasionally employed, both
Speaker 1: in classical music where the technique is known as scordatura
Speaker 1: and in some folk styles. Mozart, in his Simfonia Concertat
Speaker 1: for violin, viola and orchestra in E flat, wrote the
Speaker 1: violin part in D major and specified that the violis
Speaker 1: raises the strings in pitch by a semitone. He probably
Speaker 1: intended to give the viola a brighter tone so the
Speaker 1: rest of the orchestra would not overpower it. Turtis, in
Speaker 1: his transcription of the elgard Chelo Concerto, wrote the slow
Speaker 1: movement with the C string tuned down to B flat,
Speaker 1: enabling the viola to play one passage and octavelower. A
Speaker 1: renewal of interest in the viola by performers and composers
Speaker 1: in the twentieth century led to increased researche devoted to
Speaker 1: the instrument. Paul Hindemid and Vadim Voroskovsky made an early
Speaker 1: attempt at an organization in nineteen twenty seven was a
Speaker 1: Violis World Union, but it was not until nineteen sixty
Speaker 1: eight was a creation of the Viola Forschungskazevschoft now the
Speaker 1: International Viola Society IVS that a lasting organization took hold.
Speaker 1: The IVS now consists of twelve chapters around the world,
Speaker 1: the largest being the American Vila Society AVS, which publishes
Speaker 1: the Journal of the American Viola Society. In addition to
Speaker 1: the journal, the AVS sponsors the David Dalton Research Competition
Speaker 1: and the Primrose International Viola Competition. The nineteen sixties also
Speaker 1: saw the beginning of several research publications devoted to the viola,
Speaker 1: beginning with Franz Zehringer's Literature of for Viola, which has
Speaker 1: appeared in several versions, the most recent being in nineteen
Speaker 1: eighty five. In nineteen eighty Maurice Riley produced the first
Speaker 1: attempt at a comprehensive history of the viola in his
Speaker 1: History of the Viola, which was followed by a second
Speaker 1: volume in nineteen ninety one. The iv S published the
Speaker 1: Multi Language Viola Yearbook from nineteen seventy nine to nineteen
Speaker 1: ninety four, during which several other national chapters of the
Speaker 1: IVS published respective newsletters. The Primrose International Vila Archive at
Speaker 1: Brigham Young University houses the greatest amount of material related
Speaker 1: to the viola, including scores, recordings, instruments, and archival materials
Speaker 1: from some of the world's greatest violas. Music that is
Speaker 1: written for the viola primarily uses the alto clef, which
Speaker 1: is otherwise rarely used. The note that resides on the
Speaker 1: lowest line on the alto clev stave is F three,
Speaker 1: whereas in treble clef it is E four. Viola music
Speaker 1: deploys the treble clef when there are substantial sections of
Speaker 1: the music written in a higher register. The auto clef
Speaker 1: indicates the placement of C four on the middle line
Speaker 1: of the staff, as the viola is tuned exactly one
Speaker 1: octave above the cello. Music that is notated for the
Speaker 1: cello can be easily transcribed for auto clef without any
Speaker 1: changes in key. For example, there are numerous editions of
Speaker 1: box cello suites transcribed for viola. The viola also has
Speaker 1: the advantage of smaller scale length when compared to the cello.
Speaker 1: This means that the stretches needed by cellis to play
Speaker 1: certain nodes are easier to achieve on the viola. However,
Speaker 1: occasional changes must be made due to differences in the
Speaker 1: ways that the two instruments are played, as well as
Speaker 1: their differences in range. In early orchestral music, the viola
Speaker 1: part was usually limited to filling in harmonies with very
Speaker 1: little melodic material assigned to it. When the viola was
Speaker 1: given a melodic part, it was often duplicated or as
Speaker 1: in unison, with the melody played by other strings. The
Speaker 1: Brandenburg Concertos, a set of concherity Grossy composed by j Spot,
Speaker 1: are unusual for their time and their use of viola.
Speaker 1: The third Concerto Grossos, scored for three violins, three violas,
Speaker 1: three cellos and baso continuo, requires virtuosity from the violas. Indeed,
Speaker 1: viola one has a solo in the last movement, which
Speaker 1: is commonly required in orchestral auditions. In the six Concerto
Speaker 1: Grosso Brandimber Concerto number six, scored four two violas, concertini, cello,
Speaker 1: two violas, ta gamba and continuo, the two violas play
Speaker 1: the primary melodic roles. Bach also used this unusual ensemble
Speaker 1: in his cantatas Gleigfi der regnun schni fon Himufeld b
Speaker 1: w V eighteen and Mancherzo Schwimdemblut b w V one
Speaker 1: ninety nine, in which the corral is accompanied by an
Speaker 1: oblagato viola. There are a few Baroque in Classico concerti,
Speaker 1: such as those by Georg Philip Telemann, one for solo
Speaker 1: viola being one of the earliest viola concertos known, and
Speaker 1: one for two violas Alassandro Rola, Rose, Anton Hofmeister and
Speaker 1: Karl Stommetz. The viola plays an important role in chamber music.
Speaker 1: Mozart used a viola in more creative ways when he
Speaker 1: wrote his six string Quintets. The viola Quintets used two violas,
Speaker 1: which frees them, especially the first viola for sola passages,
Speaker 1: and increases the variety of writing that is possible for
Speaker 1: the ensemble. Mozart also wrote for the viola in his
Speaker 1: Sinfonia Concertante, a set of two duets for violin and viola,
Speaker 1: and the Kegelstadt Trio for viola, clarinet and piano. The
Speaker 1: young Felix Mendelssohn wrote a little known viola sonata in
Speaker 1: C minor without opus number, but dating from eighteen twenty four.
Speaker 1: Robert Schumann wrote his Merchembilde for viola and piano. He
Speaker 1: also wrote a set of four pieces for clarinet, viola
Speaker 1: and piano marcanezzelomen Max Brooke wrote a romance for viola
Speaker 1: and orchestra. His Opus eighty five, which explores the emotive
Speaker 1: capabilities of the viola's timbre. In addition, his eight pieces
Speaker 1: for clarinet, viola and piano Opus eighty three features the
Speaker 1: viola in a very prominent solo aspect throughout. His Concerto
Speaker 1: for Clarinet, viola and Orchestra Opus eighty eight has been
Speaker 1: quite prominent in the repertoire and has been recorded by
Speaker 1: prominent violas throughout the twentieth century. From his earliest work,
Speaker 1: Brahms wrote music that prominently featured the viola. Among his
Speaker 1: first published pieces of chamber music, the sexteds for strings
Speaker 1: Opus eighteen and Opus thirty six contained what amounts to
Speaker 1: solo parts for both violas. Late in life he wrote
Speaker 1: two greatly admired sonatas for clarinet and piano Zopas one twenty.
Speaker 1: He later transcribed these works for the viola. Brahms also
Speaker 1: wrote two songs for voice, viola and piano Opus ninety one,
Speaker 1: Gestilta Seenzucht and Geislikisveganlid as presents for the famous violinist
Speaker 1: Josef Joachim and his wife Emily d Vorjack played the
Speaker 1: viola and apparently said that it was his favorite instrument.
Speaker 1: His chamber music is rich in important parts for the viola.
Speaker 1: The viola occasionally has a major role in orchestral music,
Speaker 1: a prominent example being Ricard Strauss's tone poem Don Quixote
Speaker 1: or Solo cello and viola and orchestra. Gabrielforret's Requiem was
Speaker 1: originally scored in eighteen eighty eight with divided viola sections,
Speaker 1: lacking the usual violin sections, having only a solo violin
Speaker 1: for the sonctus. It was later scored for orchestra with
Speaker 1: violin sections and published in nineteen o one. Recordings of
Speaker 1: the older scoring with violas are available. While the viola
Speaker 1: repertoire is quite large, the amount written by well known
Speaker 1: pre twentieth century composers is relatively small. There are many
Speaker 1: transcriptions of works for other instruments for the viola, and
Speaker 1: the large number of twentieth century compositions is very diverse.
Speaker 1: In the earlier part of the twentieth century, more composers
Speaker 1: began to write for the viola, encouraged by the emergence
Speaker 1: of specialized soloists such as Turtise, Englishman, Arthur Bliss, Edwin
Speaker 1: York Bowen, Benjamin Dale and Raefon williams All wrote chamber
Speaker 1: and concert works for Tourtoise. William Walton, Boslav Martineau and
Speaker 1: Bellabartuk wrote well known viola concertos. Hendemann wrote a substantial
Speaker 1: amount of music for the viola, Being himself a violist,
Speaker 1: he often performed his own works. Claude W C's Sonata
Speaker 1: for Fluid, Vila and harb has inspired a significant number
Speaker 1: of other composers to write for this combination. The viola
Speaker 1: is sometimes used in contemporary popular music, mostly in the
Speaker 1: alvant garde. John Kale of The Velvet Underground used the
Speaker 1: viola as to some modern groups such as alternative rock
Speaker 1: band Ten Thousand Maniacs, Imagine Dragons, Folk duo John and Mary,
Speaker 1: British Seapower, The Airborne Toxic Event, Marillion, and others, often
Speaker 1: with instruments in a chamber setting. Jazz music has also
Speaker 1: seen its share of violas, from those used in string
Speaker 1: sections in the early nineteen hundreds to a handful of
Speaker 1: quartets and soloists emerging from the nineteen sixties onward. It
Speaker 1: is quite unusual, though, to use individual bode string instruments
Speaker 1: in contemporary popular music To amplify the sound produced. Regular
Speaker 1: acoustic violas are fitted with a piezo electric pickup. Specially
Speaker 1: designed electric villas have little or no body, unlike traditional violas.
Speaker 1: They can be made of materials other than wood and
Speaker 1: of any color. Electric vilas are mostly violin sized, as
Speaker 1: they use the amp and speaker to create a big sound,
Speaker 1: so they do not need a large soundbox. Indeed, some
Speaker 1: electric violas have little or no soundbox and thus rely
Speaker 1: entirely on amplification. Fewer electric villas are available than electric violins.
Speaker 1: It can be hard for violas who perfer for a
Speaker 1: physical size or familiar touch references of a viola sized
Speaker 1: instrument when the mist use an electric viola that uses
Speaker 1: a smaller violin sized body. John Kale, formerly of The
Speaker 1: Velvet Underground, is one of the more notable users of
Speaker 1: such an electric viola, and he has used them both
Speaker 1: for melodies in his solo work and for drones in
Speaker 1: his work with The Velvet Underground. Other notable players of
Speaker 1: the electric viola are Jeffrey Richardson of Caravan and Ramsey.
Speaker 1: Instruments may be built with an internal pre amplifier or
Speaker 1: may put out an unbuffered transducers signal. While such signals
Speaker 1: may be fed directly to an amplifier or mixing board,
Speaker 1: they often benefit from an external preamp equalizer on the
Speaker 1: end of a short cable before being fed the sound system.
Speaker 1: In rock and other loud systems, the electric viola player
Speaker 1: may use effects units, such as reverb or overdrive,