Viola fest【For Viola Trio or Quartet / For Violin and Viola Ensemble】 Vol. 1

 【INTRODUCTION】

ViolaFest is an eclectic collection of original viola duets, trios and quartets. They cover a range from the easiest pieces in Volume 1, which can be played by violists with very little experience, through to the most complicated pieces in Volume 2, which could challenge advanced players.

All pieces are in score form. In addition, individual parts are provided for the two pieces in ViolaFest Volume 2 where the score is longer than three pages. The ensembles are voiced so that the highest notes are played by Viola 1.

The optional violin parts allow violin players to join with violists. One or more parts to each piece have been transcribed into treble clef. The violin scores include both violin and viola lines so that players can see what is happening in all parts.

ViolaFest Volume 1 contains pieces which are suitable for beginning through intermediate level viola players, or for violinists who are learning the alto clef. Several duets have one part which uses only open strings, along with a melody part for a teacher or more experienced student.

In my own studio, violin students at an intermediate level and beyond have the opportunity to play the viola, and they want an interesting musical experience as they learn the new clef. They can read the easiest of these pieces the first day they pick up a viola.

Many of the Volume 1 pieces are written so that all parts are of equal difficulty. They use a variety of finger patterns, and sometimes the rhythms are more challenging than the pitches. All of Volume 1 can be played in first position, and all viola parts are in the alto clef.

The pieces in ViolaFest Volume 2 are more challenging than those in Volume 1. Some involve shifting, and Viola 1 parts frequently use both alto and treble clefs. Finger markings are kept to a minimum, and only the first note in a new position is marked when the notes go above the range of first position.

Most of ViolaFest was written during a sabbatical in Europe. The pieces use a variety of musical styles, some influenced by the folk music of Europe, others more contemporary in sound. Some of the titles reflect where they were written.

I owe an enormous debt of gratitude my many friends, colleagues and students who played these pieces with me and helped edit them. I especially wish to Karen Barg Camacho, Laurel Howard, Dee Martz, Carolyn Meyer, Karen Moffatt and Lewis Rosove for their generous help and wise suggestions. ViolaFest is dedicated to my eternally supportive husband Peter, and I hope that these pieces will always be a reminder of our idyllic sabbatical in Switzerland and France.

Enjoy !

Joanne Martin