6 replies to this topic

[chaia]

I am looking for duet suggestions for violin and viola

Violin parts at around grade 5-6 level
Viola player is advanced so level is less of an issue

We both have a liking for baroque music, but will consider anything classical, also like Mozart, Beethoven, dvorak

Any suggestions?

[fsharpminor]

See here, and previous page

 

http://imslp.org/ind...or M.)#mw-pages

[Dumbarton Oaklet]

I doubt you'd find any Dvorák: although he was a good violist, he wrote very little chamber music for his instrument, beyond the (wonderful and grossly underestimated) string quartets. If you're willing to venture beyond the nineteenth century, the Bartók violin duos have been transcribed (by Péter Bartók) for viola, and between the two parts, it's easy enough to figure out how to play them in a violin-viola combination. They have quite a range of difficulty, some easily within the range of an early intermediate player, and they are *lots* of fun to play.

[Arundodonuts]

Well the Mozart duos are an obvious first choice.

http://imslp.org/wik...lfgang_Amadeus)

[chaia]

I doubt you'd find any Dvorák: although he was a good violist, he wrote very little chamber music for his instrument, beyond the (wonderful and grossly underestimated) string quartets. If you're willing to venture beyond the nineteenth century, the Bartók violin duos have been transcribed (by Péter Bartók) for viola, and between the two parts, it's easy enough to figure out how to play them in a violin-viola combination. They have quite a range of difficulty, some easily within the range of an early intermediate player, and they are *lots* of fun to play.

Thanks for the suggestion I will check that out. I'd like to try some Bartok, I assumed it was beyond me!

I've never played any Mozart but listened to some, again I wasn't sure what was around my level of playing, I'll have a look at the duos

[Dumbarton Oaklet]

I doubt you'd find any Dvorák: although he was a good violist, he wrote very little chamber music for his instrument, beyond the (wonderful and grossly underestimated) string quartets. If you're willing to venture beyond the nineteenth century, the Bartók violin duos have been transcribed (by Péter Bartók) for viola, and between the two parts, it's easy enough to figure out how to play them in a violin-viola combination. They have quite a range of difficulty, some easily within the range of an early intermediate player, and they are *lots* of fun to play.

Thanks for the suggestion I will check that out. I'd like to try some Bartok, I assumed it was beyond me!
I've never played any Mozart but listened to some, again I wasn't sure what was around my level of playing, I'll have a look at the duos

Mention of the Mozarts reminds me: if you want some very easy (I suspect dumbed-down) Mozart, when I was in the first year of learning,I found *12 Easy Duets for Violin and Viola* on virtualsheetmusic.com, which I was able to download for a very nominal fee, so you might try looking there. I found the Bartók duos much more interesting, but that's just the direction my taste runs. I certainly enjoyed doing all sorts of violin-viola duets, though, so I wish you all joy with that!

[papagena]

The Bartok duets are a lot of fun.  Definitely try them if you like Bartok at all. I'm about a beginning intermediate player.  (I don't know grade level b/c  I don't to abrsm exams/material.)  I just finished #14 of the 44 duets.  It usually takes me a 2-3 of weeks to learn both parts well enough to play w/ my teacher.  I.e., not recital ready, not even memorized.  I play them to help my reading and to have short musical pieces to practice bits and pieces of technique in.

 

The pieces are a bit deceptive.  On the one hand, they are often easier than they look.  Every pieces I've played has been in first position and most of the time the pattern of fingering is the same or very similar through the piece, it just changes strings.  On the other hand, there are all sorts of little "tricks" and things going on.  Odd key signatures, odd time signatures, keys playing against one another.  So the fact that the left hand is often easy is a good thing! The two parts play off each other in interesting ways. They are true duets in that you really need both lines to get/hear the overall piece.   Bartok did a great job putting these together.