Viola Repertoire Notes

Recently looked at viola repertoire by difficulty, and also pieces transcribed from cello by their difficulties as played on cellos. I am an "early advanced" player and so I focus on pieces in the intermediate and advanced difficulty ranges. I am interested mostly in Baroque to Romantic pieces, thus I ignore most 20th century works (like Bartok, Hindemith, Walton). (Note: After compiling, I found my old file summarizing Henry Barrett's repertoire, so I unsystematically slot some of the works shown there in the list already writen.)

 

Early Intermediate: ("Level 4")

- Core: Vivaldi sonatas

- Marcello (easiest) and Vivaldi (e.g. edited by Primrose) sonatas are good pieces for sight-reading practice

- If need to perform, the concertos of Telemann and Handoshkin can be considered

 

Intermediate: ("Level 5")

- Core: Bach Suite #1 & #2

- Suzuki volume 6 (with Brahms Hungarian Dance #5, Bach Double)

- Concertos: Vanhal, Benda, Zelter; probably Monn Cello Concerto in g minor if transcribed to viola 

- Other pieces: Mendelssohn Songs without Words Op.109 (but in Suzuki book 8), Elgar Salut d'Amour; Bruch Canzone op.55

 

Late Intermediate: ("Level 6)

- Core: Bach Suite #3, Casadesus / J.C. Bach concerto in C minor (in Suzuki 6/7)

- Pieces written for viola: Clarke Passacaglia on an Old English Tune, Vaughan Williams Suite; Schumann Marchenbilder, Lizst Romance Oubliee

- Concertos: J. Schubert; A. Stamitz Viola concerto #3 in G

- Concertante pieces transcribed from violin: Beethoven Romances #1/#2, Monti Czardas

- Small violin pieces: Kreisler Liebesleid/Liebesfreud; Corelli sonatas op.5 (excludes La Folia)

- Bruch Kol Nidre, probably Brahms Cello sonata op.38 

- I love Boccherini Cello Sonata in G major (transcription from imslp); Schubert Ave Maria (Suzuki 7) is also nice

- I have also transcribed Chopin Op.3 and play it on 5-string viola

 

Early Advanced: ("Level 7")

- Core: Bruch Romanze Op.85, Bach Suite #4, Hoffmeister Concerto #1 in D

- Suzuki: Casadesus/Handel concerto (Vol 7), Vol 8, Hummel sonata (vol 9)

- Most sonatas written for viola are at this level: Mozart duo K.423/424, C. Stamitz Viola Sonata in B flat; Mendelssohn sonata in c minor, Hummel Fantasie, Boccherini viola sonata in c minor, Vanhal

- Studies: Campagnoli caprices, Fuchs 15 Characteristic Studies   

- Transcriptions from violin: Telemann Solo Fantasias, Corelli La Folia, Dvorak Romance, Kreisler Praeludium & Allegro

- Bach: Brandenberg Concerto #6, 3 da Gamba sonatas

- Bruch Double Concerto Op.88 probably falls here

- Also popular with cellists: Schuman Adagio & Allegro Op.70, Boccherini cello Sonata in A

- Most orchestral excerpts (those published by IMC are either this or the prior level)

- If transcribed from cello to viola, CPE Bach Concerto in A minor and Saint-Saens cello concerto would probably fall near the ends of this broad level

 

Advanced: ("Level 8")

- Core: Bach Suite #5 & #6, Schubert Arpeggione Sonata, Stamitz Concerto in D, Mozart Sinfonia Concertante K.364

- Solo show pieces: Vieuxtempts' Cappricio, Rolla's Escerzio ed Arpeggio

- Other native or semi-native viola pieces: Glinka sonata, Beethoven Notturno op.42, Weber Andante e Rondo Ungarese, York Bowen concerto, Brahms Sonatas Op.120 (#1, #2)

- Some transcriptions from violin: Brahms sonata op.78, Vitali Chaccone, Biber Passacaglia

- I am starting to learn Beethoven Cello Sonata #3 Op.69; Brahms cello sonata #2 op.99, if transcribed, would be at this level

- Many interesting cello concertos, if transcribed, would fall in this level: Haydn Concerto in C (#1), Boccherini/Grutzmacher Concerto in B flat, CPE Bach concerto in A major, Lalo 

 

Very Advanced: ("Level 9")

- Viola concertos: Berlioz's Harold in Italy, Paganini's Sonata for Gran Viola (which is actually a concerto)

- Bach's solo violin sonatas and partitas (the most difficult ones like Chaconne are definitely this level)

- Paganini: Caprices and La Campanella 

- Vieuxtemps' Sonata in B flat, op.36
- Handel-Halvorsen's duos: Passacaglia and Sarabande

- Lilian Fuch's: Sonata Pastorale, probably her 12 Caprices and 16 Fantasy Studies

- Cello concertos: Brahms' Double, Haydn Concerto in D (#2), Dvorak; I am not sure if Schumann or Elgar concertos or Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations have been transcribed