Viola in music Blog

Jun 06, 2021

20% off Viola play-alongs!
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Hundreds of discounted viola play-along, sheet music with accompaniment CD.

Now you can play with your own orchestra or other instruments! For players of all levels, beginners and advanced, from classical chamber music (Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Puccini...), solos and concertos (Hoffmeister, Mozart, Stamitz, Telemann) to folk music and famous movie tunes (Disney, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Lord of the Rings) and much more!

For you and as a gift idea. Take advantage of this special offer!

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Hundreds of titles for you"

May 10, 2021

Viola in Music's Collection of 13 famous tunes: My Bonnie, Danny Boy..

Buy Viola in Music's Collection written for viola in alto clef, enjoy playing them instantly! My love is like a red, red rose, Skye boat song, Fanny Power etc.

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Dec 16, 2020

📆 17 December 🎶Happy 250th birthday, Beethoven!🎻

Read more about Beethoven music and the viola and listen to it

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Feb 03, 2020

Valentine music. Famous romantic classical music, for viola and all instruments

Here you'll find Valentine music for your romantic night party, to impress your partner or to play at a gig! Mp3, MIDI and printable sheet music to download

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Feb 03, 2020

Valentine sheet music, for viola & instruments. Famous romantic music for a gig

String quartet & string orchestra Valentine sheet music for a special, romantic night. Famous love songs, Gershwin’s I've Got A Crush On You, Porter’s Night & Day, Presley’s Love Me Tender. Unmissable

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Jan 27, 2020

Kegelstatt Trio: clarinet, viola & piano by Mozart. A jewel with viola

Mozart’s Kegelstatt Trio K498 is another beautiful work for viola with clarinet & piano. He played the viola with his friend Stadler & a piano pupil. Listen

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Jan 27, 2020

Mozart Sinfonia Concertante for violin, viola & orchestra: a jewel

Listen to one the most beautiful music, Mozart Sinfonia Concertante for violin & viola (which he played) with orchestra. Unusaully, cadenzas are by Mozart

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Jan 27, 2020

27 Jan. Biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, his music and the viola

27 January: Mozart's bithday. From the biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, find out what he thought of the viola, the music he wrote and played

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Dec 29, 2019

29 December: birthday of Lionel Tertis, famous viola player

Learn about Lionel Tertis, the viola player who first became a world famous viola virtuoso

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Dec 08, 2019

Antonin Dvorak, his music and the viola

From the biography of Antonin Dvorak, find out what he thought of the viola, the music he wrote and played

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Nov 22, 2019

Saint Cecilia, patron of musicians, played the viola?

Today is Saint Cecilia, the saint celebrated as patron of musicians. Find out why and who she was

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Nov 20, 2019

-20% Viola play-along sheet music & CD. Play with your own orchestra!

20% OFF Have fun with viola play-along CDs! Play the soloist part accompanied by orchestra, piano or other instruments. Enjoy your practice and rehearsals more

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Nov 11, 2019

Christmas Carols free MIDI files, for all instruments with sheet music

Find here a lot of Christmas Carols free MIDI files to download for viola with piano, violin, cello, string trio, quartet etc., with sheet music to download

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Nov 11, 2019

Christmas Carols Mp3 for 1, 2 violas & other instruments. All levels!

Christmas Carols Mp3 files, for viola and other instruments, with downloadable sheet music, for you to play during Christmas time

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Oct 01, 2019

Halloween music. Famous scary music for viola & instruments. MP3, MIDI

Halloween music for your scary night party, play quartet with invited ghosts, impress friends, have lot of fun! With simpler version. Printable, printed music

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Jul 28, 2019

Weber's opera Der Freischutz and the viola

The opera Der Freischutz and other Weber's works give the viola important parts. Here is a solo viola accompanying a whole aria. Listen to it

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Apr 02, 2019

Stage fright, its causes and cures - Are drugs the only remedy?

Find out what you can do to overcome stage fright & enjoy more your playing. Especially related to violin, viola, string playing, useful tips for all performers

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Mar 17, 2019

📆 17 March: St. Patrick's 🍀 day. Good for folk viola music

Readmore about folk viola musicand listen to it, guess who plays it...

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Jan 07, 2019

Farewell to Kato Havas: child prodigy, exceptional musician, teacher

Kato Havas is a very special teacher! She created a New Approach to string playing, from her you can learn not only how to prevent & eliminate physical injuries & stage fright related to VIOLA (and violin) playing, but also learn how to use music to really communicate freely

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Jan 03, 2019

Viola in music: History, the viola seen by famous composers & players

The role of the viola in music: learn about famous viola works, players, view and listen to beautiful viola music

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Nov 20, 2018

Scordatura: what is it? See a great example on the viola

Learn about the scordatura, or mistuning, a clever trick composers used for viola and other string instruments to improve their sonority and make performers' lives easier

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Sep 08, 2018

📆 8 September: Antonin Dvorak, great composer, violist, conductor

Today, 8 September, in 1841, a great composer, conductor and also viola player, was born! Another of the many composers who played the viola.

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Sep 03, 2018

I help professional viola and violin players play freely

I help professional violin and viola players play without aches & pains, tendonitis and paralyzing stage fright.

If you're interested in playing more freely and enjoying it more, click the link below to learn more.

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Aug 25, 2018

📆 25 August: Leonard Bernstein, great composer, pianist, conductor, educator

Today, 25 August, in 1918, a genius, great composer, pianist, conductor, educator, was born!

The year 2018 is the centenary of his birth.

He dedicated a beautiful, moving melody to the viola, listen to it and celebrate his birthday!

Read more about Leonard Bernstein and listen to Somewhere on the viola!

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Aug 23, 2018

📆 23 August: William Primrose,
the Hollywood star viola!

Today, 23 August, in 1904, the first star of the viola was born, he actually got a Hollywood star!

He was a wonderful player and also commissioned many viola works, the best known of which is Bartok viola concerto.

There is something special in his playing, even (or maybe especially) when he plays just a few slow notes, that I find very touching, while instead I find a lot of other players are stiff, soulless, dead. His playing is perfectly accurate yet flexible, fluid, with a myriad of nuances.

Read more about William Primrose and listen to his amazing playing!

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the Hollywood star viola!"

Jul 13, 2018

Are you a professional viola or violin player struggling to play and work because of pain or nerves?

I help professional viola and violin players play without aches & pains, tendonitis and paralyzing stage fright.

If you're interested in playing more freely and enjoying it more, click the link below to learn more.

Continue reading "Are you a professional viola or violin player struggling to play and work because of pain or nerves?"

Mar 21, 2018

📆 21 March: Bach, composer who loved and played the viola

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Mar 20, 2018

Bernstein's Somewhere features a solo viola! Happy 100th birthday!

Did you know that Bernstein's Somewhere, from West Side Story, features a solo viola? Listen to this wonderful melody and play it yourself. Celebrate year 2018, the centenary of his birth

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Dec 13, 2017

Music gift ideas for a musician or music lover

Need an original, great idea for a music gift? Find here the perfect music gift ideas for a musician or a music lover

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Nov 25, 2017

Stamitz Viola concerto: read here, you'll love it!

Read and listen to Carl Stamitz viola concerto, a lovely piece by a virtuoso viola player, one of the best known concertos for viola. Listen to the whole work, find sheet music

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Oct 11, 2017

Harold in Italy, Symphony with solo viola by Hector Berlioz

Berlioz's Harold in Italy is one of the most exciting viola and orchestra compositions, read about its origin, who was it written for? Listen to it, find recordings and sheet music

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Oct 07, 2017

Rebecca Clarke and the viola

Rebecca Clarke was a woman composer and viola player who composed chamber music also with viola

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Mar 14, 2017

📆 14 March: Telemann, composer of first viola concerto

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Mar 08, 2017

📆 8 March: Women's day with a viola player and composer

Read more about Rebecca Clarke, woman viola player and composer and listen to her music

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Mar 06, 2017

📆 6 March: op.127 Quartet premièred by Beethoven's teased friend

Today, 6 March, in 1825, Beethoven's Quartet op.127 was premièred. The quartet's first violin, Ignaz Schuppanzigh, was a famous violinist who also played the viola, actually started with it. He was a close friend of Beethoven's who used to tease him because he was fat and composed a little joke about him.

Read Read more about this Famous violinist who played the viola and listen to a musical joke

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Mar 04, 2017

📆 4 March: Vivaldi's birthday. Did he compose viola concertos?

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born today in 1678. He didn't compose viola concertos although his viola d'amore concertos are sometimes performed on the viola.

Read more about Antonio Vivaldi viola concerto and listen to it

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Feb 23, 2017

📆 23 February: Handel's birthday. "Non-composer" of famous viola concerto

Georg Friederich Handel was born today in 1685. A viola concerto bears his name but was not actually composed by Handel, although he could have well written it.

Indeed, in some of his operas he gave the violas an important role and composed some arias with solo viola accompaniment.

Read more about Handel viola concerto and listen to it

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Feb 22, 2017

📆 22 February: Bowen's birthday. Composer and viola player, friend with Tertis

York Bowen was born today in 1884. English pianist, composer, organist, horn and viola player. He was friend with the viola soloist pioneer Lionel Tertis and played at the piano with him.

With his viola works, Bowen helped Tertis in his efforts to make the viola become more popular.

Read more about York Bowen and listen to his music

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Feb 21, 2017

📆 21 February: Kalliwoda's birthday. Famous violin player who also played the viola

Johann Kalliwoda was born today in 1801. He was a Bohemian violinist, composer and conductor, Kapellmeister.

He was another famous violin player who also played the viola and composed music for it.

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Feb 17, 2017

📆 16 February: Urhan's birthday. First performer of Harold en Italie

Chrétien Urhan was born today in 1790. He was a French viola player, violinist and composer, the principal viola of Paris Opéra and very religious man.

Berlioz asked him to perform the viola solo in the première of Harold en Italie and Meyerbeer wrote the viola d’amore solo in the first act of Les Huguenots for him. Urhan performed Harold in Italy at the Paris Conservatoire in 1834 and several times in the following years always with great success.

Read more on Harold in Italy

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Feb 17, 2017

📆 17 February: Vieuxtemps's birthday. Famous violin player played the viola

Virtuoso violin player played and composed for the viola. Listen to his music

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Feb 16, 2017

📆 15 February: Fuchs's birthday. Praised by Brahms

Composed composed orchestral works, much chamber music especially for strings, duos trios, quartets, Viola Sonata and 6 Fantasy pieces (Phantasiestücke) for viola & piano,

"Fuchs is a splendid musician; everything is so fine and so skilful, so charmingly invented, that one is always pleased".

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Feb 10, 2017

📆 9 February: Ferdinando Carulli's birthday. Virtuoso guitar player and composer

Ferdinando Carulli was born on 9 February in 1770. He was an important virtuoso guitar player who composed much chamber music for guitar, also with the viola.

Read more about Carulli and listen to his music with viola

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Feb 08, 2017

📆 8 February: Birthday of a (different) Hollywood star who composed a viola concerto

On a different page I mentioned the viola player William Primrose being a Hollywood Star of Recording in the Walk of Fame.

Now here is a different Hollywood Star, although he is not (yet?) in the Walk of Fame, who has to do with the viola.

John Williams was born today in 1932. He is an American pianist, composer and conductor. He is famous for having composed perhaps countless scores with the music for some of the most famous Hollywood movies, including Jaws, Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman, E.T., Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List and some of the Harry Potter.

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Feb 08, 2017

📆 8 February: A viola player is a Hollywood Star!

Today, 8 February, in 1960 the name of a viola player was included in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as a Star of Recording. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a boulevard in Los Angeles with brass stars embedded in the sidewalks, honouring achivement in the entertainment industry.

This star was William Primrose. Other classical musicians that I found included there are the opera singers Maria Callas, Enrico Caruso, Richar Crooks, the violinists Fritz Kreisler, Jasha Heifetz, Yehudi Menuhin and Mischa Elman, the pianists Arthur Rubinstein and Vladimir Horowitz, the composer George Gershwin, conductors Arturo Toscanini, Leonard Bernstein and Zubin Mehta, just to name a few, but there are many more.
Read more about the viola Star of Recording and listen to it

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Feb 03, 2017

📆 3 February: Mendelssohn's birthday: He played viola and composed a viola sonata

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy was born today in 1809. Besides being a child prodigy pianist and composer, he played the viola well enough to play chamber music with noted musicians. He composed a Sonata in c minor for viola and piano when he was 15. He also wrote interesting parts for violists in his orchestral works, like for examples The Hebrides ouverture, one of my favourite ones.
Read more about Mendelssohn viola sonata and listen to it

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Feb 03, 2017

📆 2 February: Fritz Kreisler & Jascha Heifetz Two top violinists played with a viola Hollywood star

2 top violinists who played with a viola star were born today, 2 February: Fritz Kreisler in 1875 and Jascha Heifetz in 1901. Both are considered among the top violinists of the last century, for different aspects: Kreisler for his seemingly effortless execution, Heifetz for his flawless technique. Kreisler was also a composer and composed dozens of pieces in the ‘olden style’ which he attributed to various almost unknown 18th-century composers, thus misleading many experts. Both played with the viola virtuoso William Primrose. Read more about William Primrose and listen to him play

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Feb 01, 2017

📆 1 February: Puccini's Manon Lescaut premièred. The famous opera features a viola solo

The opera Manon Lescaut by Giacomo Puccini was performed for the first time today, 1 February, in 1893 at La Scala opera house in Milan. It features an orchestral Intermezzo opened by a cello solo, dialoguing with a viola and a violin, concluding with the viola solo. Then the Intermezzo proceeds with the full orchestra. It is a short solo, much shorter than the one in Der Freischutz mentioned a few days ago, but very intense. This piece too is often in the list of solos at orchestra auditions for principal viola.">
Read more about Famous viola solos and listen to Manon Lescaut

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Jan 31, 2017

📆 31 January: Schubert's birthday. A work of his played on the viola would be otherwise almost unheard

Franz Schubert was born on 31 January 1797. He was a prolific composer in a very short life, he played the viola himself in his family string quartet. He composed a sonata for Arpeggione and piano which is usually played on the viola. Read more about Franz Schubert and listen to his music

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