Lee Hsiaopei PDF

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
May 12th, 2005

Date:___________________
Hsiaopei Lee
I, _________________________________________________________,
hereby submit this work as part of the requirements for the degree of:
Doctor of Musical Arts

in:
Viola
It is entitled:
"The History of Viola Transcriptions and A Comprehensive Analysis
of the Transcription for Viola and Piano of Beethoven's Violin

Sonata Op. 30, No. 1"
This work and its defense approved by:

Catharine Lee Carroll
Chair: _______________________________
Piotr Jan Milewski
_______________________________
Michael D. Fiday
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
The History of Viola Transcriptions and A Comprehensive Analysis of the Transcription for
Viola and Piano of Beethovens Violin Sonata Op. 30, No. 1
A thesis submitted to the
Division of Research and Advanced Studies

of the University of Cincinnati
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS
in the Division of Performance Studies of
the College-Conservatory of Music
2005
by
Hsiaopei Lee
B.M., National Taiwan Normal University, 1996
M.A., Columbia University, 1999
Committee Chair: Catharine Lee Carroll, DMA
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this thesis is to discuss the transcription of Beethovens Violin Sonata Op.
30, No. 1 in A major into a work for viola and piano. This transcription will add greatly to the
lacking solo viola literature by transitional composers of Classical to Romantic period, increase
the viola repertoire for performers, and give viola instructors more choices to help their students
learn the style of early nineteenth-century music. Furthermore, the performance of this
transcription will enhance violists understanding of one of the most important composers in
music history.
The crux of this thesis contains a history of viola transcriptions, the relevance of
transcription, the difficulties encountered when transcribing a work for viola using specific
examples both from my own transcription and other arrangements, and a discussion of the
methodology behind these kinds of transcriptions with particular emphasis on my own
transcription of Beethovens Violin Sonata Op. 30, No. 1 in A Major. This thesis includes a
complete transcription of Beethovens Violin Sonata Op. 30, No. 1, with separate viola and piano
parts. In addition, this work serves as a valuable document for the transcription of viola literature,
a practical guide for choosing and arranging music, and an educational as well as artistic
contribution to the viola literature.
ii
iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to express my sincere gratitude to my committee chair and also viola professor, Dr.
Catharine Lee Carroll, for her inspiration for this thesis as well as countless advice on
performing music, scholarly studies and life experience. I would like to thank another viola
professor Masao Kawasaki for his valuable suggestion when arranging the transcription, and his
tireless efforts to foster intellectual curiosity through his teaching. Without their support and
guidance, I would not be the musician I am.
Thank you to my committee members, Dr. Michael D. Fiday and Dr. Piotr J. Milewski.
Many thanks for your interest in my work and advice. Dr. Fidays careful reading has made this
thesis more complete and reader-friendly. Dr. Milewskis special sharing of his opinions about
Beethovens violin sonatas was helpful for this work.
Special thanks to Mom and Dad for their constant support and understanding of my musical
career pursuit. Thank you for always believing in me and my abilities, and your patience while I
fulfill my dreams
iv
CONTENTS
LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES ..
CHAPTER
1.
INTRODUCTION
2.
RECENT VIOLA TRANSCRIPTIONS ..
10
3.
LITERATURE TRANSCRIBED BY THE COMPOSER
15
Johannes Sebastian Bach
15
Ludwig van Beethoven ..
16
Johannes Brahms
17
Franz Schubert
19
Max Reger ..
20
LITERATURE TRANSCRIBED BY OTHER COMPOSERS .
22
Franz Liszt ..
22
Henri Vieuxtemps
23
Zoltan Kodaly ..
24
Hans Sitt ...
24
Benjamin Britten .
25
Lillian Fuchs
26
LITERATURE TRANSCRIBED BY VIOLISTS ...
28
4.
5.
6.
Lionel Tertis .
28
Paul Hindemith .
31
William Primrose ..
31
Paul Doktor ..
37
Milton Katims ..
39
Vadim Borissovsky .
41
Watson Forbes ..
42
Alan H. Arnold .
44
Others
45
THE PLACEMENT OF TRANSCRIPTIONS

IN THE VIOLA LITERATURE
47
7.
CHALLENGES WHEN TRANSCRIBING WORKS FOR THE VIOLA
55
8.
METHODOLOGY ..
63
An Overview of Beethoven Violin Sonata Op. 30, No. 1
63
Preparation
65
Transcribing Steps
66
First Movement
74
Second Movement
80
Third Movement 82
9.
CONCLUSION .
89
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
91
BEETHOVEN VIOLA SONATA OP. 30, NO. 1

Viola Part
Score
MUSICAL EXAMPLES
Example
Page
1. J. S. Bach, Cello Suite No. 4, Prelude, mm. 5
34
2. Antonio Vivaldi, Cello Sonata No. 1, IV. Allegro,

mm. 3442 (viola version)
35
3. Bach, Cello Suite No. 5, Allegro, mm. 94105 ..
36
4. Niccol Paganini, Caprice No. 3, mm. 18
57
5. Csar Franck, Violin Sonata, III. Recitativo-Fantasia,

mm. 3236 (violin part only) ..
68
6. Franck, Violin Sonata, III. Recitativo-Fantasia,

mm. 3236 (viola part / Schmidt)
68

mm. 3236 (viola part / Vieland)
69

mm. 3236 (viola part / Schwartz) ..
70

mm. 3236 (viola part / Carroll) ..
70
10. Johannes Brahms, Sonatensatz, mm. 254259 (violin part only) ..
72
11. Brahms, Sonatensatz, mm. 254259 (viola part only)
72
12. Ludwig van Beethoven, Violin Sonata Op. 30, No. 1, I, Allegro,
mm. 1019 (violin part only) . 75
13. Beethoven, Violin Sonata, I. Allegro, mm. 1019 (viola part only) ... 75
14. Beethoven, Violin Sonata, I. Allegro, mm. 3864 (violin part only) .. 76
15. Beethoven, Violin Sonata, I. Allegro, mm. 3864 (viola part only) .. 77
17. Beethoven, Violin Sonata, I. Allegro, mm. 101116 (viola part only) 78
22. Beethoven, Violin Sonata, II. Adagio, molto espressivo,
mm. 18 (viola part only) .. 81
mm. 4447 (viola part only) .. 81
26. Beethoven, Violin Sonata, III. Var. I, mm. 3352 (violin part only) .. 83
27. Beethoven, Violin Sonata, III. Var. I, mm. 3352 (viola part only) 83
28. Beethoven, Violin Sonata, III. Var. IV, mm. 90108 (violin part only) .. 85
29. Beethoven, Violin Sonata, III. Var. IV, mm. 90108 (viola part only) 85
30. Beethoven, Violin Sonata, III. Var. V, mm. 109119 (violin part only) .. 86
31. Beethoven, Violin Sonata, III. Var. V, mm. 109119 (viola part only) .. 86
32. Beethoven, Violin Sonata, III. Var. V, mm. 143163 (violin part only) . 87
33. Beethoven, Violin Sonata, III. Var. V, mm. 143163 (viola part only) .. 87
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Although viola literature developed concurrently with that of the violin since the
seventeenth century, it never attained the status of works for its smaller sibling. The viola had
been ignored for almost two hundred years by most composers, and many audiences were not
exposed to it because of this lack of stage time. This problem can be attributed to many
factors, such as its lack of repertoire, its neglect by composers, and its unpleasant sound,
among others. Fortunately, at the close of the eighteenth century, composers discovered its
charming voice and gave this instrument a new position of respect in both ensembles and solo
compositions.
The viola was erroneously considered to be a minor solo instrument by many people
for several centuries. As Berlioz noted, of all the instruments in the orchestra it is the viola
whose excellent qualities have been unappreciated for the longest time.1 There were very
few melodies written for this instrument in eighteenth century ensemble music. This
inequitable treatment arose out of composers misunderstanding of the instrument, the
infrequent writing in four voices (usually in five parts at the time), and the presence of
amateurs or weak violinists in the viola section.2 However, with the improvement of its
Hector Berlioz, Treatise on Instrumentation, trans. Theodore Front, enlarged and rev. Richard Strauss
(New York: E. F. Kalmus, 1948), 60.
2
Ibid.
7
construction, its rediscovery by modern composers, and the gradual shift from a five-part to a
four-part scoring, the viola slowly attained a greater status in the orchestra as well as in
chamber music, even being given a chance to shine now and then as a solo instrument. Prior
to the nineteenth century, this inattention to the viola by composers had resulted in a lack of
repertoire.
By the twentieth century the viola truly gained a position of great respect. Today,
there are many more composers creating works for this instrument due to the inspiration of
virtuoso twentieth century violists such as Paul Hindemith (1895-1963), William Primrose
(1903-1982), and Lionel Tertis (1876-1975). Some of these works include Hindemiths
fourteen viola pieces, the viola concertos of William Walton, Bela Bartok, Walter Piston, and
Alfred Schnittke, and the viola sonatas of Rebecca Clarke, Dimitri Shostakovich, and Arnold
Bax.
Violists have many twentieth-century pieces to choose from, yet little music from
earlier periods, especially from the transitional period between Classic and Romantic,
because of a gaping hole in the repertoire. After reviewing the major composers of this period,
I found that Beethoven did not compose a single original piece for the viola; therefore, I
decided that a transcription of his Violin Sonata Op. 30, No. 1 in A major for viola and piano
would provide violists with a viable performance piece characteristic of this transitional
period. The music is presented in a fully realized performance edition of viola part along with
a score with piano part. In the following chapters, I will provide a history of viola
transcription, discuss several important transcribers, describe the placement of these
transcriptions in the viola literature, and conclude with my own complete transcription of
Beethovens Viola Sonata, Op. 30, No. 1.
CHAPTER 2
RECENT VIOLA TRANSCRIPTIONS
The viola was seen for centuries as an accompanying instrument, and the
development of viola solo playing has lagged behind that of other string family members
except the double bass. Not until the beginning of the twentieth century did major growth of
the solo repertoire for viola occur and various viola schools in different regions of the world
emerge. In order to realize the potential of this new solo instrument and to enrich its own
literature, a large number of transcriptions from various musical eras were published in the
twentieth century.
Transcriptions represent a large portion of the viola literature, and are performed
frequently at viola recitals. Some examples are transcriptions of Schuberts Arpeggione
Sonata and Brahmss Sonatensatz; however, the viola scholar Franz Zeyringer holds a special
definition for transcribed music in his book Literature for Viola. Zeyringer categorizes viola
pieces into three groups: original works, borrowed works, and arrangements.3 The pieces
belonging to the second category are mostly early works for viola da gamba, an instrument
rarely used in modern time, or sketches of original viola music left incomplete by composers.
Today, many works in this borrowed work group are regarded as transcriptions or
arrangements by the public. As to the group of arrangements, only a selection of music is
Franz Zeyringer, Literatur fr Viola (Hartberg: Schnwetter, 1976), 52.

10
listed in Zeyringers book. Literature for Viola contains approximately nine thousand original
and borrowed works, along with three thousand selected arrangements. These numbers
clearly show the importance of transcriptions in the viola literature.
Performing pieces transcribed from works for other instruments is not unusual for
violists, especially since violists rely on such transcriptions to play music before the twentieth
century.4 Mostly, viola transcriptions derive from music of other string instruments due to the
similar idiomatic writing, especially from the cello. This is because both the viola and cello
share the same tuning, albeit an octave lower for the open strings of the cello. For this reason,
most cello works can be played on the viola with little changes and almost no balance
problems with the accompaniment. Other transcribed music for viola comes from the
repertoire of wind instruments such as the clarinet, bassoon, or French horn due to the
similarities in timbre. Zeyringer offers his opinion about the media used for these
transcriptions:
Most suitable, however, are arrangements of cello works, as they are merely
transposed at the octave and sometimes not at all. Arrangements of clarinet works also
lend themselves well. The tone of the clarinet is very much akin to that of the viola,
which is confirmed by the literature.5
Several concert pieces commonly programmed on recital programs nowadays are

arrangements or transcriptions. Examples of these works include J. S. Bachs Six Suites for
Ibid.
Ibid.
11
Cello and Three Sonatas for Viola da Gamba and Cembalo, BWV 1027-29, Robert
Schumanns Adagio and Allegro for horn, Franz Schuberts Arpeggione Sonata, and Johannes
Brahmss Two Sonatas for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 120, No. 1 and Op. 120, No. 2.
Although they never composed a solo piece featuring the viola, some major
composers including J. S. Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven were excellent violists. Beethoven,
for example, played the viola in the court orchestra of his native city of Bonn before he
permanently settled down in Vienna. His instrument is still on display there at the
Beethovenhaus. Unfortunately, he never completed a single original piece for the viola, only
leaving an unfinished manuscript of the beginning of a sonata, which is preserved in the
Universittsbibliothek in Frankfurt am Main.6 The only piece he left for viola is an
arrangement, Notturno in D Major for Viola and Piano, Op. 42, which was transcribed from
his String Trio, op. 8. This transcription was composed as a result of financial pressure, and is
generally considered a minor piece because of its meager composition, which I will further
discuss in the next chapter.7
Mozart was an excellent player on both the violin and viola, and was one of a handful
of composers who wrote a solo concerto part for the viola before the nineteenth century. He
played the viola in chamber ensembles with Haydn, Dittersdorf, and Vanhal. While Mozart
Ibid., 56.
Henry Barrett, The Viola: Complete Guide for Teachers and Students, 2d ed. (Tuscaloosa, Ala.:
University of Alabama Press, 1978), 2.
12
composed many violin sonatas and five violin concerti, he only featured the viola in the
Sinfonia Concertante K. 364 for violin and viola. This piece and his five viola quintets have
been recognized as some of the finest works in the viola literature; however, it is a great
misfortune that Mozart did not leave a concerto or sonata for viola.
Not until Berlioz did the viola been featured as a soloist on stage in front of the
orchestra. Although not a violist himself, he was one of the first composers to explore the
value of the viola. Harold in Italy was commissioned by Paganini in 1834 as a viola concerto,
but he never performed the piece since he felt it was too simple to show off his great
technical ability. After viewing the manuscript of the first movement, Paganini remarked,
there is not enough for me to do here. I should be playing all the time.8 This composition
cannot be considered a true viola concerto since the viola solo part does little more than
accompany the orchestra after the first movement. Rather, it is more like an orchestra work
with an obbligato viola part. However, this piece stands in equal significance with Mozarts
Sinfonia Concertante in the viola literature; violists believe both to be among the most
important and frequently performed viola solo works prior to the twentieth century.
The twentieth century was a high point for viola literature. A large number of viola
works in various guises were composed thenalmost all of the currently important solo viola
concerti come from this period. Violists now have a greater selection of pieces from which to
8
David Cairns, trans., The Memory of Hector Berlioz (London: V. Gollancz, Ltd., 1969), 225: quoted
in The History of the Viola, vol. 1 (Ann Arbor, Mich.: Braun-Brumfield, 1993), 192.
13
choose, but the hitherto limited and narrow solo repertoire cause balance issues on a recital
program. The restricted choices of works prior to the twentieth century limit the variety of
program choices. Although music scholars place importance on discovering viola works from
different music periods that were never published, arranging, transcribing or editing pieces
seems to be the most effective way to expand the viola repertoire from before the twentieth
century.
Viola transcriptions are generally done by the original composer, and in some cases
other composers and even violists take on this task. In the following chapters I will provide
several examples and pieces from each category.
14
CHAPTER 3
LITERATURE TRANSCRIBED BY THE COMPOSER
According to the New Harvard Dictionary of Music, music transcription has been a
common practice since the fourteenth century, exemplified in many Renaissance
compositions for keyboard instruments and lute which were translated from vocal works.9
This musical practice of reworking exists throughout the remaining history of music. Some
examples are Brahmss own arrangement of three orchestral Hungarian Dances for his piano
music for four hands, his Variations on a Theme by J. Haydn set from the orchestral version
for two pianos, and Ravels orchestral Tombeau de Couperin from his solo piano piece.10 In
this chapter, I will discuss some original transcriptions by major composers.
Johannes Sebastian Bach

J. S. Bach is one of the earliest masters who enjoyed the art of transcription. Not only
learning compositional technique by transcribing and rearranging works from other leading
composers, Bachs free exchange of material among his compositions shows that he
considered transcription as a new composition.11 Sir Donald Tovey (1875-1940), a respectful
Don Michael Randel, ed., The New Harvard Dictionary of Music (Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press
of Harvard University Press, 1986), 53, 866.
10
George S. Bozarth and Walter Frish, Johannes Brahms: Works, The New Grove Dictionary of
Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell, 2d ed., vol. 4 (New York: Grove, 2001), 20104.
11
Leslie D. Paul, Bach as Transcriber, Music & Letters 34, no. 4 (1953): 308.
15
musical scholar, used to call Bach the master who achieved the most astonishing translations
from one medium to the other, in admiration of his marvelous composition skill.12 Bachs
Sonata for Clavier and Viola da Gamba No. 1 in G, BWV 1027 from around 1720, was
originally a work for two flutes (BWV 1039). He later transcribed the work for the clavier
and viola da gamba in the late 1730s.13 Since the viola da gamba is not a common instrument
today, these three sonatas are often performed on the cello or the viola.
Ludwig van Beethoven

This arrangement practice can still been seen commonly in the Classical Period. Some
examples are the string quartets and trios by Mozart, who adapted Bachs fugues to his
compositions.14 As mentioned before, Beethoven left us with no original solo works for the
viola. The Notturno in D Major for Viola and Piano, Op. 42 is an arrangement of an earlier
work, the Serenade in D Major, Op. 8. This work was completed for financial purposes, by
either Beethoven or his piano pupil Ferdinand Ries (1784 1838).15 Apparently Beethoven
was not satisfied with this piece. In a letter to Franz Anton Hoffmeister (1754-1812) on
September 22, 1803, he wrote: The transcriptions are not my own but I have looked through
12
Ibid., 306.
13
Melvin Berger, Guide to Sonatas: Music for One or Two Instruments (New York: Anchor Books,
14
Randel, New Harvard Dictionary, 53.
1991), 6.
15
Ludwig van Beethoven, Notturno for Viola and Piano, Op. 42, rev. and ed. by Sydney Beck (New
York: G. Schirmer, 1949), iii-iv.
16
them and in places improve them. Therefore, I am not willing to have you state that I made
them, for that would be a lie and besides, I could find neither the time nor the patience for
such work.16 According to Henry Barrett, this work is not a masterpiece; consequently it
disappeared from publishers catalogues. Sydney Beck shares his idea about the piece on the
note of his new version of Beethovens Notturno:
On close analysis, it appears extremely doubtful that the composer spent much time
on this arrangement or that the revision could have gone, at most, beyond the
correction of a few details. Aside from numerous examples of bad taste, the awkward
writing for the keyboard could hardly have met with his approval, had he cared to take
the trouble to examine it critically. Neither could he have been pleased (especially
since he played the instrument himself) with the colorless treatment of the viola, even
in an arrangement ostensibly nothing more than a piano solo piece with an obbligato
viola part. These very weaknesses may account for the apparent lack of interest in the
arrangement and its disappearance from publishers catalogues after 1890.17
However, this piece finally returned to the viola repertoire with the more adequate
twentieth-century transcription by Sydney Beck.18
Johannes Brahms
The most famous examples of transcriptions in this category of works transcribed by
the original composers are by Johannes Brahms in the Romantic Period. Inspired by the
famous clarinetist Richard Mhlfeld (1856-1907), Brahms composed several pieces for
16
Ibid.
17
Ibid.
18
Barrett, The Viola, 2.

17
clarinet shortly before his death, representing a resurgence of new compositions in his later
years. His Two Sonatas for Clarinet and Piano (Op. 120, No. 1 and No. 2) were completed
during the summer of 1894 in Ischl, and were premiered by Mhlfeld and the composer for
the sister of the Duke of Meiningen on September 19, 1894.19 Later, these two works were
transcribed for viola by Brahms after Joseph Joachims suggestion, and published under the
title of Zwei Sonaten fr Klarinette (oder Bratsche) und Pianoforte von Johannes Brahms
Op. 120. Nr. 1 F moll, Nr 2 Es Dur in 1895.20 A violin version of these two pieces was also
published, but never gained prominence in the violin literature due to the existence of three
original violin sonatas by Brahms. In addition, the natural rich sonorities of both the viola and
the clarinet are well suited to evoking the unique melancholic feeling of Brahmss final
compositions.
According to Colin Lawson, Brahms seemed to prefer the viola and piano adaptation
of these sonatas, for he believed the combination of these instruments provided a better
blend.21 Other scholars also prefer this particular version. Malcolm MacDonald (1948- ), for
example, noted that the darker huskier tones of the viola seemed to fit the elusive mood better
than the wispy and transparent clarinet.22 Donald Francis Tovey (1875-1940) showed this
19
Roy E. Bennett, The Brahms Transcriptions of the Opus 120 Sonatas, American String Teacher 36
(Winter 1986): 7677.
20
Ibid., 78.
21
Colin Lawson, Brahms: Clarinet Quintet (Cambridge University Press, 1998), 41.
22
Ibid., 42.
18
opinion in his biography entitled Brahms:

The viola is querulous and strained just where the cantabile of the clarinet is warmest.
The lowest octave of the clarinet is of a dramatic blue-grotto hollowness and coldness,
where the fourth string of the viola is of a rich and pungent warmth. A comparison of
Brahmss viola part with his original clarinet part makes every difference of this kind
vividly real, and these viola versions deserve frequent performances in public.23
Brahms employed the same piano part for both the clarinet and viola versions, but
added double stops and made some register changes in the viola part in order to
accommodate the range and timbre of the instrument. As to which instrument is better suited
to present these pieces is a personal taste, and another topic for discussion. In any case, these
works hold an important place in their respective repertoires.
Currently there are several performance editions of the Brahms sonatas arranged for
viola. The major differences in these editions are the register changes and articulation
markings made by the editors. Each edition has a variety of distinction and is adapted by
various violists in their released recordings. Performers have many editions from which to
choose, depending on their interpretation of Brahmss music.
Franz Schubert
Schuberts Arpeggione Sonata D. 821 was written for his friend Johann Georg Staufer,
inventor of a bowed-guitar instrument called arpeggione.24 Since the instrument is no longer
23
Ibid.
19
used today, this sonata has become one of the most important pieces of the Romantic period
for the viola. This work is also frequently performed on the cello, double bass or classical
guitar, as well as on the violin, clarinet or flute. Whether borrowed or arranged, the
Arpeggione Sonata is certainly not an original viola piece, but its musicality allows it to be
performed on other instruments instead of vanishing along with the arpeggione itself.
Max Reger
Like Brahms, Max Reger (1873-1916) transcribed some of his clarinet compositions
for viola. Reger wrote three sonatas for clarinet and piano. The first two, Op. 49, were written
in 1900 after he heard a performance of Brahmss F Minor Clarinet Sonata.25 The Sonate
B-Dur Op. 107 was the last of the three completed in 1909, and was premiered by Reger
himself and the clarinetist Julius Winkler in the same year.26 Later, the composer transcribed
two versions of Op. 107, one for violin and the other for viola, probably under Brahmss
influence. In the liner notes of a recording featuring Regers compositions for violin, Guido
Barth-Purrmann considers these string versions of Op. 107 independent works since they
were performed more than four times between 1909 and 1913.
The performance dates of the sonata attest to the fact that he himself (Reger) was
24
Riley, The History of the Viola, 189.
25
Lawson, Brahmss Clarinet Quintet, 83.
26
Guido Barth-Purrmann, Max Regers Compositions for Violin and Piano, trans. Susan Marie
Praeder, in Max Reger, Violin Sonatas, Ulf Wallin and Roland Pntinen, CPO 999 75202, 2000, 18.
20
behind these versions in his role as composer and was not simply responding to the
publishers request to boost the safes figures of the printed music. . . .The string
versions are not at all to be regarded as arrangements. Rather, they are translations of
the text in keeping with the original, and the tonal modifications result from the
specific expressive scale of the particular stringed instrument.27
Wilhelm Altmann (1862 1951) believes this last clarinet sonata is an important work among
Regers compositions, and also well-suited for the viola.28 This work is an important part of
the viola repertoire, even chosen today as required repertoire for international competition.
27
Ibid., 19.
28
Wilhelm Altmann, Max Reger, Cobbetts Cyclopedic Survey of Chamber Music, ed. Walter
Willson Cobbett, vol. 2 (London: Oxford University Press, 1930), 283.
21
CHAPTER 4
LITERATURE TRANSCRIBED BY OTHER COMPOSERS
Many outstanding composers have enriched music repertory with their delicate
arrangements of other works of great musicality. Some well-known examples include
Busonis piano edition of Chaconne from Bachs violin composition, Ravels orchestral
version of Pictures at an Exhibition from Moussorgskys piano piece, and Weberns
orchestral arrangement of Musical Offering from Bachs organ work. In this chapter, I will
discuss similar arrangements in the viola repertoire.
Franz Liszt
Harold in Italy is one of the most important works in viola literature from before the
twentieth century. Cherished by violists, the work is regarded as one of Berliozs outstanding
compositions because of its brilliant orchestration. In 1836, Franz Liszt even created a piano
and viola version. In his edition, the piano plays the orchestral part, while the viola part
remains unchanged. Maurice Riley stated that Liszts piano part followed Berliozs
harmonization throughout but is restrained from many pianistic idiomatic writings. The piano
part also never departs from the original mood or character of the composition.29 This
version, like many of Liszts other transcriptions, is a challenge for many pianists. For violists,
29
Hector Berlioz, Harold en Italie; Symphonie en Quatre Parties, Avec un Alto Principal, Op. 16.
Partition de Piano (Avec la Partie dalto), ed. Maurice Riley (Michigan: University Music Press, 1959), ii.
22
it is not only a tool for rehearsing, but also a work suitable for a recital. According to Hugh
Macdonald, in a newly published version, more music is added to the viola line in the last
three movements:
The present arrangement is intended to make the work readily available to violists by
providing a more playable piano reduction of the orchestral part and by giving the
viola an element of the orchestral music when the soloist is otherwise silent. It may
thus serve for rehearsals of the orchestral version and as a challenging study for
violists.30
This edition provided more material on the viola part, which will increase its performance
opportunities in recital programs.
Henri Vieuxtemps
Henri Vieuxtemps (1820-1881) was an outstanding Belgian violinist and composer
in the late nineteenth century. Several of his violin compositions have become part of the
standard repertoire for violinists. Vieuxtemps also wrote several pieces for viola, including a
Sonata in B, Op. 36 (also for cello), Elegie, Op. 30 (scored for viola or cello and piano), and
Capriccio, Op. posth. These viola compositions display an operatic singing character and are
full of virtuostic violin style passages, as Vieuxtemps was a marvelous violinist and a
transcriber of many operatic airs for violin.
Not only a composer for viola, Vieuxtemps also transcribed works to contribute to
30
Hector Berlioz, Harold en Italie, Symphonie en 4 Parties Avec un Alto Principal, ed. by Hugh
Macdonald (Kassel; New York: Brenreiter, 2001), iii.
23
the viola library. One of these is the Caprice, Op. 55, a work originally for violin. Besides
arranging his own works, he also transcribed other composers pieces. Examples include the
transcription for viola and piano of Mozarts Clarinet Quintet, K. 581, and a short excerpt
from the French composer Flicien Davids (1810-1876) symphonic ode Le Dsert, La Nuit
into a viola work.
Zoltan Kodaly
The Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodalys (1882-1967) arrangement of Bachs
Fantasia Chromatica for viola solo is also a challenging piece in the viola literature. Violists
need a solid technique to be able to perform this work. Nonetheless, this piece is not
considered to be a well-composed work in Barretts view: The piece suffers in comparison
to the original in that there is a general lack of resonance. The arpeggiated passages are a
realization of chords in the harpsichord score and give the work, at quick glance, a startling
resemblance to the Paganini Caprices.31 However, this arrangement has become the selected
repertoire in important contests such as the Lionel Tertis Viola Competition.
Hans Sitt
Hans Sitt (1850-1922) was a violinist, composer, and the violist of the Brodsky
31
Barrett, The Viola, 3.

24
Quartet. He composed several works and etude books for viola, including the 15 Studies for
Viola, Op. 116, Practical Viola Method, Concertpiece in G minor for Viola and Piano, Op. 46,
Viola Concerto Op. 68, and Album Leaves for Viola and Piano, among others. Besides writing
music for viola, Sitt transcribed pieces from other composers, such as the Romance for viola
and piano by Max Reger, a work originally written for violin and piano.
Benjamin Britten
A pianist, composer, conductor, and violist, Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) was a
remarkable English musician in the twentieth century. Lachrymae Op. 48 was a piece
composed in 1950 and is frequently programmed in recitals. In 1932, Britten began arranging
for viola and piano a work from his teacher Frank Bridges (1879-1941) There is a Willow
Grows Aslant a Brook, which was originally composed for small orchestra. The arrangement
was finished in 1934, but was not performed publicly until 1988. The premiere of this work
was given by Nobuko Imai and Roger Vignoles on August 27th, 1988 as part of the Lionel
Tertis Competition and Workshop.32
32
Frank Bridge, There is a Willow Grows Aslant a Brook, arr. for Viola and Piano by Benjamin Britten
(London: Thames Publishing, 1990), i.
25
Lillian Fuchs
Known as one of the great American violists, Lillian Fuchs (1903-1995) was also a
teacher, violinist, and composer. Most of her compositions are for string instruments,
including a piano trio, a piano quartet, and several viola pieces and violin pieces inspired by
her brother, violinist Joseph Fuchs, who even encouraged Lillian to compose the piano
accompaniment for Paganinis Caprices for him to perform in the recitals.33 A violinist in her
early career, Fuchs sought to have influential composers and musical styles represented in her
viola repertoire. Mozart was one of her favorite composers, but unfortunately he did not write
a solo viola concerto. In order to remedy this situation, Fuchs realized that an adaptation of a
work for an instrument with similar musical and technical demands would suffice. She
transcribed Mozarts Violin Concerto in G Major, K. 216 for viola. She expressed this desire
in the forward of the publication:
It has been generally conceded that the absence of a Concerto for Viola by an
acknowledged classic master has left a serious void in the limited literature for the
instrument. In an endeavor to fulfill this need, I have chosen to recast the Mozart
Violin Concerto in G Major (Kchel No. 216) for the viola. This work possesses an
unusually dark register and an intimate beauty which, together with its color, range,
and technique make it most suitable to the peculiarities of the viola. I offer this
adaptation to all players of the viola with the sincere hope that it will, while enriching
the repertoire for the instrument, afford pleasure to both player and listener alike.34
33
Amde Daryl Williams, Lillian Fuchs, First Lady of the Viola (Lewiston: E. Mellen Press, 1994),
102.
34
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Concerto (Kchel No. 216) transcribed by Lillian Fuchs as Violin
Concert in G Major with Original Cadenzas (New York: M. Witmark, 1947), i.
26
Fuchs provides a classical cadenza in this transcription. According to David Sills, a former
viola professor who studied with Fuchs, the entire piece was not an unconscious
transformation of a violin edition, but was prepared as if it were a work originally intended
for viola.35 He believed that, the editing is no mechanical translation of a violin edition, but
was done as for a viola work, continuing the concept espoused in the study materials and in
the Sonata Pastorale. The Cadenzas are of superior quality, and might with profit be studied
by violinists as well.36 Although Fuchs designed her own score for viola and piano,
published in 1947, this transcription never gained much attention from violists.37
35
David Sills, The Viola Music of Lillian Fuchs, American String Teacher 35 (1985): 60.
36
Ibid.
37
Williams, Lillian Fuchs, 103.

27
CHAPTER 5
LITERATURE TRANSCRIBED BY VIOLISTS
To further expand the repertoire of the viola, many violists in the twentieth century
have not only commissioned works from current composers, but also made their own
arrangements of works from previous eras. Almost all of the prominent violists in the
twentieth century made important contributions to the viola repertoire by transcribing pieces
from other literature. Some of the most important violist transcribers include Lionel Tertis,
William Primrose (1904-1982), Paul Doktor (1919-1989), Milton Katims (1909-??), Vadim
Borissovsky (1900-1972), Watson Forbes (1909-1997), and Alan H. Arnold. Their
transcriptions provide a rich resource of performance literature and have inspired violists
following in their footsteps to continue expanding the viola library. Each of them has a
different viewpoint regarding the role of transcriptions in viola music. By comparing their
publications, each of them applies a different methodology to their editions. This chapter will
discuss some important violist transcribers in the twentieth century as well as their
approaches toward transcription.
Lionel Tertis
Lionel Tertis was the most influential English viola performer and teacher to make
significant efforts in extending the viola literature. He was the first of three outstanding
28
violists who switched from the violin to the viola during the first half of the twentieth century,
and demonstrated that the viola is a very viable instrument for recitals. Tertiss fine
performances not only proved the violas worth as a solo instrument, but also inspired the
numerous works composed specifically for him. Hence, composers were challenged to write
pieces for his instrument in an idiomatic style, and to treat the viola as a separate entity in the
family of stringed instruments.
Meanwhile, Tertis dedicated his entire life to arranging pieces for his chosen instrument.
In his book My Viola and I, he shares his attitude toward these transcriptions:
[Once] you become a viola-player one of your most important duties is to strive to
enlarge the library of solo viola music, by fair means or foul. Cajole your composer
friends to write for it, raid the repertory of the violin, cello or any other instrument,
and arrange and transcribe works from their literature suitable for your viola. The
Pecksniffan attitude that it is sacrilege to transpose works from the original to another
medium is fast disappearing. I have never had a qualm about making arrangements
myself, providing of course that they sound well on the viola. . . . My urge to add to
the library of viola music has always been strengthened by the fact that the great
masters themselves rearranged no end of their works, for all sorts of instruments and
combinations.38
Besides premiering contemporary compositions by composers such as Arnold Bax,

Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst, Thomas Dunhill, and York Bowen, Tertis arranged
numerous standard string works for viola.39 Examples of these transcribed pieces include
Elgars Cello Concerto, Brahms Cello Sonata in E Minor, Op. 38, Mozarts Clarinet
38
Lionel Tertis, My Viola and I: A Complete Autobiography (London: Paul Elek, 1974), 16162.
39
Sheila Nelson, The Violin and Viola (London: Ernest Benn Limited, 1972), 191.
29
Concerto, and Mendelssohns Songs Without Words, Op. 19.40 Meanwhile he also transcribed
several important violin method books for the viola, including the Sevciks School of
Technique Op. 1, School of Bowing Technique, Op. 2, and Changes of Position and
Preparatory Scale Studies, Op. 8. These transcribed method books have become essential
pedagogical resources.
In addition to transcribing solo works for viola, Tertis also arranged and performed
pieces for viola ensembles. One example is Beethovens Trio for Two Oboes and English
Horn, Op. 87, which he transcribed for three violas. These viola chamber compositions not
only enriched the viola library, but also gave violists a particular pleasure and satisfaction to
work and perform together as a group.
Tertis not only transcribed and published works for the viola, but he also frequently
performed these arrangements in concerts, and distributed the music to his students. Several
of his recordings usually included some arranged or transcribed pieces along with works
written for him. His great effort to promote the viola as a true solo instrument was
indisputable and his numerous transcriptions not only expanded the viola library, but
encouraged later violists to continue his pioneering efforts.
40
Tertis, My Viola, 172.

30
Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith was a famous performer, composer, conductor, and teacher during the
first half of the twentieth century. A great violist himself, he composed over twenty pieces for
the instrument. In addition to debuting his own works, he also premiered concerti by other
composers such as William Walton and Darius Milhaud. Even though Hindemith did not
leave a single transcription for violists, he contributed much new music, including four viola
concertos, six pieces for viola and piano and four for unaccompanied viola.41 Hindemiths
compositions for viola have become the basic repertoire for every violist. His viola concerto
Der Schwanendreher is considered equally important as the ones from Bla Bartok and
William Walton.
William Primrose
Completing this remarkable triumvirate of twentieth century violists is William
Primrose. Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999) put it tersely: If Lionel Tertis was the first
protagonist, Primrose was certainly the first star of the viola. Although William Primrose did
not study with Tertis, Tertiss gained acceptance as a violist by audiences in London
influenced Primroses career decision to play an instrument just beginning to establish itself
in solo repertoire.
41 David D Boyden and Ann M. Woodward, Viola, Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy; available
from http://www.grovemusic.com.proxy.libraries.uc.edu; Internet; accessed 4 April 2005.
31
Encouraged by Eugene Ysye, Primrose pursued his career as a violist after studying
a few years with him.42 This change made his name synonymous with the viola just as the
name Heifetz was with the violin in the worldwide music circle. He became the most sought
after solo violist and performed the existing major works for viola and orchestra, such as
Berliozs Harold in Italy and Mozarts Symphonie Concertante K. 364. To expand material
for recitals and increase engagements with orchestras, Primrose arranged and transcribed
many works for these performances and published them with his own bowings and fingerings.
In these publications, Primrose gave distinct bowings and fingerings that are different from
the traditional violin markings. In the foreword of the Bach Cello Suites, he pointed out the
inappropriate approach to fingerings:
[To] finger the viola as one would the violin is one of the greatest transgressions
among players today, especially those violinists who are under the impression that
performance on the viola is no more or less than playing on a big fiddle. Such blithe
ignorance I deplore, and in my book on viola playing and technique I suggest that it is
just such an approach that has caused the instrument to be regarded by the public as
the dull dog of the string family.43
Three principles that Primrose followed while editing fingerings and bowings are the frequent
use of open strings and natural harmonics, superior application of adjacent fingers, and
greater exploit of string crossings.44 Furthermore, Primrose disagreed with the idea of
42
Riley, vol. 1, 231.
43
Johann Sebastian Bach, Five Suites for Viola, Great Performance Edition, ed. William Primrose
(G. Schirmer, Inc. 1978), 34.
44
Ibid.
32
blocking positions, so he suggested that his students consider the instrument as of one
position, and adapted the use of extensions as much as possible.45
Primrose believed that one of the most unique characters of the viola was its sonority,
especially the sound of its open strings. Although the pitches of the top three strings on the
viola match the lower three strings of the violin, these open strings do not carry the same
sound quality. He strongly encouraged violists to use more open strings and harmonics to
stress this distinction:
First of all, my attention was drawn to the different approach to viola fingerings when
studying the many editings of Lionel Tertis. I have steadily maintained that a much
freer use of the open strings and natural harmonics is not only permissible but suits
the sonorities obtainable on the viola, where a similar resort to fingering would prove
disconcerting in the case of the violin.46
Keeping the fingerings as simple as possible is Primroses rule for good performance.
Primroses regulations about using more open strings and harmonics not only bring out the
special sound sonority of the viola, but also ease technical difficulties in the meantime.
Without these technical restrictions, players can focus more on the music itself and gain more
room to express their musical ideas. Primrose gives an example to support his idea of using
more harmonics: For instance, I use a great many harmonics in the 5th Caprice of Paganini.
It is well-known to violists that due to the size of the instrument, there is much difference in
45
Applebaum, William Primrose, The Way They Play, vol. 1, 253.
46
Bach, Five Suites for Viola, ed. Primrose, 4.

33
fingerings and in the use of shifts.47

Motivated by the violinist Josef Szigeti (1892-1973), Primrose used many adjacent
fingers on broken fifths.48 Considering the tension created in the left hand while pressing
down the interval of the fifth, Primrose suggests players try adjacent fingers to avoid the
stiffness. Examples are the fingerings in his edition of the E-flat Bach Suite:
However, the player needs to have a much more flexible left hand to handle the extra shifting
while trying this technique. In my opinion, this kind of shifting is more suitable for players
who have bigger hands or own a relatively small viola.
Bariolage is the string crossing skill that is often used to make timbre changes. In
considering the character of the piece and the effect of the sound quality on the melodic line,
47
48
Bach, Five Suites for Viola, ed. Primrose, 4.

34
using string crossings sometimes is a better choice than shifting on the same string. This kind
of example can be found in most of Primroses published music. The following music is an
example of Bariolage. Primrose transcribed six Vivaldi cello sonatas for the viola. The last
movement of sonata no. 1 is shown below. Primrose started the sixteenth-note passages with
the fourth finger in second position on the D string instead of in first position on the A string
to add a darker color to the soft line after the forte passage. One can also notice Primroses
use of open strings for the convenience and flexibility of position changes in this example.
The editing of fingerings and bowings for viola works was still a new practice during
Primroses time. He experimented with his ideas for these techniques and displayed them in
his editions, which give players a great help. He remarked on his editing of fingerings: I use
many unorthodox fingerings which cause unusual and frequent string changes in the same
35
position, which the violinist could not possibly do without actually spoiling passages.49
The following example is a comparison of Primroses idea of using fingerings. It is an
internal passage from the Allegro movement of Bach C Minor Cello Suite. One can see
Primroses use of adjacent fingerings on the interval of the fifth and use of open G back in
first position in the first measure of the example. Another use of adjacent fingering and open
strings for the same reasons can be found two measures later, followed by the use of
Bariolage for sonority purposes. The use of open G on the eighth note a few measures later is
not only a perfect way to highlight the returning of the subject, but also an example of how he
emphasizes the unique sound of violas open strings.
In his transcriptions, Primrose tends to keep the musical line in the higher register of the
viola. This approach is important for convincing the music world that the viola has sufficient
49

36
projection to perform as a solo instrument. The Primrose transcriptions prove that the viola is
not only a good accompanying voice but also a viable solo instrument.
Primrose changed the publics opinion about the viola. His highly respected scores and
books also have secured his posterity. In his book Playing the Viola, Primrose describes the
numerous arrangements and editions he made:
Transcriptions have been grist to the mill of instrumentalists and composers almost
since the dawn of music as we know it. Johann Sebastian Bach is a prime example of
the composer who helped himself liberally to the confections of his
contemporaries. In my own case, I have never had an original thought in my head
in the matter of musical composition, while I have flattered myself that I am a likely
lad when it comes to picking other mens brains. But I have never ventured unless
convinced that what was at hand for transmutation might evolve with shrewd alchemy
into something that would not insult its origin.50
Besides being devoted to publishing and performing these transcriptions, Primrose reminded
violists of the 14,000 works for the viola listed in Zeyringers book Literatur fr Viola. Many
of them are still not performed regularly. Therefore, while it is important to find suitable
pieces for transcription, violists need to simultaneously rediscover the value of their own
literature.
Paul Doktor
Paul Doktor was an active violinist and violist in the twentieth century. He received
his musical training as a violinist from his father who was the violist of the Busch String
50
Ibid., 184.
37
Quartet. Doktor switched to the viola in 1942 and later won the Geneva International Music
Competition, and also premiered viola concerti by Quincy Porter and Walter Piston.51 Doktor
had a totally different opinion than Tertis and Primrose regarding transcriptions, especially
those from violin works. In Doktors view, the viola is an expressive instrument and should
not try to imitate the virtuoso style of the violin: [We] should be aware that the
instrumentalist is playing a viola, not a violin. Nor should it be his ambition to imitate the
violinist in performance of virtuoso pieces.52 Meanwhile, he also believed that it is not
necessary to use transcriptions because he felt violists already have enough original works for
creating programs:
Let me start by saying that we must get away from transcriptions which have been
made purely because editors feel there is a lack of viola material and then pad the
literature with pieces which sound better on their original instruments. But whatever
transcriptions are made, the piano part should be very carefully watched and
musically adjusted. The question should be asked: would the original composer
approve of the final result?53
While discussing published transcriptions, Doktor stated that it was very important to
choose works from instruments that share the same register with the viola. Hence, works
transposed a fifth down from the violin part are not suitable to perform on the viola. At the
same time, he added that a carefully edited piano part is an essential component of a good
51
Watson Forbes, Paul Doktor, Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy; available from
http://www.grovemusic.com.proxy.libraries.uc.edu; Internet; accessed 20 April 2005.
52
Samuel Applebaum and Sada Applebaum, Paul Doktor, The Way They Play, vol. 1 (Neptune City,
N.J.: Paganiniana Publications, Inc., 1972), 222.
53
Ibid., 224.
38
transcription. He preferred transcriptions made from works for the cello, such as Bachs cello
suites, because the differences between the viola and cello are not as numerous as those
between the violin and viola, and therefore requiring fewer changes:
Transcriptions would be satisfactory if both the original instrument and the viola
covered about the same range, such as the clarinet or horn. In the case of violin
sonatas, the fifth-down transcription contributes a certain dullness to the solo part
(which certainly wasnt there in the original) and the viola thus suffers as a result:
Listeners are apt to be confirmed in their mistaken belief that the viola has a dull
sound. Such as transcription from violin to viola also presents an added complication,
for the piano accompaniment is apt to be so low as to be acoustically untenable.54
Although Paul Doktor disagreed with Tertis and Primrose in the use of transcriptions, he
did acknowledge the lack of materials for beginning violists, and suggested transcribing
books for the violin to solve this problem. As a matter of fact, Doktor himself arranged and
published two books of solo pieces for beginners in order to expand the availability of
teaching materials. His other arrangements such as Schuberts Arpeggione Sonata and
Mozarts two Duets for violin and viola are also significant contributions for violists.
Milton Katims
A conductor and violist, Milton Katims was not only an active musician on the stage,
but also a publisher of a great deal of music for the viola. Most of his transcriptions are from
cello works, the remaining from violin and woodwind instruments. Katims seems to prefer
54
Ibid.
39
retaining the key of the original composition in his transcriptions. In some way, it is a more
considerate approach for both the player and those audience members with perfect pitch who
are already used to hearing the piece in the original key. Keeping the same key is also a
friendly approach for accompanists familiar with the original who might otherwise have to
relearn the piano part in a different key. However, performing in original key often requires a
violist with greater skill, especially the arrangements from the violin literature. Because
violists will get chances to stay in higher positions more frequently. Katimss transcription of
the Bach Cello Suite No. 6 is one of the editions that remain in the same key. The gigue
movement is a tricky test for violists who choose to perform this edition.
Similar with Primroses approach to the melody line, Katims explored the high range
of the viola. His transcription of Schuberts Arpeggione Sonata is one example. In this work,
he keeps the viola melody on the A string, which challenges the performer, yet brings the
audience more excitement at the same time. However, since insufficient technique might
decrease the beauty of the work itself, Katims provides another possible way to play these
passages on an optional staff printed below.
One of the distinguishing features of Katimss transcription is his inclusion of many
dynamic, articulation, and phrase markings. Sometimes he indicates tempo markings and
performance durations as well. Studying these transcriptions informs the player about the
editors interpretation of the music. The fingerings (sometimes there are two fingerings
40
suggested in the same spot) also help while first learning the piece. But too many detailed
indications sometimes discourage a players own understanding of the music. Learning the
music through these markings while still maintaining an independent musical conception is a
consideration we should keep in mind at all times.
Vadim Borissovsky
Vadim Borissovsky, father of the Russian Viola School, is another great violist who
contributed a huge amount of transcriptions to the viola library. As the violist of the
Beethoven Quartet and as a viola professor of the Moscow Conservatory, Borissovsky edited
and arranged 253 works for viola. Most of the pieces are transcribed from works of
contemporary Russian composers. According to Riley, Borissovsky arrangements were
accepted not only by the violists but by the original composers:
Two of his (Borissovsky) last transcriptions for viola and piano were Four Pieces
from music written by Shostakovich for the film The Gadfly, and Seven Fragments
from Prokofievs Romeo and Juliet Ballet. Both are virtuoso works in the grand style.
The composers not only approved these transcriptions, but encouraged them.55
Borissovsky showed his interest in transcriptions by not only transcribing works for viola but
also some for other instruments. Many of his transcriptions provide parts in addition to a
viola part, such as for the clarinet, supplied in the same publication.
Besides these transcriptions, Borissovsky made other contributions to the viola field.
55
Riley, vol. 1, 261.

41
In 1927 he met Hindemith in Berlin, and they formed The Violists World Union. However,
this organization for violists did not last long due to the rise in power of Hitler and the Third
Reich.56 Borissovsky also met the German musicologist Wilhelm Altmann (1862-1951)
before the war, and they published Literaturverzeichnis fr Bratsche und Viola damour
(Wolfenbttel, 1937), a repertoire list for viola and viola damore.57 The compilation is a
pioneering effort in viola literature, containing viola works from European, Russian, and
North American composers before 1937.
Watson Forbes
A well-known violist, teacher, chamber musician, and arranger, Watson Forbes left
violists innumerable editions and transcriptions. After deciding to become a violist with the
background as a violinist in the late 1920s, Forbes quickly noticed the problem of the lack of
solo viola repertoire.58 Forbes discussed three ways to resolve this problem:
I quickly realized that if I were to survive as a soloist I had to get busy in three
directions, 1) actually investigate viola repertoire not yet published, 2) make
arrangements and 3) persuade composers to write for the viola.59
Forbes encouraged his friends, colleagues, and teachers to compose viola works, and
56
Ibid.
57
Ibid.
58
Watson Forbes, These I Have Loved, Die Viola (1980): 85.
59
Ibid.
42
meanwhile made transcriptions either alone or in collaboration with someone else.

Forbes expressed his attitude toward transcriptions at the Sixth International Viola
Congress in 1978.60 Since the leading composers of the past such as Bach, Handel, Haydn,
Mozart, and Tchaikovsky did not leave any major work for solo viola, violists are at great
disadvantage when beginning to develop their own repertoire.61 For this reason, arranging
works of other media written by major composers can resolve this problem. Forbes pointed
out that even instruments with their own countless music such as the piano and violin
frequently use transcriptions to expand their repertory, and so violists should explore the
potential of arrangements.62 In response to the issue of authenticity, Forbes indicated that
even original works such as Beethovens symphonies and Bachs unaccompanied sonatas for
violin are often performed in different styles due to advancements in instrument construction
and the resulting changes in sound. A slight loss of authenticity should be tolerated as long as
it does not affect the musicality.63
However, Forbes warned that the quality of the viola repertory is more important than
the quantity. He believed that arranging a work for another instrument is like translating a
book into a different language. He said that, [the] ideal is to try and realize how the author
60
Watson Forbes, The Value of Transcriptions, The Strad 89 (April 1979): 1115.
61
Ibid., 1111.
62
Ibid., 1113.
63
Ibid., 1111.
43
would have written if he had had the new language in mind.64 Meanwhile, Forbes also
emphasized that the role of the arranger is to represent the work accurately in respect to the
natural idiom of the instrument.65 The inclusion of too many individual editorial ideas of
editor is not proper in this situation. Forbes thus tried to keep musics originality in his
editions. Most of his transcriptions do not have many personal markings of dynamics,
phrasings, and articulations, which often keep the player from a clear view of the music itself.
Many viola teachers recommend his edition of Bach Cello Suites because it is one of the
closest versions to the original manuscript.
Most of Forbess arrangements were taken from string pieces, a great majority from
Bachs works. Examples include Bachs 6 Cello Suites, 6 Sonatas and Partitas for Violin,
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 (orchestra part arranged for piano), and others. Additionally,
Forbes published several books of short pieces from different musical periods for students at
different playing levels. He believed that viola beginners would benefit from studying music
from major composers instead of playing only original viola works by obscure composers.66
Alan H. Arnold
Alan H. Arnold also published many transcriptions with Viola World Publications. His
64
Ibid., 1113.
65
Ibid., 1115.
66
Ibid., 1115.
44
editions fall into three types: studies, repertoire, and ensemble works. The studies include
some etudes books, scale systems, and technical exercises. Most of the pieces in the
repertoire part are short in duration. Arnold borrowed or adapted this material from both
instrumental and vocal compositions. These transcriptions often serve as encore pieces in solo
recitals. Transcriptions for ensembles contain several famous compositions that were
originally for the violin, such as Vivaldis Concerto for Four Violins. These ensemble pieces
give violists more chances to perform as a group. In most of these transcriptions, Arnold
changed the key signatures of the original pieces. Some of them are a fifth lower than the
original key, like most transcriptions from the violin works. Some of them are a fourth higher,
representing works taken from the cello literature.
Others
In addition to transposing solo pieces from other media for the viola and piano, some
violists arrange works for the viola as a solo instrument with chamber orchestra. Yuri
Bashmet (1953- ), a student of Vadim Borissovsky, is one violist who continues to create new
performance possibilities for solo viola and his own string orchestra, the Moscow Soloists.
Bashmet seeks materials for concerts and recitals not only by commissioning modern pieces
but also by rediscovering forgotten or lost compositions. Bashmets recording of the viola
transcription of Brahmss Clarinet Quintet in B Minor Op. 115 is one example. Another
45
example is the concert information indicated on his official website:

The 10th anniversary concert - 12 October 2002 - was a case in point. After
Schoenberg's Verklrte Nacht - given in tandem with actors reading Richard Dehmel's
original poem (the original inspiration for Schoenberg) - the Moscow Soloists
honored Paganini in recognition of the 220th anniversary of his birth, with a
reconstruction of a viola piece, before premiring Bashmet's own transcription of
Giya Kancheli's String Trio.67
In addition to receiving many works composed for him from contemporary Russian
composers such as Alfred Schnittke, Sofia Gubaidulina, and Georgian Giya Kancheli,
Bashmet has also encouraged a growth in the viola literature far exceeding any previous
period in musical history.68
Other violists also tried to gain more performance opportunities by arranging pieces.
Wolfram Christ is currently an active violist whose recordings circulate throughout the world.
One of his recordings released by Koch is his arrangement of Bachs Concerto in D major for
viola, strings, and basso continuo, reconstructed from BWV 169, 49 and 1053 with Berliner
Barock Solisten.69
67
Yuri Bashmet, Moscow Soloists, Yuri Bashmets Official Website: available from
http://www.yuribashmet.com/; Internet: accessed 19 April 2005.
68
Yuri Bashmet, Expanding the Repertoire, Yuri Bashmets Official Website; available from
http://www.yuribashmet.com/; Internet: accessed 19 April 2005.
69
Wolfram Christ, New CD Releases, WolframChrists Official Website; available from

http://www.wolframchrist.de/index.html; Internet; accessed 19 April 2005.
46
CHAPTER 6
THE PLACEMENT OF TRANSCRIPTIONS IN THE VIOLA REPERTOIRE
The viola solo repertoire can be divided into three categories: works from composers
who had particular interests in the viola or wrote in many genres, such as Berlioz,
Shostakovich and Walton; works composed by the virtuoso violinists or violists, such as
Paganini, Vieuxtemps, and Hindemith; and transcriptions. Transcriptions make up a huge
portion of the viola literature. Many scholars such as Malcolm Boyd feel it is necessary for
violists to use a great number of arrangements in order to extend the repertoire.70 Alexandre
Cellier and Fred Rothwell cited the viola as an example among several instruments that need
to rely on transcriptions: Certain instruments, such as the viola, so deserving of admiration,
are created for so poorly as regards repertoire, that they are compelled to borrow from those
more richly endowed.71 Transcribed music plays an important role in the development of
viola solo literature for the following reasons:
1.
Enrichment a remedy for the long-time ignorance of its capability as a solo

instrument by well-known composers
2.
Performance a key to improve the big gap in the viola repertoire before the
twentieth century
70
Malcolm Boyd, Arrangement, The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley
Sadie and John Tyrrell, 2d ed., vol. 2 (New York: Groves Dictionaries, 2001), 66.
71
Alexandre Cellier and Fred Rothwell, Is Transcription Permissible? The Musical Times 66:992
(Oct. 1925): 901.
47
3.
Pedagogical a solution to enhance technical and musical training for younger

violists
The viola did not frequently receive a solo position on stage until the twentieth
century. Through performing transcriptions in public by excellent violists in the first half of
the twentieth century, the potential of the viola as a solo instrument was discovered. Violists
found that they are no longer limited to playing orchestral or chamber music. Tertis clearly
explains the common attitude toward the viola in his biography. When he decided to switch to
the viola and begin playing it as a solo instrument, the response he received from other
musicians was one of great doubt: The consensus of opinion then was that the viola had no
right to be heard in solos, indeed the consideration of its place in the string family was of the
scantiest.72 Even other violists questioned his motive:
In those days when it was the rarest thing to hear a viola solo, the upper range of the
instrument was completely unexplored. Players of that time rarely climbed higher
than the second leger line in the trevle clef! . . . As a student at the [Royal Academy of
Music], I was able to accomplish this by playing the Mendelssohn and Wieniawski D
minor concertos (of course a fifth lower but exactly as written for the violin) at two of
the fortnightly students concerts there. The morning after my performance of the
Mendelssohn, I met Alfred Gibson who was for a time the violist of the Joachim
Quartet. Evidently he had been present at the concert for he greeted me with a
menacing look and exploded: I suppose the next thing is, you will be playing behind
the bridge! The viola is not meant to be played high up that is the pig department!73
Tertiss life-long efforts to promote the viola to the audience led him to refer to himself as an
72
Tertis, My Viola, 16.
73
Ibid., 18.
48
obstinate, ill-rewarded, never-to-be discouraged viola soloist in days when most people had
not heard a viola solo in their lives.74 As a matter of fact, his wonderful performances of
these transcriptions inspired significant works written for viola by different composers in the
twentieth century. Paul Cropper, one of Tertiss students, recalled his teachers great
performance of an arranged piece: The first time I remember hearing Tertis was one of the
most impressive performance of the Bach Chaconne that I have ever heard, a notoriously
difficult piece to bring off on the violin, but almost impossible on a very large viola.75
As mentioned before, these numerous performances were influential to the compositional
style of original works for viola. Composers were free to explore the higher register of the
instrument, but meanwhile keep a warm sound on the C string. Tertiss ability to manage
these transcriptions demonstrates that violists have the same capability as violinists to express
music. These transcriptions have opened the door for idiomatic writing for the viola.
As the viola gradually carves out its own place in the concert hall, the lack of solo
repertoire before the twentieth century still limits the diversity of a balanced recital program.
Using transcribed pieces on recital programs is one way to solve this shortage of
compositions. Most standard recital programs posted on bulletin boards of music
conservatories contain one of Bachs cello suites, one of Brahmss transcribed clarinet
sonatas, and Rebecca Clarkes Viola Sonata. These standard programs show how viola
74
Lionel Tertis, Cinderella No More (London: Peter Nevill, 1953), 3435.
75
Riley, vol. 1, 247.

49
repertoire has been enriched by transcriptions from earlier periods originally written for other
media. Meanwhile, many violists use short pieces from the violin repertoire as encore pieces
at the end of their recitals, some examples are Brahmss Sonatensatz, Paganinis Caprices,
and Kreislers Liebesfreud.
Adapting transcriptions not only balances a students recital program, but also creates a
more interesting program for professional violists. When programming a recital, one must
consider the great number of amateurs in the audience. The kind of music that will entice an
audience to attend the concert should be an important issue to consider when choosing the
repertoire. Watson Forbes recalled that the most pleasant viola recital he had ever heard was
full of arrangements.76
Violists have to learn a large quantity of transcriptions in order to expand their own
repertoire. As mentioned before, some international viola competitions even require
transcribed works, and I will further discuss its importance here. One of the most important
ones, the Lionel Tertis Viola Competition, is held every four years in England. Each
participant is required to prepare repertoire from five different categories. According to the
competition held in the summer of 2003, these five categories include viola sonatas, viola
concertos, solo works by Bach, commissioned pieces, and transcribed pieces. Transcribed
music is one of the requirements to complete this international competition in memory of
76
Forbes, The Value of Transcriptions, 1113.

50
Lionel Tertis, who devoted his entire life to transcribing numerous works for viola. The
William Primrose Viola Competition has similar requirements. Since Primrose also
contributed a large volume of transcriptions to the viola repertoire, a Primrose transcription is
one of required works for the competition. Violists have to play his transcriptions in both the
semi-final and final rounds.
A high standard of technical perfection is an important issue for every violist. Nowadays
violists are asked to possess the same technical ability as violinists. However, the shortage of
method books specifically for viola causes a problem. Transcribed etudes, especially from
those for the violin, resolve this problem. These educational-based transcriptions provide
enough resources for students at all levels to master solid technique.
There were no specific instruction manuals for the viola in the late seventeenth
century.77 It was not until Carl and Anton Stamitz appeared as viola soloists in the late
eighteenth century in Paris that viola method books began to appear in France, which was
over a half a century later than similar publications for the violin and cello had been
published.78 Soon, the appearance of good violists encouraged more and more composers to
write viola parts that included not only accompanying lines but also melodic material.
Gradually, technical mastery became a standard requirement for violists; therefore, method
77
Riley, vol. 1, 167.
78
Ibid.
51
books for viola came out slowly after the turn of the century in different cities such as
London, Vienna, and Leipzig.79
Although there are a few etude books written for the viola, including Brunis 25 Etudes
for Viola, Hoffmeisters 12 Viola-Etuden, Campagnolis 41 Capricen, and three etude books
by Lillian Fuchs, violists still rely on transcriptions from violin etude books such as Kreutzer
42 Etudes and Rode 24 Caprices to achieve the technical facility of virtuosic violinists.
Primrose strongly suggested that students use Kreutzer 42 Etudes as much as possible:
At the point, I should like to say a few words about the Kreutzer Studies transcribed
for the viola. They are magnificent. Students should know the meaning of each study
thoroughly. Each one has a definite purpose. The pupil should, during his practicing,
concentrate on that one purpose. These studies can be used for an entire lifetime!80
Franz Zeyringer gave his opinion about these transcribed etude books in his book Literatur
fur Viola:
Since the viola is played with the same techniques as the violin, it is entirely
appropriate to take advantage of instructional methods for the violin. There is a
plethora of arrangements of technical works, etudes, caprices, etc. of superior quality
which can be used for viola instruction.81
These transcribed etude books offer more variety, and are more technical than those
originally written for viola. They have become an essential part of viola pedagogy.
Furthermore, in order to offer a wide range of pedagogical resources to different levels
79
Ibid., 16769.
80
81
Zeyringer, Literatur fur Viola, 60.

52
of students, viola instructors must rely on using transcribed materials. Using the wealth of
materials from the violin can help students obtain great skill and musical growth
simultaneously. Etudes widely used by teachers include those by Jacques-Fereol Mazas, H. E.
Kayser, Rodolphe Kreutzer, Federigo Fiorillo, and Jacques Pierre Rode. However, viola
teachers should not abandon original viola etudes. They are excellent materials for exploring
the lower range of the viola, which is not covered in violin method books. Therefore, relying
on material from both violin and viola etudes creates a more solid pedagogical foundation.
Besides the development of technique, teachers also need to utilize transcriptions to help
their students learn the wide spectrum of musical styles from all periods of history. Most
violists began their musical trainings on the violin, but later chose the viola as their primary
instrument. The shortage of solo repertoire for beginners creates pedagogical problems. Other
than parts to orchestral or chamber works, there is little viola music written before the
twentieth century. As a result, the best way to help students understand the characteristics and
features of different eras is by studying works for other instruments.
Transcriptions play a significant part in the development of viola literature. Unlike other
such instruments as the piano and violin that already have a wealth of music, the viola has to
count on transcriptions to include repertoire from before the twentieth century. Historically,
these transcribed works help the viola develop the solo role it deserves, create a balance in
recital programs, expand viola repertoire, and enrich the teaching resources that provide
53
instructors with a variety of material for training their students.
54
CHAPTER 7
CHALLENGES WHEN TRANSCRIBING WORKS FOR THE VIOLA
Transcribing works for the viola is more complicated than it may seem from choosing
the music to editing it. It is not just a mechanical process of changing the pitches or
transposing the key. Joseph Rawlins, a professor at the University of West Florida, argues that
a proper arrangement must suit the performer in four ways, in acceptance, quality, suitability,
and performance opportunity.82 His general ideas about arrangements apply to viola
transcriptions. In this chapter, I will describe the general problems one confronts when
writing transcriptions.
A good viola transcription requires at least the following features:
1. Maintenance of the violas idiomatic sound and playing
2. A familiarity with the original music in order to preserve the musical character
of the composer.
3. A suitable and comfortable arrangement for both the performer and the
audience.
In searching for material to transcribe, one must keep the suitability of the works for
viola performance in mind. A composition should not be transcribed if the original pieces
musical intent cannot be reproduced within the technical limits of the viola. Despite the
82
Joseph T. Rawlins, The Arrangement and Its Role in the Performers Repertoire, American Music
Teacher 33:4 (1984): 26.
55
advances of instrument construction in the last hundred years as well as the technical
improvements made during the past century, the viola still cannot reproduce certain
characteristics of other instruments with ease. Some examples include the violins brilliance,
up-bow staccato in high position, repeated trills on the octaves, and chains of double stops in
tenths.
Paganinis Caprices have become requirements for advanced viola study; but only a
portion of the 24 pieces in the book are suitable to perform on the viola in public. Since viola
strings respond slower and the distance between the intervals on the fingerboard are wider
than the violin, violists must put forth great effort to overcome not only the technical
problems but also the restrictions of the instrument while learning challenging works like
those of Paganini. Virtuosic violists such as William Primrose can demonstrate these showy
pieces without any difficulty, and these amazing performances can be heard in his recordings;
still, however, some of the caprices cannot be played on the viola as perfectly as they can on
the violin by most violists. Take caprice number three as an example: the first section of this
piece is an exercise for octaves and trills. After the octaves in the first measure, the player
suffers from technical inadequacy because of a three-beat trill at the octave and the following
chain of octave trills on long notes before the next section.
56
Most teachers would not suggest that every student focus on these caprices, for some may get
injured if trying too hard to learn these unidiomatic techniques. However, these caprices
provide excellent exercises for mastering virtuosic technique in the practice room, even if
some of them are not suitable to program in a concert.
Most transcriptions for the viola have been taken from string music, especially from
works originally written for violin or cello, because members of the string family have a
strong similarity in tone quality; additionally they rely on similar techniques to express music.
The viola carries a tender and sweet sound quality like the lower strings of the violin and a
warm depth of tone color like the cello; hence, transcriptions from both violin and cello are
largely used for violists. Robert Dolejs book Modern Viola Technique states that musically,
the range and quality of the instrument adequately fill that noticeable gap between the higher
tones of the violins and the deep register of the cellos and basses. Its timbre, quality, and
57
color are distinct and unmatchable and are not to be imitated, neglected, or omitted.83 The
transcriber should be mindful of this unique flexibility in sound at all times.
Since violists rely heavily on transcriptions of works for other string members, there
are many example editions of well-known works that illustrate the considerations made by
the editors. Bachs Six Cello Suites have become standard repertoire for every violist.
Composed in Bachs Cothen period, these compositions did not gain any attention until Pablo
Casalss life-long dedication to the suites in the late nineteenth century. Viola editions began
to appear in the early twentieth century. There are a multitude of editions for performers to
choose from now, including those by Watson Forbes, Milton Katims, and William Primrose
(Suite no. 1-5), and each editor offers a different interpretation of Bach. Besides some
differences in fingerings, bowings, phrasing, articulations, and dynamic markings, the key of
the sixth suite is the most divergent for each edition. Milton Katims kept the original key of D
major to a goal to match the cello version. This goal creates several challenging moments for
the performer because the suite was originally intended for a 5-string cello. Violists who
chose this edition must constantly stay at the high positions, especially in the gigue
movement. Watson Forbes moved the entire work down a fifth to G major to reduce these
technical problems. He believed the tone color of the viola played on the high positions did
not suit music of this period:
For practical reasons, the suite has therefore been transposed from the original key of
83
Robert Dolej, Modern Viola Technique (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1939): 1.
58
D major to G major. This transcription has been freely adapted to keep the viola part
within a compass similar to that employed in the previous suites. It has also been
found possible to reproduce, in this key, most of the chords as they appear in the
original.84
Forbess edition resolves some technical problems that violists may come across, but for the
audience might present the familiar music in a different key. William Primrose eliminated the
sixth suite in his Bach edition because he thought this suite is not suitable to perform on the
viola. Since there are so many different editions from which violists can choose, it is a good
idea to have a copy of the cello manuscript on hand to decipher the true spirit and correct
interpretation of Bachs music at a distance from editorial markings.
As mentioned before, although violists have received a great deal of transcriptions
from works for other string members, not every piece for violin or cello would be appropriate
to perform on the viola. The arrangement may not be playable on viola without numerous
changes; or the composition may lose its character after these changes. In addition, if the tone
color and character of the piece are difficult to carry on the viola, the transcription will not be
a valuable addition to the viola library. Furthermore, since some works in the violin or cello
repertoire are widely known, to perform them on the viola may reduce the value of the viola
as an independent solo instrument. For example, Tchaikovskys Violin Concerto would not be
a proper choice for a violist to program on a concert. Even if the player can overcome the
numerous technical problems on this work, the brilliant character will still be difficult to
84
Johann Sebastian Bach, Six Suites for Violoncello, ed. and transcribed for viola by Watson Forbes
(Boca Raton, Fl: Masters Music Publications, Inc), iii .
59
present on the viola, especially in the last movement of this concerto.

The Kreutzer Sonata is one of Beethovens famous violin sonatas; however, it is not
an appropriate choice for viola transcription. The opening chords are difficult to play well on
the viola in the original key, and if transposed down the melody would seem out of place to
listeners familiar with the piece. Besides, many passages demand strong energy and high
dynamic levels in order to retain the excitement. Many of them are almost impossible to
perform at original register when maintaining the original character at the same time.
Furthermore, performing the entire piece in another key is not a good choice since it is a
well-known violin work; it will lose the brilliant quality of the piece at the same time.
Transcribing music from violin works is more difficult than from works for the cello
because viola tuning is an octave above the cello but a fifth lower than the violin. Obviously
almost every violin composition is playable on the viola if the piece is transposed a fifth
lower from its original key; however, not every work is suitable to be performed in this way
when one considers how moving a fifth away from the original key drastically changes the
color and the character of the piece itself. It is difficult to imagine that some sparkling finale
movements of violin concerti can be performed in the same manner on a larger instrument in
a different key.
Some differences between the violin and viola should be noted before arranging
pieces from violin literature. The size of the viola is the first thing. Unlike the violin, which
60
has several standard sizes, there is no customary size for the viola. The body of the
instrument is longer, wider, and heavier than that of the violin, and the neck is also thicker. In
order to conquer this long-time problem of the size, violists naturally need more flexible
physical conditioning to play the instrument comfortably.
The viola also has longer and thicker strings which not only respond slightly slower
than those of the violin but also require more finger pressure from the left hand. In addition to
the strings, violists have to use more bow pressure on the right hand to produce a depth of
sound quality. In general, violists have to apply more weight from both hands to create a clear,
deep, and vibrant sound; therefore, more strength from both hands is required from every
good violist.
Violists must also master a frequent use of awkward string crossings and
widely-stretched positions. Violists rely on these techniques to avoid ceaseless position
changing. Also, frequent shifting causes more sliding sounds, which is undesirable for most
music. Furthermore, position stretching can be helpful when trying to play a long musical
phrase on the same string to preserve a single tone color. However, too many stretched
fingerings could cause extra tension and even injury to a players left hand since the violist
would logically need to stretch out their fingers more than the violinist. Most viola teachers
do not have their students work on some standard exercises for violinists, such as double
stops at the tenth, let alone on pieces filled with this kind of technique. Transcribers must
61
consider these innate differences in choosing and arranging their transcriptions.

In general, there are two ways to transcribe violin works for the viola. One is to keep
most passages in the same register as the violin version, moving only some unplayable or
unsuitable phrases an octave lower than the original melody. The piano part thus usually
remains unchanged, which is a friendly adoption for pianists. The other is to move the entire
piece to another key, usually a fifth down or a fourth up from the original key. It is more
complicated to arrange works in this way. Several possible combinations of transposition are:
(a) moving both the violin and piano parts a fifth down; (b) moving the violin part a fifth
down but the piano part a fourth up; (c) moving both the violin and piano parts a fourth up; (d)
and moving the violin part a fourth up but the piano part a fifth down.
As to what kind of approach the transcriber will take is a case-by-case decision. The
transcriber has to consider the most suitable register for the player to present the piece on the
viola, and then decide the register for the piano (or accompanying) part. Therefore, creating a
transcription is more complicated than mere copying. I will discuss these problems in more
detail, using examples from the Beethoven Violin Sonata, Op. 30, No. 1, in the following
chapter. I have transcribed the Beethoven Violin Sonata, Op. 30, No. 1 in the original key
because transposing this work to another key would result in the loss of its original character.
The piano part will remain the same except for a few dynamic changes.
62
CHAPTER 8
METHODOLOGY
I will discuss methods and procedures used in transcription citing my arrangement of
Beethovens Violin Sonata and some other transcriptions as examples. Music examples will
be provided when discussing a specific process, and a complete comparison between the
violin and my viola versions of the Beethoven sonata will conclude this chapter.
An Overview of Beethoven Violin Sonata Op. 30, No. 1

The ten sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven are considered to be among the greatest
challenges of the violin repertoire. The Beethoven sonatas compare in difficulty to the solo
partitas and sonatas of J.S. Bach. Beethovens sonatas are well known not only for their
musical and expressive weight but also for their technical difficulty.
Nine of the ten violin sonatas were composed between 1797 and 1803, when Beethoven
was in his late twenties and early thirties.85 These were the years that Beethoven wrote his
first large compositions, including the op. 18 string quartets, the first three symphonies, the
first three piano concerti, and several of his best-known piano sonatas. Although most of the
violin sonatas were composed in his first compositional period, each of them shows great
85
Douglas Johnson and Scott G. Burnham, Ludwig van Beethoven: Work List, The New Grove
Dictionary of Music Online, ed. L. Macy; available from http://www.grovemusic.com; Internet; accessed 7
October 2002.
63
variety in style and uniqueness in character. In 1802, Beethoven composed a set of three
violin sonatas Op. 30 for Czar Alexander I of Russia.86 Sonata No. 1, Op. 30 is the first one
of this set, but the sixth of the ten sonatas. It is a three-movement piece. Originally Beethoven
composed a brilliant, exciting finale movement for this piece, but later he placed that
movement as the last movement of the Kreutzer Sonata and substituted a lyrical theme and
variations as the conclusion of this piece.87 In 1812, Beethoven wrote his tenth violin sonata
op. 96 in G major. Other important pieces composed in the same year include the seventh and
eighth symphonies. The roles of the violin and piano in Beethovens violin sonatas are equal
in importance. In essence, the role of the violin is no longer to accompany the piano part.
After reviewing all of his violin sonatas, I believe the Spring Sonata, Op. 24 in F Major
is the most suitable choice for transcription because of its lyrical character and the
accessibility of its F major tune to the viola. However, this sonata has already been
transcribed for viola by Watson Forbes. Although Sonata Op. 30, No. 1 is not well-known
among the ten, this work is a good second choice due to its singing character and the more
moderate register of the violin melody.
86
Melvin Berger, Guide to Sonatas: Music for One or Two Instruments (New York: Anchor Books,
1991), 60.
87
Ibid.
64
Preparation
There are several steps the transcriber should take before actually transcribing the
piece. Getting an authentic version of the original music is the first priority. Some popular
works have various performing editions with different editorial choices in phrasing and
articulation. These individual opinions affect the resulting work. Choosing an accurate and
reliable critical edition will directly affect the quality of the transcription.
Currently there are at least six different editions of the complete Beethoven Violin
Sonatas that are easily accessible. These editions have various markings from different
editors. Max Rostals edition published by G. Henle Verlag is one of the most reliable editions
of Beethoven Violin Sonatas recommended by most violin teachers, because it is the
publication based on the autograph and the original editions. Therefore, I have transcribed my
viola transcription of the sonata op. 30, no. 1 from the Henle edition. Watson Forbess
transcription of Beethovens Spring Sonata Op. 24 in F Major published by Peters Edition is
another helpful reference since it is the only viola transcription of a Beethoven violin sonata
currently available.
After selecting an edition, the next step is to study the music. Listening to different
recordings is a good way to understand the work. There are many good recordings available,
such as those featuring Pinchas Zukerman, Henryk Szeryng, David Oistrach, Arthur
Grumiaux, Gidon Kremer, and Joseph Szigeti, among others. Through studying different
65
recordings, one can easily get an accurate picture of the piece, which thus accelerates the
procedure of transcribing. It is helpful for the editor to keep several editions and recordings
on hand when transcribing the music.
Transcribing Steps
In this Beethoven transcription, I will keep the original key; therefore, the piano part
will remain the same with only a few changes to dynamics. The main adjustment to the viola
part will be register changes. In deciding the register for each passage, one has to consider not
only the violas own range, but also the shape of melodic phrasings as well as the contour of
the accompanying part. If some short motives in a larger phrase are playable in the same
register, while others must be moved an octave lower, it is more suitable in most cases to
keep the entire phrasing in the same shape an octave lower. The register of the accompanying
part is also important to consider before making any changes to the viola part. If the
accompanying part has rich harmonies, violists must make an extra effort to balance their
sound in the lower register. The higher register of the viola usually resonates more clearly
against a dense accompanying part.
Even though Beethovens Violin Sonata Op. 30, No. 1 is not a popular sonata among
his ten, its lyrical character makes it suitable to present on the viola. There are not too many
wide register leaps in this work, and most passages stay in the middle register of the violin,
66
which transcribes easily into the higher register of the viola with little octave changes.
However, in order to maintain its original character as a violin sonata familiar to audiences,
some passages need to stay in the same register in a higher position. These instances will be
discussed later.
Some notes need to be rearranged to suit the register of the viola. If a violin passage
lowered an octave for the viola includes a few notes out of range, then an adjustment of the
notes is required. Three editions of the Franck Violin Sonata provide different versions of the
section with the shift in triplets to sixteenth notes in the third movement. The first edition by
Reiner Schmidt follows the melodic shape of the violin and moves the entire triplet passage
an octave down with some necessary notes changes at the end to keep the line in a playable
register for the viola. Schmidt chose to begin the following sixteenth notes in the lower
register and return to the original register one bar later.
67
In Joseph Vielands edition, he moved the first measure of triplets down an octave, and
kept the second measure of triplets in the same register as the violin version. The musical
direction of the phrase leading up to the sixteenth-note passage remains the same without any
note changes. But keeping both triplet measures in the same register may diminish the ease of
the musical line.
68
Another arrangement is by Felix Schwartz. He left this passage exactly the same as the
violin edition, which gives the violist a huge challenge in performing the first measure. Since
the character of this movement is gentler than the dark and radical sound of the second
movement, violists will find it difficult to present this passage in high positions without too
many extra sliding sounds.
69
In addition to these three editions, some violists have created their own versions for
performing this piece. In Catharine Carrolls performance edition, she moves the entire triplet
passage down an octave to maintain the musical shape of the violin version. Instead of
beginning the first sixteenth-note measure in the low register, she presents the last group of
triplets in the previous measure an octave higher.
70
Each editor has various concerns when arranging the works. I believe any version
following the musical shape of the original in a comfortable register for the violists is a good
choice. Therefore, among these Franck Violin Sonata transcriptions, I recommend Catharine
Carrolls performance edition.
Some chord tones must be rearranged to suit the sonority of the viola, in particular for
the resonance of the open strings and for the convenience of negotiating the pitches. An
example of this situation concerns the final chords of Brahmss Sonatansatz. The last six
measures of this work contain a harmonic progression from the dominant to tonic. The violin
holds a C major chord in second inversion as the piano makes harmonic changes. In first
position a violin can present this chord clearly and with great sonority using open strings.
Although violists can also play this chord, it will not sound as brilliant as on the violin.
Therefore, Milton Katims uses the root position of the C major chord in his viola edition.
With this revision, the viola can also produce a round and broad open string sound to match
the character of the original violin work.
71
One similar example occurs in the third movement of my transcription. Variation four of
the third movement is a two-part dialogue between the string and keyboard. The violin starts
with a short, crisp question and the piano follows with a long, legato answer. Later the piano
borrows the light-hearted figure of the violin and develops it up to the end of the variation.
The string part of this variation is made up of chords; therefore, besides moving the register
72
an octave down, some rearrangements of notes are necessary. I will discuss this point further
later in the chapter.
After making some adjustments in octave and chord tone in the viola part, one should
play through the entire piece with the pianist before any further change. Since the piano part
will remain virtually the same as the violin version, there will not be any note or phrasing
changes. The main changes to the piano part are dynamic markings. The piano must drop at
least one dynamic level whenever the viola is in a low register. Playing through the piece
with the pianist will also result in more changes to the viola part. Presenting the viola part
beautifully without too much effort, while also remaining balanced with the piano part are the
main concerns the transcriber should have in this procedure.
The next step after editing the melodic line is to make adjustments of bowings,
fingerings, and articulations. The G. Henle Verlag edition, for example, provides fingerings
and bowings as a helpful reference. I have tried to keep most bowing from the G. Henle
Verlag edition, but made some necessary changes in octave and voicing, which may involve
more string crossings and position changes. These changes usually require simultaneous
adjustment in bowing direction to keep a clean and precise connection between both hands.
The following section is a detailed comparison between the original violin sonata and
the viola transcription with clear musical examples.
73
First Movement
Allegro
The main differences in this movement between the violin original and the viola
arrangement are octave changes, and the reasons vary in each case. The first change occurs in
mm. 10 19, which is a part of the first theme. Although the entire phrase can be performed
on the upper two strings in the higher positions, the musicality of the theme may be lost due
to the frequent shifts on the A string. Since the motive in the piano is presented entirely with
the left hand for the first twenty bars, keeping the entire viola part an octave lower will match
the singing quality of the smooth motion in the piano line. This change also brings the two
voices close to each other, which creates a more intimate dialogue. Because the viola stays in
the middle register in this phrase, I suggest that the pianist make the crescendo from mm.
15 19 only to mezzo forte instead of forte.
74
The two voices finally sing together beginning in m. 21. Unlike the previous little
motive that always moves by step, the string voice joins this motive with a leap of the fourth
in forte. It is helpful to keep the original tune mostly on the A string to highlight this little
surprise. The second change occurs from m. 38 to the downbeat of m. 63, which falls into
three small sections. The piano starts the fluent second subject in m. 34, and a string
accompaniment of sustained notes joins in for mm. 38 41. I have moved this four-measure
figure an octave lower in order to expose the C string sonority. The viola takes over the
second subject in mm. 42 49, which I have placed an octave lower to avoid the difficulties
of high positions. I also have lowered the piano dynamic to pianissimo in the triplet passages,
and the forte to mezzo forte in the crescendo in m. 49 for balance. The passage from m. 54 to
75
the down beat of m. 63 is also an octave lower for the same positioning issue. I suggest that
the violist play in fortissimo during this passage to continue the energetic character that the
piano carries from m. 49. I have kept the eighth notes in measure 63 the same, because the
viola can project better in the original register and meanwhile create more room for the
following decrescendo.
76
Some octave changes also occur in the development section. I moved the material in mm.
101 04 down an octave since the piano also stays in its low register. After a three-bar rest,
the viola joins the piano to develop different material based on the second theme. I have kept
this passage from m. 108 to the downbeat of m. 116 an octave lower for a richer sonority and
comfortable execution, but return to the original register at the second beat of m. 116 to get a
more brilliant sound on the sforzando. I also suggest that the pianist play the crescendo to
mezzo forte instead of forte during the passage of mm. 110 12.
77
The next change is during mm. 121 33, where the viola starts a long transition back
to the recapitulation. I have moved the entire passage down an octave since the viola can get
a better sound quality in this register. Again, I suggest that the piano take the crescendo only
to mezzo forte in m. 132.
78
Another change in this transitional passage is made seven measures before the recapitulation.
I have set this passage an octave lower than the violin version during mm. 144 52 to aid its
sonority. Also, by staying in the violas middle register the transitions are made with ease.
79
Some necessary octave changes are also needed in the recapitulation. Since most of
these changes have already been discussed in the exposition, one can apply the same ideas to
understand the alterations I have made.
Second Movement
Adagio molto espressivo
This elegant second movement creates great intimacy between the piano and the
violin. Although it is a five-part rondo form, some variation elements are present between the
two instruments. Often the piano repeats the melody with some ornaments immediately after
the violin, which creates a dialogue characteristic of chamber music. The major concern I had
while arranging this movement for viola was how to preserve the gentle and tender character.
Since the viola already has a singing quality to its sound, this lyrical movement fits it
well, with only two changes needed. The first one is with the beginning statement. I have
started the melody an octave lower than the violin part since it fits the stability of the violas
middle register. This change also creates more variety and a little delightful surprise when
viola returns to the same melody in the original register in m. 27.
80
The next change is in the C section of the rondo after the second opening statement
dialogue between the two instruments. I have lowered the viola down an octave in mm. 44 6.
I have kept the last note of m. 46 in the original register to help make a smooth return to the
next section.
81
Third Movement
Allegro con Variazioni
This movement is a theme with six variations. The entire movement creates a simple
but elegant character, which matches the previous two movements well. The theme is
reminiscent of a German dance set to classical alberti figures on the keyboard. The melody
stays in the middle to low registers on the violin, performed mostly on the lower three strings.
These registers match that of the higher three strings on the viola. For this reason, I have
maintained the theme without any change.
The first change made to this movement occurs in variation one, which presents a fluid
and fast triplet conversation between the viola and the piano. I have changed the register
down an octave during the first part of this variation for technical ease. The viola line returns
to the original register after the long notes in the second section; however, I have lowered the
melody again in the triplet measure during the repeat for the same reason.
82
Variation two contains a chain of eighth notes which can be performed an octave lower
in the violas low to middle register. However, this change may diminish the character and
sound against the low piano melody. Therefore, I have chosen to keep the original register to
83
give violists the challenge of exploring the high position on the A string.
I have made no changes to the third variation. However, the major change Ive made
to this movement is in variation four. It is impossible to play these chords on the viola, so
essential alteration is required. I have preserved the top two notes and the shape of the
moving chords, but placed the viola an octave lower than the violin version. The order of the
notes in the chords is not exactly the same as in the violin version, but the chords will sound
similar because I have preserved most of the notes without changing the harmonies. As
mentioned earlier in this chapter, the character of the viola line in this variation is light and
crisp in contrast with the pianos lyrical, long line. The key to presenting these chords is to
keep them short and precise. It is not easy to carry out this character with many string
crossings; therefore, I considered reducing the string crossing while reorganizing the chords.
Meanwhile, I have substituted some grace notes instead for original notes in order to keep the
delightful character in soft dynamic.
84
I have made two changes in variation five. The opening statement from m. 109 is an
answer to the piano theme in a minor key. I have moved the viola line down an octave not
only to reduce the technical difficulty, but also to match the darker character. The lines of the
violin and piano stray quite far away from one another in the original version, but lie closer
together in the viola version.
85
Another change occurs at the end of this variation. I have lowered the viola version down an
octave to ease the transition from a flat key to a sharp key. I suggest that the piano lower the
dynamic level at the crescendo from mm. 149 50 for balance.
86
The final variation, Allegro, ma non tanto, begins with a piano statement followed by
the strings response. Unlike Beethovens other Heroic style works composed around the
same time, this movement does not reach a magnificent finale with a dramatic climax; instead,
87
the work concludes in an upbeat and joyful mood. I leave this variation without any change
since the entire violin line can be performed on the viola with ease.
Besides the note changes, I have also included suggested bowings and fingerings.
Enclosed is my complete transcription of the Beethoven Viola Sonata Op. 30, No. 1, both the
viola part and score.
88
CHAPTER 9
CONCLUSION
Many reasons exist for the lack of attention given to the viola. The famous quote from
Johann Joachim Quantzs On Playing the Flute in 1752 explains the situation in the middle of
the eighteenth century:
The viola is commonly regarded as of little importance in the musical establishment.
The reason may well be that it is often played by persons who are either still
beginners in the ensemble or have no particular gifts with which to distinguish
themselves on the violin, or that the instrument yields all too few advantages to its
players, so that able people are not easily persuaded to take it up.88
Since the viola had been considered an accompanying instrument, violists did not own many
works from major composers during this period.
Not until a generation of viola virtuosos appeared at the dawn of the twentieth century
did the viola achieve a solo role on the stage. Even though there has been an increase in solo
opportunities and in the quality compositions written for the viola through the twentieth
century, the lack of its own repertoire from previous musical periods has caused both
performance and educational problems. In order to resolve these problems, violists must
essentially rely on transcriptions to expand their own repertoire. Many leading violists such
as Lillian Fuchs, William Primrose, and Lionel Tertis strongly support the use of
88
Johann Joachim Quantz, On Playing the Flute, trans. Edward R. Reilly (New York: Schirmer, 1966),
237: quoted in Ann M. Woodward, Observations on the Status, Instruments, and Solo Repertoire of Violists in
the Classical Period, Journal of the Violin Society of America 9:2 (1988): 81.
89
transcriptions, and a great majority of their own published transcription is still widely used by
violists today.
I believe my transcription of Beethoven Violin Sonata Op, 30 No. 6 is a practical
approach to enriching the viola literature from historical periods. This work is well-suited to
the sound and technical aspects of the viola, and has already gained two public performances.
Besides my transcription and the Spring Sonata transcribed by Watson Forbes, certain
movements from Beethovens other violin sonatas such as the slow movement of Sonata Op.
30 No. 2 can also be performed well on the viola. I suggest that violists spend more time
exploring more possibilities to enrich our own library. It is my hope that this study of
transcription history for the viola, together with my own transcription of Beethovens violin
sonata op. 30, no. 1, will provide a handy resource for both educators and performers.
90
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
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Berger, Melvin. Guide to Sonatas: Music for One or Two Instruments. New York: Anchor
Books, 1991.
Berkley, Harold. The Modern Technique of Violin Bowing. New York: G. Schirmer, Inc.,
1941.
Berlioz, Hector. Treatise on Instrumentation. Translated by Theodore Front, Enlarged and
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Boyden, David D, Sonya Monosoff, Boris Schwarz, Klaus Marx, Rodney Slatford, Carleen
M. Hutchins, and others. The New Grove Violin Family. The New Grove Musical
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Boyden, David D. The History of Violin Playing. London: Oxford University Press, 1956.
Cooper, Barry, ed. The Beethoven Compendium: A Guide to Beethovens Life and Music.
London: Thames and Hudson, 1991.
________. Beethoven. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.
Dalton, David. Playing the Viola: Conversations with William Primrose. New York: Oxford
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Dolej, Robert. Modern Viola Technique. Chicago, Ill.: The University of Chicago Press,
1939.
Flesh, Carl. The Art of Violin Playing. Vol. 2. New York: Carl Fischer, Inc., 1939.
91
Gerle, Robert. The Art of Bowing Practice: The Expressive Bow Technique. London: Stainer
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Hodgson, Percival. Motion Study and Violin Bowing. Urbana, Ill.: American String Teachers
Associations, 1958.
Krayk, Stefan. The Violin Guide. Hollywood, Calif.: Highland Music Company, 1966.
Lawson, Colin. Brahms: Clarinet Quintet. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
Lorrin, Mark. Dictionary of Bowing and Tonal Techniques for Strings. Miami Beach, Fla.:
Folk World, Inc., 1968.
Menuhin, Yehudi, and William Primrose. Violin and Viola. New York: Schirmer Books, 1976.
Mozart, Leopold. A Treatise on the Fundamental Principle of Violin Playing. 2d ed.
Translated by Editha Knocker. Preface by Alfred Einstein. New York: Oxford University
Press, 1951.
Nelson, Sheila. The Violin and Viola. London: Ernest Benn Limited, 1972.
Pinksterboer, Hugo. The Rough Guide to Violin & Viola. New York: Distributed by the
Penguin Group, 2000.
Primrose, William. Technique is Memory: A Method for Violin and Viola Players Based on
Finger Patterns. London: Oxford University Press, 1960.
________. Walk on the North Side: Memoirs of a Violist. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young
Quantz, Johann Joachim. On Playing the Flute. Translated by Edward R. Reilly. New York:
Schirmer, 1966.
Randel, Don Michael, ed. The New Harvard Dictionary of Music. Cambridge, Mass.:
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Kerman, Joseph, and Alan Tyson. The New Grove Beethoven. New York: W. W. Norton,
1983.
92
Riley, Maurice. The History of the Viola. Vol. I. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Braun-Brumfield, 1993.
________. The History of the Viola. Vol. II. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Braun-Brumfield, 1991.
Rostal, Max. Beethoven, the Sonatas for Piano and Violin: Thoughts on Their Interpretation.
Translated by Horace and Anna Rosenberg. London: Toccata Press, 1985.
Seagrave, Barbara Garvey, and Joel Berman. The A. S. T. A. Dictionary of Bowing Terms for
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Slonimsky, Nicolas, rev. Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. New York: G.
Schirmer, 1965.
Solomon, Maynard. Beethoven. New York: Schirmer Books, 1977.
Stoeving, Paul. The Art of Violin-Bowing, A Theoretical and Practical Manual for Students,
and an Aid to the Work of Professional Teachers. New York: G. Schirmer, 1904.
Stowell, Robin, ed. The Cambridge Companion to the Violin. New York: Cambridge
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Press, 2001.
________. Violin Technique and Performance Practice in the Late Eighteenth and Early
Nineteenth Centuries. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1985.
Szigeti, Joseph. The Ten Beethoven Sonatas for Piano and Violin. Edited by Paul Rolland.
Urbana, Ill.: American String Teachers Association, 1965.
Tertis, Lionel. Beauty of Tone in String Playing. New York: Oxford University Press, 1938.
________. Cinderella No More. London: Peter Nevill, 1953.
________. My Viola and I: A Complete Autobiography. London: Paul Elek, 1974.
Tours, Berthold. The Viola. Edited by Alfred Gibson. New York: Novello, Ewer, 1902.
93
Williams, Amde Daryl. Lillian Fuchs, First Lady of the Viola. Lewiston: E. Mellen Press,
1994.
Yampolsky, I. M. The Principles of Violin Fingering. Translated by Alan Lumsden. London:
Oxford University Press, 1967.
Yost, Gaylord. The Spivakovsky Way of Bowing for Violinists and Violists. Pittsburgh:
Volkwein Bros. Inc., 1949.
Zeyringer, Franz. Literatur fr Viola. Hartberg: Schnwetter, 1976.
DISSERTATIONS AND THESES
Kosmala, Jerzy S. An Adaption for Viola and Piano of Jean Martinons Concerto Giocoso
for Violin and Orchestra. DMA thesis, Indiana University, 1972.
Kramer, Richard A. The Sketches for Beethovens Violin Sonatas, Opus 30: History,
Transcription, Analysis. Ph.D. diss., Princeton University, 1973.
Straka, Leslie Myron. Jean-Marie Leclair, Sonatas for Violin and Continuo, opus 5, I--VI
Transcribed for Viola. DMA thesis, Arizona State University, 1987.
ESSAYS AND ARTICLES
Altmann, Wilhelm. Reger, Max. Cobbetts Cyclopedic Survey of Chamber Music. Edited by
Walter Willson Cobbett. Vol. 2. London: Oxford University Press, 1930.
Applebaum, Samuel, and Sada Applebaum. Lillian Fuchs. The Way They Play. Vol. 2,
209-23. Neptune City, N.J.: Paganiniana Publications, Inc., 1972.
________. Lionel Tertis. The Way They Play. Vol. 1, 262-70. Neptune City, N.J.:
Paganiniana Publications, Inc., 1972.
________. Milton Katims. The Way They Play. Vol. 1, 233-42. Neptune City, N.J.:
94
________. Paul Doktor. The Way They Play. Vol. 1, 222-32. Neptune City, N.J.:
________. William Primrose. The Way They Play. Vol. 1, 243-61. Neptune City, N.J.:
Bennett, Roy E. The Brahms Transcriptions of the Opus 120 Sonatas. American String
Teacher 36 (Winter 1986): 76-9.
Borem de Oliveira, Fausto. A Brief History of Double Bass Transcription. Bass World: The
Journal of the International Society of Bassists 21 (Fall 1996): 8, 11-2, 15-6.
Boyd, Malcolm. Arrangement. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Edited
by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. 2d ed. Vol. 2, 65-71. New York: Groves Dictionaries,
2001.
Boyden, David D, and Ann M. Woodward. Viola. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and
Musicians. Edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. 2d ed. Vol. 26, 687-95. New York:
Groves Dictionaries, 2001.
Bozarth, George S. and Walter Frish. Brahms, Johannes: Works. The New Grove
Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell.. 2d ed.
Vol. 4, 201-19. New York: Groves Dictionaries, 2001.
Cellier, Alexandre and Fred Rothwell. Is Transcription Permissible? The Musical Times 66:
992 (Oct. 1925): 900-2.
Forbes, Watson. Doktor, Paul. Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 20 April 2005),
<http://www.grovemusic.com.proxy.libraries.uc.edu>
________. The Value of Transcriptions. The Strad 89 (April 1979): 1111-5.
________. These I Have Loved. Die Viola (1980): 85-9.
Gibb, James. Legacy of A Great Scot. The Strad 108 (1997): 1238-9.
Howard-Jones, Evlyn. Arrangements and Transcriptions. Music and Letters 16 (1935):
95
305-11.
Ingram Malcolm. Watson Forbes: In Remembrance. Journal of American Viola Society
13:2 (1997): 68-9.
King, Hyatt A. The Hand of the Arranger. The Musical Times 83:1188 (Feb., 1942): 41-3.
Paul, Leslie D. Bach as Transcriber. Music & Letters 34, No. 4 (Oct., 1953): 306-313.
Potter, Tully. Watson Forbes. The Strad 102 (1991): 622-3.
Rawlins, Joseph Thomas. The Arrangement and its Role in the Performers Repertoire.
American Music Teacher 33 (1984): 26-8.
Reynolds, Christopher. Ends and Means in the Second Finale to Beethovens Op. 30, No. 1.
Beethoven Essays: Studies in Honor of Elliot Forbes. Edited by Lewis Lockwood and
Phyllis Benjamin. 127-45. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1984.
Sills, David. The Viola Music of Lillian Fuchs. American String Teacher 35 (1985): 59-61.
Taylor, Roger H. The Solo Viola Literature of the Classic Period. American String Teacher
16 (1966): 15-9.
Woodward, Ann M. Observations on the Status, Instruments, and Solo Repertoire of Violists
in the Classical Period. Journal of the Violin Society of America 9:2 (1988): 81-104.
WORKS
Bach, Johann Sebastian. Five Suites for Viola. Great Performance Edition. Edited by
William Primrose. Milwaukee, Wisc.: G. Schirmer, Inc., 1978.
________. 6 Cello Suites for Viola Solo. Edited by Milton Katims. New York: International
Music Company, 1982.
________. Six Suites for the Viola. Edited by Louis Sveenski. Milwaukee, Wisc.: G.
Schirmer, Inc., 1916.
96
________. Six Suites for Violoncello, Transcribed for Viola. Transcribed by Watson Forbes.
Boca Raton, Fl.: Masters Music Publications, Inc., n.d.
Beethoven, Ludwig Van. Notturno for Viola and Piano, Op. 42. Edited by Sydney Beck. New
York: G. Schirmer, Inc., 1949.
________. Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 6 in A, Op. 30. Edited by Kreisler. New York:
International Music Company, n.d.
________. Sonata for Violin and Piano Op. 24 in F Major Spring Sonata. Edited by
Joseph Joachim. Transcribed by Forbes. New York and London: Edition Peters, 1960.
________. Sonaten fr Klavier und Violine, Band I. Edited by Max Rostal. New York and
London: G. Henle Verlag Edition, 1978.
________. Sonaten fr Klavier und Violine, Band II. Edited by Max Rostal. New York and
London: G. Henle Verlag Edition, 1978.
________. Sonaten fr Pianoforte und Violine. Edited by Joseph Joachim. New York and
London: Edition Peters, n.d.
________. Ten Violin Sonatas. Edited by Francescatti. New York: International Music
Company, n.d.
Berlioz, Hector. Harold en Italie, Symphonie en 4 Parties Avec un Alto Principal. Edited by
Hugh Macdonald. Kassel, New York: Brenreiter, 2001.
________. Harold en Italie; Symphonie en Quatre Parties, Avec un Alto Principal, Op. 16.
Partition de Piano (Avec la Partie dalto) par F. Liszt. Paris, Brandus, 1880. Edited by
Maurice Riley. Michigan: University Music Press, 1959.
Brahms, Johannes. Complete Sonatas for Solo Instrument and Piano. New York: Dover
Publications, Inc., 1989.
________. Sonatensatz. Transcribed by Milton Katims. New York: International Music
Company, 1949.
Bridge, Frank. There is a Willow Grows Aslant a Brook. Arranged for Viola and Piano by
97
Benjamin Britten. London: Thames Publishing, 1990.

Franck, Csar. Sonata in A Major for Viola and Piano. Edited by Vieland-Casadesus. New
York: International Music Company, 1958.
________. Sonate fr Violine und Klavier A-dur. Arranged by Felix Schwartz. Paris:
Breitkopf & Hrtel, 2001.
________. Sonate pour Violon et Piano. Paris: Editions Musicales du Marais, 1990.
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus. Concerto (Kchel No. 216)/Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart;
Transcribed from the Violin Concert in G Major with Original Cadenzas by Lillian
Fuchs. New York: M. Witmark, 1947.
Paganini, Niccolo. 24 Caprices: for the Viola. Transcribed by L. Raby. Melville, New York:
Belwin Mills Publishing Corp., n.d.
Vivaldi, 6 Sonatas for Viola and Piano. revision and realization of the Figured Bass by Luigi
Dallapiccola, Transcribed and Edited by William Primrose. New York: International
Music Company, 1955.
DISCOGRAPHY
Beethoven, Ludwig Van. A-dur, Op. 30 No. 1; No. 7 C-moll, Op. 30 No. 2; No. 8 G-dur, Op.
30 No. 3; Encore: Contretanz B-dur; Contretanz Es-dur; WoO 14, Nos. 4, 7. The violin
Sonatas. Anne-Sophie Mutter and Lambert Orkis. 289 457 622-2 Deutsche
Grammophon, 1998. Compact disc.
________. Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 6 in A, Op. 30 No. 1. The Complete Sonatas for
Violin and Piano. Joseph Szigeti and Claudio Arrau. AB 78876 Grammofono 2000,
1944. Compact disc.
________. Sonata in A Major, Op. 30, No. 1; Sonata in C Minor, Op. 30, No. 2. Sonatas
for Violin and Piano. Vladimir Ashkenazy and Itzhak Perlman. CS 6958 London, 1974-7.
LP.
________. Sonate Nr. 6 A-dur, Op. 30, 1. Sonaten fr Klavier und Violine. Arthur
98
Grumiaux and Clara Haskil. 6733 001 Philips, 1967. LP.

________. Smtliche Violinsonaten=Complete Violin Sonatas. David Oistrach and Lew
Oborin. 835 247 AY Philips, 1967. LP.
________. The Complete Violin Sonatas. Vol. 2. Ingrid Haebler and Henryk Szeryng. 446
524-2 Philips, 1995. Compact disc..
________. Violin & Piano Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24: Spring; Violin & Piano Sonata
No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30, No. 1. Pinchas Zukerman and Daniel Barenboim. VCL 9045
Vox Cum Laude, 1973. LP.
________. Violin Sonatas. Fritz Kreisler and Franz Rupp. GR-2055--GR-2059 Angel Records,
1936-6. LP.
________. Violinsonaten. Gidon Kremer and Martha Argerich. 453 743-2 Deutsche
Grammophon, 1997. Compact disc.
Reger, Max. Violin Sonatas. Ulf Wallin and Roland Pntinen. CPO 999 752-2, 2000. Compact
disc.
99
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2
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4
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Viola
Adagio, molto espressivo.
.
B # # 42
. . . .
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S
3
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8
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3 j . .
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3

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n
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J
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p
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37
44
cresc.
p S
j
j
J
J
Sp
n b b
n 0 . .
b
n . b . . .
n
b n
n
cresc.
Beethoven Viola Sonata Op. 30, No. 1

Movement II Viola Page 1
b n
1
0
0
0
b
n .
b J
.
B ## b b n b b b
b
J
cresc.
p
S
S

3
3
2
1
..
rKK n . 2
n
1

52
#
J
J j
J
B #
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cresc.
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p
p cresc.
0
48
. 2 2. b 0. .
58
n
B ##
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3
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U
63
2 U
#
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B #
(colla parte)
0 3 .
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3
n
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1
3
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2
3
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3
p
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p
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69
.
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75
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1
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3 .
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2
1 .. 0 0 0 pizz.
.
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j j U
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B ## J & J J J
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p
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99
Viola
. . 3 .
Allegretto con Variazioni.
3 2
#
#
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p dolce
3
n
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7
#
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4
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Var. I
..
2
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B ## .
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3
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3
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4 0
0

#
B ## C
33
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14
4
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1
0
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w
3

Movement III Viola Page 1
.
. . .
..
.
3
3
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p. .
3
..
2
&
### C

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r
.
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p dolce
4
1
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Var. II
53
4 II
2
2 3 2 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 3 4 1 3
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3 4
1
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Var. III
71
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76
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Var. V
.
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p cresc.
Var. IV
90
. 1

cresc.
3 b U
b ww
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Tempo I
0 . . .
B . b . . b . .
p
..
B
b . . . . . .
148
r
b
Var. VI
B # # # 68
164
B ###
175
Allegro, ma non tanto
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b . . . . . . . .
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p
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( . . . . . .)
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Allegro
Viola
#
B # # 43 ..
p
Piano
#
B ## .
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4
1
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4
1
5
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Allegro
.. #
p
1
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n
f
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2
.
.

Movement I Page 1
. 1
. #
.
2

..
cresc.
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n ..
23
&
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f
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1
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30
3
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3 1
1 . . 4. .
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Movement I Page 2
B ###
p
42
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42
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Movement I Page 3

B ###
S
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55
55
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###
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.
B ### #
p
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59
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B ###
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p
64
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decresc.
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Movement I Page 4
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. # .
3
#
3 1 2 1 32
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.
.
n
3
decresc.
3 1 4
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B ###
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69
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p
decresc.
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B ###
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Movement I Page 5
n
#
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p
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2
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J
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3 . 1
2
1
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cresc.
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4
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p 4
cresc.
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n .
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2
Movement I Page 6
B ###
p
104
###
# n n # n
S
cresc.
p .

#
n
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.

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2
4
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Movement I Page 7
.
.
S

B ### # #
119
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cresc.
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4
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Movement I Page 8
. .
.
#
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134
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B # # # n ..
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140
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146
Movement I Page 9
. cresc.
.
.
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3
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Movement I Page 10
#
174
B ###
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180
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Movement I Page 11
B ### .
p
193
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3
1
2 . . . 2 5
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5
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3
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Movement I Page 12
. # . n .
cresc.
B ###
208
. . . . . .
5 3
4
34
4
3
#
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217
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n . . . # . n . .
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decresc.
1
Movement I Page 13

p
.
2 . . # 3 1 2
B ###
222
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222
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226
n
p
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cresc.
Movement I Page 14
p S
cresc.
..
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n
p

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#
#
B #

237
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247
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5

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n n 3
cresc.
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3
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Movement I Page 15
# .
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3 1
1 3
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.
&
#
3
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3
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B # # 42
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Viola
2
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S
.
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.
.
.
J
S
. . . # . . #. . .
. .
.
4
1 4
Beethoven Viola Sonata Op. 30 No.1

Movement II Page 1
.
4
n .

n.
1 4
13
&
##
##
& J
cresc.
j

Sp
.
.
j #
cresc.
j
#
#
n
J
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Sp
5 3 .
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cresc.
17
&
##
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3
3
3
n
3
B
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21
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cresc.
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.
Movement II Page 2
j
B ##
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24
j
#
## .
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4
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Movement II Page 3
#
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cresc.
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Movement II Page 4
n b b n
n b n
cresc.
cresc.
n b
b n . . n . b . . .
#
n b b n b
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b
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6
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n.
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J
Movement II Page 5

#
B # J
#
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##
3

1
2
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n. 2
n
n.
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54
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4
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b
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Movement II Page 6
& .
64
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1
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Movement II Page 7
# #
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76
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.
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3
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84
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cresc.
4 Kr . . . . . # . . . . . #
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cresc.
Movement II Page 8
5
. .n
B #
88
# # 2
& J
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5
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cresc.
cresc.
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B ##
92
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p
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Movement II Page 9
. .n
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J
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J J

# # .
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100
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j
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j

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Movement II Page 10
K 5j U
r
.
.
#
B ## C
p
Viola
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. . .
dolce
cresc.
dolce

? ### C
w

Piano
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Movement III Page 1

B ###
18
#
#
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cresc.
###
2 3
S
3
cresc.
2
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3 2
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1
1
29

3
2 .
2 3
3 n 2.
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Movement III Page 2
Var. I
B ###
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33
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1
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.
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B ##
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2
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3
3
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Movement III Page 3
. . .
3
.
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42
2
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2
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50
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3
3
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Var. II
&
1 3
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53
2 31
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Movement III Page 4
1
1
3
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1 4
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62
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3
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Movement III Page 5
.. J
p

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71
Var. III
74
&
1
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3 3
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4
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2
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3
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Movement III Page 6
80
&
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2
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2
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83
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3
3
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3
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Movement III Page 7
..
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2
2 3 1
2 1
.
j .
.
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90
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3
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Movement III Page 8
3
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1
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n 3 1
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109
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115
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120
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Movement III Page 9
.
# n
3
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Movement III Page 10
cresc.
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( u)
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139
B b . .
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Tempo I
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3
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148
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5
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164
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UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

May 12th, 2005

Doctor of Musical Arts

of the Transcription for Viola and Piano of Beethoven's Violin

This work and its defense approved by:

A thesis submitted to the

Division of Research and Advanced Studies

LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES ..

RECENT VIOLA TRANSCRIPTIONS ..

LITERATURE TRANSCRIBED BY THE COMPOSER

Johannes Sebastian Bach

Ludwig van Beethoven ..

LITERATURE TRANSCRIBED BY OTHER COMPOSERS .

Hans Sitt ...

LITERATURE TRANSCRIBED BY VIOLISTS ...

THE PLACEMENT OF TRANSCRIPTIONS

CHALLENGES WHEN TRANSCRIBING WORKS FOR THE VIOLA

An Overview of Beethoven Violin Sonata Op. 30, No. 1

BEETHOVEN VIOLA SONATA OP. 30, NO. 1

1. J. S. Bach, Cello Suite No. 4, Prelude, mm. 5

2. Antonio Vivaldi, Cello Sonata No. 1, IV. Allegro,

3. Bach, Cello Suite No. 5, Allegro, mm. 94105 ..

4. Niccol Paganini, Caprice No. 3, mm. 18

5. Csar Franck, Violin Sonata, III. Recitativo-Fantasia,

6. Franck, Violin Sonata, III. Recitativo-Fantasia,

7. Franck, Violin Sonata, III. Recitativo-Fantasia,

8. Franck, Violin Sonata, III. Recitativo-Fantasia,

9. Franck, Violin Sonata, III. Recitativo-Fantasia,

10. Johannes Brahms, Sonatensatz, mm. 254259 (violin part only) ..

11. Brahms, Sonatensatz, mm. 254259 (viola part only)

Franz Zeyringer, Literatur fr Viola (Hartberg: Schnwetter, 1976), 52.

Several concert pieces commonly programmed on recital programs nowadays are

Johannes Sebastian Bach

Ludwig van Beethoven

Randel, New Harvard Dictionary, 53.

Barrett, The Viola, 2.

opinion in his biography entitled Brahms:

Riley, The History of the Viola, 189.

Lawson, Brahmss Clarinet Quintet, 83.

Barrett, The Viola, 3.

Williams, Lillian Fuchs, 103.

Besides premiering contemporary compositions by composers such as Arnold Bax,

Tertis, My Viola, 172.

Riley, vol. 1, 231.

Applebaum, William Primrose, The Way They Play, vol. 1, 253.

Bach, Five Suites for Viola, ed. Primrose, 4.

fingerings and in the use of shifts.47

Applebaum, William Primrose, The Way They Play, vol. 1, 257.

Bach, Five Suites for Viola, ed. Primrose, 4.

Applebaum, William Primrose, The Way They Play, vol. 1, 237.

Riley, vol. 1, 261.

Watson Forbes, These I Have Loved, Die Viola (1980): 85.

meanwhile made transcriptions either alone or in collaboration with someone else.

example is the concert information indicated on his official website:

Wolfram Christ, New CD Releases, WolframChrists Official Website; available from

Enrichment a remedy for the long-time ignorance of its capability as a solo

Pedagogical a solution to enhance technical and musical training for younger

Tertis, My Viola, 16.

Lionel Tertis, Cinderella No More (London: Peter Nevill, 1953), 3435.

Riley, vol. 1, 247.

Forbes, The Value of Transcriptions, 1113.

Riley, vol. 1, 167.