Bach Largo (from double concerto in D) arr. by yours truly.

July 19, 2007 at 9:54 AM

In response to the post I made earlier today with the Hindemith on it...in reply to the sweet comments.... I copied/pasted my answer from that to a new blog so I can post the first Bach arrangement. (details below)

Well, I started playing viola because I had always wanted to, but no viola I ever played fit well and it caused pain. Then my father passed away in Nov. of 2005. It was very sudden, and I went up to Canada for the funeral. While there, I played his viola (he was a violist) and it was the most beautiful, lovely, viola sound I'd ever heard from my body and musical soul. The viola was a perfect fit. I am built a lot like him, only female version :). I fell in love with both his viola and the desire to play viola all over again. I love the viola, everything about it except maybe not being able to latch onto literature (I think due to ill-fit of viola). I really wanted and hoped to be able to have his viola, or buy it. But it is almost 20 thousand dollars and the person selling it in the family needs the money for a car that will last her the rest of her life. Monthly payments of a hundred bucks a month won't really work in that situation.

But I'm not giving up. I just need to find the instrument that will allow me to feel the sound and love for the sound I make and music I play like his did. It doesn't have to be that instrument, but one that suits me as well.

That's the story in a nutshell.

I'll post my Bach when I'm done with it. It will be a few weeks. I've got one version of the Largo I like, but the vivace I think will be better on the new instrument. Maybe. Hoping. Sound-wise. This viola is lovely with slow lush pieces. I think I could post the Largo now....

From Karen Allendoerfer
Posted on July 19, 2007 at 1:56 PM

Wow, I've listened to it 3 times now. As I have learned, and played, both parts on the violin, and am very used to it that way, I have to admit the opening was a little jarring at first. I'm still trying to decide how I feel about the viola line not making a straight, clean descent in the first several measures. I might feel fine about it in a few hours with more listening. But regardless, later on, I think the two parts blend beautifully.

From jennifer steinfeldt warren
Posted on July 19, 2007 at 5:13 PM

Hey there, Karen. Yes, it isn't exactly the same. Mostly because there are already versions of the 2nd vln. part for viola out there, but they are pretty much just the violin part written in alto cleff. I personally feel that when that kind of thing is done (viola parts a-la-viola exact), it defeats the purpose of playing it on the viola...it ignores the deeper range and ability of the viola to fill out the bottom like it can so beautifully. However, there is always room to improve upon an idea, so I might try the opening as the violin part goes.

It is sort of like the Pachabel canon. The viola part when played in quartet is violin III and can sound hideous or if played well, can sound great. But I rewrote parts of it anyway because to my ear it sounded better in certain spots down the octave where the viola sings, not the violin.

Thank you for your feedback, that is always ALWAYS appreciated, no matter what the actual comment is.

I'm glad you liked it enough to listen to it 3 times! I'd actually recorded that a few months into owning my viola in january of 2006....so it could use a re-record now that I've grown with the instrument.

Thanks for listening!

-Jennifer

From Karen Allendoerfer
Posted on July 19, 2007 at 5:35 PM

I agree with your rationale for why not to just put the violin part into alto clef. And I agree generally about the viola singing in ranges where the violin doesn't. I like thinking about these issues because I'm in the thick of playing the same two instruments.

I arranged "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" for viola a couple of weeks ago when I played it at the Farmers' Market. I used the intro in the songbook and then I added a verse down an octave on the C and G strings that was meant to be heard as an actual march, played short, deep, staccato and very strict rhythmically, followed by a verse played as written on the D and A, cantabile with slurs.

It was a bit simple, but I thought it worked out quite well in terms of evoking two very different moods on the same instrument, and in taking advantage of a sound unique to the viola that couldn't really be done on the violin. But I think it helped that I had never played the piece on a stringed instrument at all before, so I had no preconceived notions of what it "should" sound like.

I think you're brave to do something this ambitious. I read on the viola list that originally no one thought the Bach cello suites would "work" on the viola--and I'm glad people tried it anyway, because they really do.

From Karen Allendoerfer
Posted on July 20, 2007 at 2:20 PM

I just wanted to add, that if you sound like that on a viola that doesn't fit you very well, you must sound totally awesome on one that does!

From Karen Allendoerfer
Posted on July 20, 2007 at 2:22 PM

I mean, "if you sound that *good* on a viola that doesn't fit very well . . ." I hope I was clear.

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