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Discussion Forum - Instruments - Thread
matesic
Steve Jones

The viola is a beautiful instrument

Edited: February 23, 2026, 4:22 AM · I was reflecting on this yesterday as I listened to a recording of Hindemith's Der Schwanendreher. The poor soloist was doing his or her best with the most ungrateful writing: forte double-stops and spread chords in the lower reaches, anguished wailing in the upper, hacking motoric rhythms in which one is made uncomfortably aware of every bow change. Everything sounded effortful, painful even. And Hindemith was a violist! His mistake, I think, was to assume the viola is equipped to perform most of the tricks that are normal fodder for the violin.

I love to play and listen to the viola but not when it sounds ugly.

Replies (10)

pdeck
Paul Deck
February 23, 2026, 6:45 AM · But Without that unbearable screechy high-fingerboard stuff and groaning double stops, how would viola students ever hope to prepare for their conservatory auditions?
jakieboyy
Jake Watson
February 23, 2026, 6:58 AM · Maybe it was just a sub-par violist (I have listened to the same Hindemith piece and really enjoyed it)
VCalegon
Andrew Fryer
February 23, 2026, 7:19 AM · I bought a Bashmet boxset, but tragically the lack of baroque music on it killed it.
There's a guy on YouTube who scours eBay for cheap violas just to see how good the value for money can be, and my primavera will last me until I come into money.
matesic
Steve Jones
Edited: February 23, 2026, 8:23 AM · Jake, it could just be me but there have been various other occasions when I've (as it were) stepped outside the music and felt that the noises I was hearing were pretty horrible. I also get the same feeling with the cello sometimes, never with the violin (except when I'm practising or playing with friends..).
adrianheath
Adrian Heath
February 23, 2026, 8:27 AM · I discovered a beautiful rendering of Der Schwanendreher on the flip side of Walton's concerto, played by Paul Doktor.
Tabea Zimmerman's is my favorite recent recording.
Hindemith's other viola concertos I find just ugly and meaningless.

My favorite A string is/was the Aricor Eudoxa. I hate steel-cored A's, but I keep an Obligato A in reserve in case I'm ever asked to try a concerto...

matesic
Steve Jones
February 23, 2026, 9:25 AM · Leaving aside the piece, it may or may not be an inescapable fact that a viola never speaks as quickly as a violin, particularly in its lower range. Consequently in swift passages the tone/grunt ratio is less than it is for a violin and in the limiting case can sound more like a succession of grunts. I'm exaggerating of course.
jakieboyy
Jake Watson
February 23, 2026, 9:27 AM · Steve I have also thought in some recordings of some classical concerti (not Stamitz/Hoffmeister) that the viola was missing a little something but couldn't quite place my finger on it.
cottonmather
Cotton Mather
February 23, 2026, 10:06 AM · The reputation of the viola is not helped by the ugly and awkward music of Hindemith.
Thom
Tom Holzman
February 23, 2026, 11:37 AM · I have never heard Schwanendreher, but I am not a great fan of what Hindemith wrote for violin. However, I am curious to hear it.
A former professional colleague of mine (conservatory-trained lawyer) once told me that it was a must do for auditions.
matesic
Steve Jones
Edited: February 23, 2026, 2:28 PM · I've been on IMSLP looking at the list of string concertos for which they have commercial recordings. Of violin concertos they have about 400, cello concertos about 90, viola concertos precisely 15. That doesn't include quasi-concertos like Schwanendreher and Harold but would you say that's evidence of unfair discrimination or pragmatism by composers and/or players?