Schirmer - Viola, Piano

Description The Virtuoso Violist (Great Performer's Edition) Six works for viola and piano edited by William Primrose. Includes 'Caprice' (Myronoff), 'Caprice' (Wieniawski), 'Italian Serenade' (Wolf) and Nocturne' (Chopin). Songlist Caprice [Myronoff, Boris] Caprice [Wienawski, Henryk] Italian Serenade [Wolf, Hugo] Nocturne [Chopin, Frederic] Sarasateana [Zimbalist, Efrem] Slumber Song [Bach, Johann Sebastian]

The 'Arpeggione' was a guitar-like instrument tuned in the same way as the guitar but held between the knees and played with a bow. The instrument possessed a warm quality and it was this attribute which Schubert exploited in the sonata which he wrote for it in 1824. Schubert's manuscript on which this edition is based contains an alternative violin part which dates from the same period. To avoid an excess of leger lines and clef changes Schubert wrote the arpeggioned part almost exclusively in the treble clef which the performer was expected to read an octave lower than written. The work was edited for the viola when it came into its own as a solo instrument around the turn ofthe century.

This piece was originally composed in 1989 with a new version created in 2002 commissioned by cellist Kate Dillingham and premiering in April 2002 at Merkin Concert Hall in New York City.