Viola and Orchestra

Mozart in Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in Es major, wrote the viola part in D major and requested that the viola strings raised a semi-tone. The goal is to produce a better sound viola so not drowned out by the other instruments in the ensemble. In under certain circumstances, can be tuned to C string tone D.

At the beginning of the orchestra, the viola is often limited to the harmony game with little melodic material. When used in the melodic viola, often arranged in unisono or octaves, the strings everywhere, except at the Brandenburg Concerto No.. 6 of J.S. Bach, who put two violas in a melodic role. The work is for two violas, one cello, 2 violas de gamba, and continuo. An example of the work before the 20th century featuring solo viola part is Harold in Italy works of Hector Berlioz. The role of viola is also found in several works of the Baroque and Classical concerti.

Mozart succeeded in liberating this instrument from its role in the six string quintets of his works which are some of his works. The quintet-quintet use two violas, which frees viola, especially the first one, for solo passages and increases the variety and richness ensemble, viola get a balanced role with the violin.

Felix Mendelssohn also wrote a sonata for viola in C minor are very famous (without opus number, in 1824). This work has a beautiful melody among his early works, but it is quite surprising that this work is very rarely played in concert indoors. Sometimes viola has a major role in orchestral music, as contained in the Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar, often called "Ysobel". William Walton, Bohuslav Martinu, and Béla Bartók wrote works for viola concerto, which later became famous.

One of the composers who wrote quite a lot of music for the viola was Paul Hindemith. He is a viola player who often brings his compositions premiere itself. Additionally Ernest Bloch, composer America, born Switzerland is famous for its works inspired by Jewish music. He wrote two famous works for viola ie Hebraique Suite 1919 and Suite for viola solo and orchestra.

Viola is sometimes used in contemporary popular music, the avant-garde stream. Jazz music is also interested in cooperation with the violinist, in the early 1900s to a full quartet and soloist, occurred from 1960 to the present. However viola rarely used by most folk musicians around the world.

Depth research on the use of the viola in folk music was made by Dr. Lindsay Aitkenhead. The players in this type of music is Cath James, David Lasserson, Eliza Carthy, Mary Ramsey, Ben Ivitsky, Gina Le Faux, Helen Bell, Jayne Coyle, Jim O'Neill, Jim Wainwright, Lindsay Aitkenhead, Mark Emerson, Miranda Rutter, Nancy Kerr, Pete Cooper and Susan Heeley. Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown was the viola's most prominent exponent of the blues genre.