The sound world of the viola
How does one approach writing for viola? Especially an examination of the sounds possible on the instrument. If one was to think about this rationally, pragmatically, there is the (Platonic) concept of the instrument – as a perfect viola and performer – and one has all the possibilities of the combinations of viola, bow and two hands on any part of the instrument, striking or bowing, coupled with an infinite variation in pressure, not to mention duration of action or its variation over its course.
For example, one can tap the belly of the viola. This is a single technique. However, one can use a single finger or multiple fingers, the thumb, fingernails, pads of the fingers, flat of the fingers, palm of the hand. One can remain in contact with the belly after striking, one can make a short sharp tap, one can scratch, swipe and everything inbetween. There are many places that produce different resonances on the belly, and it depends also where the hand holding the instrument is, for example the same tap on the belly would produce a different sound were the (left) hand holding it by the scroll, neck, strings(!), top, ribs, tailpiece etc. Just within this technique, there is a potentially unlimited variety of timbre. However, in reality plenty of these sounds would appear very similar when presented in conjunction with other sounds made by the viola, or indeed other instruments, and it wouldn’t make sense to specify when two ostensibly identical sounds which are described differently appear the same in practice.
So where is the line drawn come when trying to specify the exact sound world that we’d like to describe? If I was writing a piece which examined the sounds available just from the belly of the instrument, it would make sense to specify in detail all the attributes of the sound I’d like to be produced, given that the performer is happy to perform it, and that I’ve got a suitably quiet venue for it to be performed (i.e. not a bar or a large concert hall), unless it’s going to be amplified. However, again if I’m writing for orchestra it wouldn’t make sense to specify the last details of this technique when I have a loud brass section, but it would when I’m writing for solo strings.
There are also practical ‘human’ considerations, such as how long it takes a performer to pick up a bow in order to produce a sound with it, or how long it takes to move a hand or the instrument to a different position.
Concentrating on the sound world of the viola, it would be crazy to not admit that every technique which is possible on the viola is possible on the violin (with the notable exception of the intervals possible in double stop). What is different is the timbre of the sound coming out of the instrument when it is performed, due to the difference in size and the range. It does come out bottom in most ensembles, fourth in the string quartet, lagging desperately behind the sonorous depths of the cello and the agility of the violin, the butt of jokes in the orchestra, but on top in contemporary ensembles, like the ugly duckling suddenly given centre stage, v.i.p. treatment. All the more reason not to write for it, since so many composers have written very successful contemporary works for the instrument, and adding to the pile of unperformed contemporary viola scores is not a nice image. All the same, the inspiration for writing these pieces is great, with great contemporary virtuosos borne from the abundance of repertoire.
