JAVS Summer 2021

The authors’ “at home” performance setup during COVID times.

rewarding to play. The guitar part features very fast and complex arpeggio patterns in the outer movements, and some lovely tender moments with harmonics in the middle movement.

Repertoire

The following is a selection of repertoire for the viola guitar duo to provide a starting place for those interested in this ensemble. Besides original repertoire, players can also seek out arrangements and transcriptions. Blackbird by the Beatles arranges nicely for this duo as well as John Dowland songs. There are also transcriptions available of works like Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata and de Falla’s Seven Canciones Españoles . We also encourage you to search the Underrepresented Composer Database available through the AVS website. It already contains a wealth of resources for the duo and, as a living document, it is continually being updated with new listings. The following is a selected annotated bibliography of original repertoire. Samuel Adler, Into the Radiant Boundaries of Light (King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser, 1994). This piece is sonata-esque with three movements. It is highly motivic and is among the most challenging pieces in this repertoire, but is very

Gilbert Biberian, Folklore III (Cadenza Music, 1993). Folklore III features folk songs from Biberian’s home country of Turkey and has excellent writing for both instruments, showcasing both with equally strong solo and ensemble passages. Biberian also expertly balances the viola and guitar with equal roles as lead and accompaniemental voices. Players will find this a challenging but highly rewarding piece. Biberian has also written a solo work for viola, The Poet Makhtum Kuli , and a concerto for viola and orchestra, premiered in November 2019. Scores are available for purchase by contacting the composer at g.biberian@btinternet.com.

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 37, 2021 Online Issue

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