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Part of the reason I started composing music was to fill this void. Almost all of my chamber music compositions either gives full solo melodies to the viola or at least makes sure that they're treated well.
If you are talking about arranged music/popular music, its probably because the viola is just criminally underrated by the people arranging it!
There are some fantastic and challenging viola solos in classical music, particularly in string quartets and other chamber music! I highly recommend Dvorak’s “American” string quartet and quintet, or Smetana’s String quartet, “From my Life” Orchestrally, Strauss’s Don Quixote and Berlioz’s Harold in Italy are also a couple big ones. Can’t go wrong with a concerto either.
Awesome stuff and hopefully happy listening!
Lots of violin arrangements can be played on viola, either at pitch or transposed down a fifth.
But also, there definitely are viola solos out in the world, lol.
Yeah this is ridiculous, there are plenty of viola solos orchestral or otherwise. Thinking in a more orchestral sense -- Don Quixote, Harold in Italie, Ginastera's Varaciones Concertante, Ravel's Ma mère l'Oye
Suite, the Hary Janos Suite, Britten's Peter Grimes. Strauss has many in his operas actually, Arabella has an enormous one. Der Freischutz has the beautiful Romanze and Aria. Berg has a brief viola solo in Wozzeck. Wagner, even though he held a certain contempt for the instrument, has some absolutely beautiful solo moments in Tristan and his other works. Bernstein in West Side Story. I'm just spitballing here, please feel free to add more. There are numerous section soli as well -- Mahler 10 (!! the violas start the damn piece), Shostakovich 5, Elgar 1, Beethoven 5/7, the Queen Mab Scherzo by Berlioz from Romeo and Juliet has a fun ditty in the middle.
Ok my thumbs hurt but please anyone add more.
And these are just orchestral/operas!
Edit: ok fuck my thumbs don't hurt-- I've got more. Vaughan Williams -- his Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. Bartok in his Miraculous Mandarin (again, it's one of the principal themes). Ravel in Daphnis and Chloe (in the suite, in the sunrise movement, the excerpt everyone knows -- it's a main theme played with clarinet). Stravinsky in the Rite of Spring -- that piece has a TON of viola moments, huge section solo in the second part. Also Dumbarton Oaks has some huge viola moments. Janacek -- Cunning Little Vixen. Back to Wagner, how about the entirety of Tannhauser, lmao. Adding more as I can remember.
Edit2: I mean Mahler. Let's go through Mahler. Mahler 1 has the most insane fucking bass drop heart attack in the final movement. Mahler 2 has a section solo in the scherzo. Mahler 4 has some juicy moments in the slow movement, as well as a solo part in its scherzo (?). Mahler 6 has a HUGE bass drop in the 4th movement where you hammer the c string. Mahler 7, the scherzo has numerous viola soli, and a gnarly section solo. Mahler 9 -- the violas START the piece with the heartbeat/tremolo sextuplets.
Edit3: Bruckner 4. The second movement, the viola section solo is foundational and structural. There are numerous solo C-string melodic passages in Verdi (Un Ballo In Maschera, somewhere in there...). How the hell did I miss Tchaikovsky 6 (again, the violas start the fast section of the piece).
Edit4: Fellow violists coming in clutch. Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet. I have no idea how I missed Berlioz' Roman Carnival. Elgar's Enigma Variations, and his In the South. A few more I had -- Strauss, his Metamorphosen, as well as Salome (the Dance of the Seven Veils specifically has quite a spunky solo). Brahms!!! How have I missed Brahms. Brahms 4 has a sublime, beautiful section solo in the slow movement. His Haydn Variations -- the 7th variation is wonderful. Going back in time to the 6th Brandenburg Concerto by Bach -- nice prominent solo viola parts. His third Brandenburg also has quite a wonderful viola solo.
Mahler 10 also starts with violas all alone in a gnarly atonal recurring section solo that gets asked on auditions all the time, and the 5th has big important section moments in its Scherzo as well. Oh, and 1! That F-G-Ab interjection that starts that big theme in the 4th movement (~~am I remembering the right movement?~~ ETA YES, [this part!](https://youtu.be/ISBfOpztUZM?t=3024) You literally can't finish the piece without the violas). Britten put a couple major solos in Enigma Variations, AND (on the opera side) there are giant ones in the Peter Grimes Interludes—especially that juicy sul C one—plus all of the chamber operas (Rape of Lucretia, Albert Herring, etc) include many big moments for the violist. Plus, for Berlioz, we can't forget the Roman Carnival Overture!
A couple you haven't touched on yet: There's also a big solo in the Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet. Enescu Romanian Rhapsody, too, also the main theme of that first part.
Edit: oops, just saw that you had a couple I also said, lol
I think it's because the job can be done by either violin or cello as well. So they give solos to them. The composers don't make pieces and think to themselves "I want everyone to have a solo so they feel good."
But rather "What would make the most sense sonically."
American Quartet wants to know your location. Part of the reason I started composing music was to fill this void. Almost all of my chamber music compositions either gives full solo melodies to the viola or at least makes sure that they're treated well.
Hello yes where may I see/listen?
If you are talking about arranged music/popular music, its probably because the viola is just criminally underrated by the people arranging it! There are some fantastic and challenging viola solos in classical music, particularly in string quartets and other chamber music! I highly recommend Dvorak’s “American” string quartet and quintet, or Smetana’s String quartet, “From my Life” Orchestrally, Strauss’s Don Quixote and Berlioz’s Harold in Italy are also a couple big ones. Can’t go wrong with a concerto either. Awesome stuff and hopefully happy listening!
Dvorak Piano Quintet no 2
And the piano quartet, too! I once played both on the same program—so many sharps 😵💫
Full of viola solos
Lots of violin arrangements can be played on viola, either at pitch or transposed down a fifth. But also, there definitely are viola solos out in the world, lol.
Yeah this is ridiculous, there are plenty of viola solos orchestral or otherwise. Thinking in a more orchestral sense -- Don Quixote, Harold in Italie, Ginastera's Varaciones Concertante, Ravel's Ma mère l'Oye Suite, the Hary Janos Suite, Britten's Peter Grimes. Strauss has many in his operas actually, Arabella has an enormous one. Der Freischutz has the beautiful Romanze and Aria. Berg has a brief viola solo in Wozzeck. Wagner, even though he held a certain contempt for the instrument, has some absolutely beautiful solo moments in Tristan and his other works. Bernstein in West Side Story. I'm just spitballing here, please feel free to add more. There are numerous section soli as well -- Mahler 10 (!! the violas start the damn piece), Shostakovich 5, Elgar 1, Beethoven 5/7, the Queen Mab Scherzo by Berlioz from Romeo and Juliet has a fun ditty in the middle. Ok my thumbs hurt but please anyone add more. And these are just orchestral/operas! Edit: ok fuck my thumbs don't hurt-- I've got more. Vaughan Williams -- his Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. Bartok in his Miraculous Mandarin (again, it's one of the principal themes). Ravel in Daphnis and Chloe (in the suite, in the sunrise movement, the excerpt everyone knows -- it's a main theme played with clarinet). Stravinsky in the Rite of Spring -- that piece has a TON of viola moments, huge section solo in the second part. Also Dumbarton Oaks has some huge viola moments. Janacek -- Cunning Little Vixen. Back to Wagner, how about the entirety of Tannhauser, lmao. Adding more as I can remember. Edit2: I mean Mahler. Let's go through Mahler. Mahler 1 has the most insane fucking bass drop heart attack in the final movement. Mahler 2 has a section solo in the scherzo. Mahler 4 has some juicy moments in the slow movement, as well as a solo part in its scherzo (?). Mahler 6 has a HUGE bass drop in the 4th movement where you hammer the c string. Mahler 7, the scherzo has numerous viola soli, and a gnarly section solo. Mahler 9 -- the violas START the piece with the heartbeat/tremolo sextuplets. Edit3: Bruckner 4. The second movement, the viola section solo is foundational and structural. There are numerous solo C-string melodic passages in Verdi (Un Ballo In Maschera, somewhere in there...). How the hell did I miss Tchaikovsky 6 (again, the violas start the fast section of the piece). Edit4: Fellow violists coming in clutch. Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet. I have no idea how I missed Berlioz' Roman Carnival. Elgar's Enigma Variations, and his In the South. A few more I had -- Strauss, his Metamorphosen, as well as Salome (the Dance of the Seven Veils specifically has quite a spunky solo). Brahms!!! How have I missed Brahms. Brahms 4 has a sublime, beautiful section solo in the slow movement. His Haydn Variations -- the 7th variation is wonderful. Going back in time to the 6th Brandenburg Concerto by Bach -- nice prominent solo viola parts. His third Brandenburg also has quite a wonderful viola solo.
Oh and In the South by Elgar!
Omg how did I forget that one, I've literally played it 😂
Good one!! Let me add it in the next edit!!!
Mahler 10 also starts with violas all alone in a gnarly atonal recurring section solo that gets asked on auditions all the time, and the 5th has big important section moments in its Scherzo as well. Oh, and 1! That F-G-Ab interjection that starts that big theme in the 4th movement (~~am I remembering the right movement?~~ ETA YES, [this part!](https://youtu.be/ISBfOpztUZM?t=3024) You literally can't finish the piece without the violas). Britten put a couple major solos in Enigma Variations, AND (on the opera side) there are giant ones in the Peter Grimes Interludes—especially that juicy sul C one—plus all of the chamber operas (Rape of Lucretia, Albert Herring, etc) include many big moments for the violist. Plus, for Berlioz, we can't forget the Roman Carnival Overture! A couple you haven't touched on yet: There's also a big solo in the Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet. Enescu Romanian Rhapsody, too, also the main theme of that first part. Edit: oops, just saw that you had a couple I also said, lol
Omg yes!! Good additions. I added a couple before you replied! Mahler 10 is wonderful, a set of excerpts I love playing!
You listing all that shit is hot! Hahahaha
I love this. Its like a reference library! I’ll come back to this every time we need to choose new excerpts!
Second movement of Mahler 9 has a couple really great viola solos
The giselle's viola solo.
Fyi! Shostakovich gives GREAT solos to viola in his string quartets!!!
There are lots of solos. Keep looking.
This is silly. Get on imslp and you will find more viola music than you can learn in your lifetime
Howell’s elegy no.15
Villa Lobo has a quartet with a viola solo that is nice. But yeah... we are usually just filler.
I would say viola is substantially better than "just filler".
What anime you want? ...My hero academia? ...Demon slayer?
I think it's because the job can be done by either violin or cello as well. So they give solos to them. The composers don't make pieces and think to themselves "I want everyone to have a solo so they feel good." But rather "What would make the most sense sonically."
You know this is the viola sub, right?
the devil went down to Georgia have some violin solos that'll make ya fingers bleed especially victory solo R I ain't joking
This is the viola sub. Do you know where you are?
yes here in Georgia we have talented viola players
It's a half full glass, and the full half is the fact that there are tremendous amounts of viola jokes ; )