Expanding the Pedagogical Repertoire for Intermediate Violists: Lesser-Known Works from the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Bulgaria

Teachers of intermediate viola students are familiar with the challenge of finding pedagogically useful and musically engaging pieces for their studio. The variety and depth of the viola canon can be enhanced by exploring lesser-known works from musical traditions abroad. Some of these might be well-known in their geographic region of origin but not widely played in the United States; others are “hidden gems,” works that have the potential to become popular in the viola repertoire but have not had significant performance exposure.

On recent research trips to Eastern and Central Europe, my focus has been on finding repertoire that is new to me and not readily known in the United States. The traditions of the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Bulgaria, in particular, represent a mix of genres, styles, cultures, and influences from many different nationalities and native folk traditions. By introducing this music to teachers and students, my hope is that these pieces will receive attention from American audiences and enrich violists’ teaching and performing options.

This AVS session will be a lecture recital that focuses on a representative group of works for viola and piano by Czech, Hungarian, and Bulgarian composers. I will discuss the unique musical elements that the pieces contain (modal harmonies, asymmetrical rhythms, tone color effects, regionally-inspired ornamentation, etc.), as well as their main pedagogical features. Attendees will hear a performance of excerpts (or complete shorter works/movements), and have an opportunity to look at the scores. They will also receive a spreadsheet with a list of pieces, which will contain details about the composer, date of composition, style features, pedagogical qualities, and publication information.