Viola Curriculum

Level I

Standards and Requirements

  • Establish good posture and physical coordination
  • Proper left-hand shape
  • Awareness of 2nd finger pattern placement
  • Use of bow to produce proper articulation (long/short) and dynamics (loud/soft?
  • Proper bow hold (Bent thumb, curved pinky, soft knuckles)

Scales

  • One 1 octave scale

Repertoire

  • Two pieces from Suggested Repertoire

Etude

  • *no etude requirement

Level I Suggested Repertoire

  • Solo Time for Strings, Etling Book 1

  • Essential Elements for Viola, Book 1

  • Suzuki, Volume 1

  • Applebaum Scales for viola volume 1

Level II

Standards and Requirements

  • Consistent good posture and physical coordination
  • Easy double stops in first position (open strings)
  • Simple shifting technique from first position to third position
  • Varied bowing patterns in scales, etudes, solo or arpeggios
  • Sustained tone production
  • String crossings with separate, slurs and hooked bowings

Scales

  • One 1 octave major scale
  • One 1 octave minor scale

Repertoire

  • One piece, memory not required

Level II Suggested Repertoire

  • Samuel Flor- I like to play scales for Viola

  • Applebaum Scales for Viola, Volume 2

  • Building Technic with Beautiful Music, Applebaum, volume 1

  • Beautiful Music to learn by Rote, Applebaum, Volume 1

  • Suzuki Volume 1, no.15 and forward or any from Volume 1

  • Solo Time for Strings, Etling, Book 2-3

 

Level III

Standards and Requirement

  • Posture and well-balanced body motions
  • Fluidity in shifting from first to third positions
  • Usage of 2nd position
  • Basic vibrato motion
  • Use of dynamics and musical expression
  • Ability to bow on the sounding point with good bow direction
  • Introducing Treble clef

Scales

  • One 2 octave major scale with tonic arpeggio
  • One 2 octave minor scale

Etude

Any one etude from the following

  • Wolfahrt, Book 1
  • Hoffmann Etudes
  • Whistler, Introducing the positions

Repertoire

  • One piece, memory not required

Level III Suggested Repertoire

  • Whistler, Introducing the positions, Volume 1

  • Lifschey, Scales in the First position

  • Mogill Scale studies for viola

  • Building Technic with Beautiful Music, Volume 2. Applebaum

  • Beautiful Music to learn by Rote, Applebaum, Volume 2

  • Solo Time for Strings, Etling Book 4-5

  • Kuchler, Concertine in G, op 15

  • Suzuki, No.9 and forward of volume 2, any from Volume 3, or No. 1 and 2 of Volume 4

  • Elgar, 6 very easy pieces for Viola

Level IV

Standards and Requirement

  • Correct and well balanced posture
  • Balanced bow arm and fluid use of fingers, wrist and elbow
  • Awareness of bow-division, bow-speed and sounding point
  • Awareness and thoughtful application of printed dynamics
  • Reliable shifting and intonation
  • Fluid vibrato motion
  • Finger coordination
  • 2 octave scales with 7 arpeggio sequences for chosen major and minor scales with correct fingering
  • Jury program represents varying bowing styles such as legato, martele, staccato and spiccato

Scales

  • One 2 octave major scale with harmonic arpeggio sequence
  • One 2 octave minor scale with harmonic arpeggio sequence

Etude

Any one etude from the following

  • Mazas Etudes Especiales
  • Wolfahrt Book 2
  • Whitsler Position Etudes, book 1 or 2

One Double Stop study from either Trott or Hoffman

Repertoire

One piece memorized

Level IV Suggested Repertoire

  •  Fiocco, Allegro

  • Seitz Concertos, Suzuki bk. 4, #1 or2

  • Solo Time for Strings, Etling, Book 5

  • Back Unaccompanied Suite No. 1 or 2

  • Bach, Arioso

  • Bach, CPE Sonata in G Major

  • Vivaldi Concertos

  • Suzuki  no.3 and forward of Volume 4 or any from Volume 5

  • Handel Sonata in A major, Op.1, No.15

  • Telemann, Concerto for Viola Movements 1&2 or 3&4

  • Marais, Theme and Variations, (P.Doktor)

  • Marcello Sonatas

  • Handoshkin, Concerto

  • JC Bach Concerto, 1st or 2nd Mvts.

Level V

Standards and Requirement

  • Correct, healthy posture
  • Artistic use of the bow arm with fluid use of fingers, wrist and elbow.
  • Proper use of bow-division, bow speed and sounding point
  • Application of printed dynamics and performing with artistic expression
  • Fluid and continuous vibrato
  • 3 octave scales with 7 arpeggio sequences, recommended keys C-Eb
  • Repertoire which utilizes first through 5th positions
  • Jury program represents varying bowing styles, including spiccato, legato, martele, staccato
  • Understanding of articulation markings and musical terminology printed in repertoire

Scales

  • One 3 octave major scale with harmonic arpeggio sequence
  • One 3 octave minor scale with harmonic arpeggio sequence

Bach

  • A single movement of Bach, suggested from suites 1-3

Etude

One intermediate etude from the following:

  • Kreutzer
  • Mazas Brilliantes

One Intermediate Double Stop study from either Trott or Hoffman

Repertoire

Any movement of a major concerto, concert piece or major sonata work with piano accompaniment

Either Bach or the Repertoire selection must be performed from memory

Level V Suggested Repertoire

  • Accolay, Concerto No.1

  • Block, Meditation and Processional

  • Bruch, Kol Nidre

  • Eccles, Sonata

  • Elgar, Salut d’amour

  • Faure, Eelgy

  • Handel, Concerto in B minor

  • Hindemith, Trauermusik

  • Hummel, Fantasy

  • Kreisler, Sicilienne and Rigadaun, Libieslied, Shon Rosmarin

  • Massenet, Meditation from “Thais”

  • Rachmaninov, Vocalise

  • Senaille, Allegro Spiritoso

  • Suzuki Book 5, Seitz Concerto no.3

  • Suzuki, Book 6, Brahms, Hungarian Dance

  • JC Bach Concerto, Last movement

  • Mozart, Adagio and Rondo

  • Novacek, Perpetual Motion

  • Ries, Perpetual Motion

  • Tchaikovsky, Canzonetta

  • Telemann, 12 unaccompanied fantasies

  • Vaughan Williams, Suite for viola and orchestra

  • Zelter Concerto in Eb major, 1st movement

Level VI

Standards and Requirement

  • Correct, healthy posture
  • 3 octave scales with 7 arpeggio sequences, recommended keys Eb and higher
  • Reliable core skills, including: variety of distinct bow strokes, observance of dynamics, accurate shifting/double stops and varied vibrato
  • Understanding of musical structure and all musical markings
  • Basic understanding of appropriate stylistic techniques
  • Repertoire which demands facility in all positions
  • Use of complex left-hand techniques such as three/four note chords, harmonics and glissandi
  • Sensitive and Responsive collaboration with pianist

Scales (must be different from level 5 jury)

  • One 3 octave major scale with harmonic arpeggio sequence
  • One 3 octave minor scale with harmonic arpeggio sequence

Bach

  • Any movement of Bach from Suites 4-6
  • OR
  • Any 2 contrasting movement from Suites 1-3

Etude

Any Advanced Etude from the following:

  • Lillian Fuchs
  • Kreutzer
  • Campangnoli
  • Fiorello
  • Dont
  • Tartini Bowing Variations

Repertoire

  • Any movement of a major concerto, concert piece or major sonata work with piano accompaniment

    *Either Bach or Repertoire selection must be performed by memory, recommended to memorize both.

Level VI Suggested Repertoire

  • Bartok, Roumanian Folk Dances

  • Bartok, Concerto for Viola and Orchestra

  • Bloch, Suite Hebraique for viola

  • Bloch Suite 1919

  • Bruch Romance

  • Corelli, La Folia Sonata

  • Rebecca Clarke Sonata

  • Enesco Concertpiece

  • Glinka Sonata

  • Hindemith, Der Schwanendreher

  • Hindemith Sonata, op 25, no.1 any 2 mvts

  • Hindemith, op.11 no. 4

  • Hoffmeister, Concerto in D

  • Kreisler, Praeludium and Allegro

  • Paganini, Moto Perpetuo

  • Reger, Unaccompanied Suites

  • Schubert, Arpeggione Sonata

  • Schumann Marchenbilder

  • Tibor Serly, Rhapsody

  • Alan Shulman, Theme and Variations

  • Hans Sitt, Concertino op 46

  • Shostokovich Sonata

  • Stamitz, Concerto in D

  • Vaughan Williams, Romance

  • Vieuxtemps, Capriccio

  • Vieuxtemps, Elegie

  • Vieuxtemps, Sonata, in Bb

  • Vitali, Chaconne

  • Vivaldi, Sonata in G

  • Walton, Viola Concerto

  • York-Bowen Concerto

 

Updated 2/25/2019