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Concerto for Viola and Orchestra No. 2: Full Score

$99.00 USD
$99.00 USD
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Concerto for Viola and Orchestra No. 2 Cover Image
Concerto for Viola and Orchestra No. 2: Full Score

Concerto for Viola and Orchestra No. 2: Full Score

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Warrior

By Paul Chihara

Item: 98-EP68798
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Description

Paul Chihara composed his Viola Concerto No. 2, "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Warrior," for his friend and colleague, violist Richard O'Neill, in whom he saw a kindred spirit. Decades apart, the lives of Chihara and O'Neill have followed parallel lines: both were born near Seattle, both endured childhoods marred by anti-Asian American bigotry and by the terrible legacies of war, and both found escape and ultimately triumph through music.

In a nod to O'Neill's Korean roots, the concerto features the traditional Korean melody "Arirang," which Chihara describes as "the soul of Korea: its warmth for human suffering, passion and loyalty. You don't have to be Korean to love this melody, which is both joyous and melancholy, Asian and Western in key and mode." Ultimately, the "warrior" of the title is not fighting for a nation or a government but for the world, for beauty, peace and reconciliation.

Composed in four discrete, contrasting movements, totalling approximately 16 minutes' duration, Paul Chihara's Second Viola Concerto was commissioned by Chun Eun-Kyung for Richard O'Neill and the Seoul Philharmonic, who premiered the piece in May of 2022 under the baton of Osmo Vänskä. This full score is available for sale as part of the Peters Contemporary Library, with orchestral parts available for rent.

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Additional Details
Series: Peters Contemporary Library
Publisher: Edition Peters
Page Count: 46
ISBN10: 0-300-76248-8
ISBN13: 979-0-300-76248-7
SKU: 98-EP68798
Instrumentation: 2(2=Picc).2(2=Eh).2.2(2=Cbn)-4.2 Tpt in C.2T-Tbn.B-Tbn-Timp-2Perc-Hp-Str

More about this title

About the Composer: Paul Chihara

Paul Chihara is an American composer whose work draws deeply from his lived experience navigating identity, belonging, and social justice. Born in Seattle in 1938, Chihara's musical voice reflects both Western classical training and a profound engagement with non-Western musical traditions, particularly Asian music and its intersection with American culture. His compositions often serve as vehicles for storytelling rooted in personal and collective memory, addressing themes of resilience, reconciliation, and the human capacity to transcend suffering through art.

Chihara's output spans orchestral works, chamber music, opera, and film scores, all marked by lyrical melody, structural clarity, and an unflinching emotional honesty. His Second Viola Concerto exemplifies his mature style: a work that honors specific human relationships while reaching toward universal truths about artistic purpose and peaceful resistance.

Why we love this

Chihara writes for the viola with genuine intimacy, treating the soloist as a storyteller rather than a virtuoso showpiece. The four-movement structure offers conductors a carefully calibrated arc that builds emotional weight without relying on bombast, and the integration of "Arirang" feels organic rather than decorative, inviting orchestras to engage meaningfully with a melody that carries real cultural and historical resonance.

What to expect

Introspective and muscular by turns, the concerto inhabits emotional terrain between personal grief and collective hope. Chihara's orchestration is transparent enough to showcase the soloist's lyrical gifts while dense enough to create moments of visceral power; "Arirang" emerges not as nostalgia but as a living meditation on resilience.

Who it's for

Conductors seeking a contemporary viola concerto with genuine artistic depth and programming weight. Orchestras comfortable with twentieth-century idiom and interested in repertoire that speaks to social and cultural themes. Violists ready to carry a substantial solo role while serving the concerto's larger narrative about artistic resistance and human connection.

How to get the most out of it

  • Study the premiere recording with Osmo Vänskä and the Seoul Philharmonic to absorb the concerto's proportions and the particular character Chihara imagined for the orchestration.
  • Balance the viola's lyrical passages against the orchestra without letting the accompaniment dominate; the soloist should feel supported rather than buried, especially in the quieter movements.
  • Rehearse "Arirang" passages as a full ensemble section, not background texture. The melody's emotional weight depends on the orchestra understanding its cultural significance and playing with intention.
  • Pay close attention to the four movements' dramatic contrast. Each requires a distinct rehearsal approach and interpretive frame to prevent the work from feeling monolithic.

How to use it

Position this as a centerpiece work on a concert dedicated to contemporary music with social or cultural content, pairing it with other pieces that address themes of identity and reconciliation. The 16-minute duration makes it ideal as the anchor of a program, allowing breathing room for shorter works either side. Consider programming it in seasons where your orchestra is already engaging with Asian diaspora narratives or in response to community conversations about belonging and justice.

Skills your students will build

  • Conducting contemporary orchestral textures with transparency and clarity
  • Balancing solo and ensemble voices in a work without a traditional concerto-grosso structure
  • Interpreting cultural musical material (the "Arirang" melody) with respect and musical intelligence
  • Reading mixed time signatures and complex rhythmic figures across multiple instrumental families
  • Understanding how composers use melody and orchestration to convey narrative and emotional content

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