String Festival Solos, Volume I: Viola Piano Acc.

This collection solves a real problem for viola teachers: finding solo material that sounds polished while staying within early levels. Applebaum's arrangements preserve the character of beloved pieces from MacDowell, Gurlitt, and others without sacrificing playability. The progression from Level 1 to Level 2 gives you natural stepping stones, and because these selections have Federation Festivals approval, your students can move directly from the practice room to competition.

A journey through 19th-century salon music and character pieces, arranged with transparency so the viola line sings clearly. The pieces range from the lyrical sweetness of 'To A Wild Rose' to the playful energy of 'The Country Fair' and 'Waves at Play,' giving students a taste of different moods and musical contexts.

Viola students in their first years of study who are ready for solo repertoire beyond studies and scales. This book works equally well for students preparing recital pieces, entering their first festival competitions, or assembly performances.

• Balance tone quality with accuracy early in the learning process. These pieces reward vibrato introduced gradually, especially in the longer, sustained passages of 'To A Wild Rose' and 'Serenade.'
• Trust the accompaniment to support harmonic motion. The piano parts create musical context that helps younger violists hear phrase shape and style, so resist the urge to over-accompany with excessive bowing texture.
• Shape the waltzes through gentle dynamic shaping rather than dramatic contrast. Works like 'A Graceful Waltz' and 'Three Waltzes' sit naturally when students think about the dance character underneath the melody.
• Approach the sonatina form in the C major piece as a chance to explore architectural clarity. Distinct phrase endings and consistent articulation matter more than virtuosity here.

Assign pieces sequentially across the year, letting each student choose their recital piece from the ones they've already learned in group study. The Federation Festivals selection makes this book ideal preparation for students auditioning in the 2020-2024 season. You can also draw from this collection as supplementary material during technique lessons, using specific pieces to reinforce dynamics, vibrato, or phrasing concepts.

• Shaping melodic phrases with consistent bow control
• Dynamic contrast from pp to mf within early romantic idioms
• Vibrato applied tastefully to sustained notes
• Reading standard vocal-score notation with clear harmonic support
• Maintaining intonation across shifting positions
• Musical interpretation of contrasting character pieces