Viola Concerto: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Arranged by Daniel Powers
Item: 35-PK00275984
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Description
My Viola Concerto was commissioned by the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra for soloist Logan Strawn. The first movement is marked Andante, emphasizing the viola's darker and more lyrical character. The concerto opens pianissimo, with the viola entering with a long lyric line. The middle, somewhat livelier section is based on a single theme, first heard in the clarinet, and then taken up by the viola. In second movement, the viola introduces a long theme over a pulsating background, which is developed at length with increasing intensity. The movement ends peacefully, with cello and violin joining the viola as co-soloists. The third movement, Estampie, contains the most virtuosic writing in the concerto. Inspired in part by Early and Middle-Eastern music, the movement is driven by frame drum accompanying the first theme and cadenza. Duration: 28:00
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00275984
More about this title
Why we love this
Powers crafts a viola concerto that treats the instrument as a genuinely lyrical voice rather than relegating it to inner harmony. The three-movement arc moves skillfully from introspective lyricism to dramatic development to rhythmic virtuosity, giving your soloist real material to sink their teeth into while keeping the orchestra engaged as true partner rather than accompaniment.
What to expect
The viola emerges from the ensemble with a warm, introspective voice in the opening, drawing the listener inward. By the third movement, that same instrument crackles with rhythmic energy and technical display, informed by folk music traditions. Between them lies a movement of building intensity where the viola's extended development feels almost operatic in its expressiveness.
Who it's for
String orchestras with an accomplished viola soloist who can command both lyrical lines and virtuosic figuration. This works for advanced youth orchestras, pre-college programs, and community orchestras looking for a feature that showcases an underrepresented solo voice.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the opening pianissimo viola line against the string ensemble so the lyrical character reads clearly without forcing the soloist to overplay early in the movement.
- In the second movement, maintain the pulsating accompaniment as a constant pulse rather than letting it swell rhythmically; the viola's thematic material and the intensity of its development should be what captures attention.
- The Estampie's frame drum part anchors the first theme and cadenza section. Coordinate closely with your percussionist to lock the rhythmic drive while the viola weaves its virtuosic figures around and over that foundation.
- Allow the ending of the second movement its quiet resolution when cello and violin join as co-soloists; the shift from virtuosity back to ensemble lyricism is part of the concerto's emotional architecture.
How to use it
Feature this as a solo concerto on a concert celebrating chamber-scale works within the larger ensemble context. The 28-minute duration makes it substantial enough to anchor a program section on its own, and the three distinct movements allow you to pace the overall concert with contrast between introspection and virtuosity.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing a solo line against ensemble accompaniment without forcing tone production
- Sustaining long lyric phrases with consistent vibrato and expressive shaping
- Executing rapid passagework and technical figuration in the third movement
- Listening to and locking with accompaniment figures that shift in texture and intensity
- Reading and responding to conductor cueing in sections with exposed ensemble writing