Appalachia Waltz MO155

Appalachia Waltz for unaccompanied viola by Mark O?Connor

Viola Solo

Music by Mark O?Connor

3 pages - 5:00 minutes in length



Appalachia Waltz is a piece composed by Mark O?Connor for unaccompanied violin which gained fame as the title track from the album featuring O?Connor, Yo-Yo Ma, and Edgar Meyer. The Sony Classical release remained for many months in the top ten of Billboard Magazine?s Classical music chart. O?Connor originally composed the piece as a solo for unaccompanied violin in 1993 before he brought it to the trio when compiling material for their album. Here, adapted to viola, ?Appalachia Waltz? is very similar to the violin version O?Connor performs in his solo concerts. With the musical influences coming from Scandinavian and Appalachian folk fiddling, it is one of O?Connor?s most beautiful pieces. The music is suited for advanced and intermediate levels.

Seven short, performable etudes for advanced violists, appropriate for encores, study and technical challenge, addressing techniques like pentatonic double stops, bariolage, whole tone scales, fast playing, finger substitutions, smooth string changes and left hand pizzicato.

German - English.

Garth Knox is one of the most prominent violists of his generation, and as former long-time member of the Arditti Quartet he has developed and maintained a fondness of contemporary music. In the mean time, he gives concerts and teaches courses all over the world.

With 'Viola Spaces' he wants to make contemporary playing techniques accessible to advanced players. The pieces, or 'playing spaces', are true concert studies, each of them dealing with specific techniques such as harmonics, pizzicato (with 9 fingers!) or tremolos which are explained in great detail.

Another volume with modern playing techniques for two violas and a volume with variations on a piece by the French viola da gamba master Marin Marais for four violas are planned.