Mr Charles’ Viola Repertoire List
The viola repertoire is a joy to explore.
Exam syllabi have lists of carefully graded repertoire:
The Australian Music Examination Board has an excellent syllabus that is published each year, but even an old copy will give you great ideas. Ask to see my copy.
You can borrow music from the amazing State Music Library in the Perth Cultural Mall.
The Associated Board of the Royal School of Music publishes their syllabus online.
Donald McInnes' Viola repertoire
Public Domain Music
A lot of music can be printed or photocopied legally.
Works published by composers who died before 1955 are public domain. All other composers are protected by copyright under Australian law for 70 years after death (no new public domain works until 2025).
When a piece is arranged (substantially changed eg. for a different combination of instruments) the arranger is also protected in the same way.
Publishers are also protected by copyright for 25 years from first publication.
CD Sheet Music publishes huge collections of public domain music that you can print from your computer.
They are only US$20 per disc so every violist should eventually own:
Viola Solos: The Ultimate Collection
Viola Sonatas & Concertos: The Ultimate Collection
Duos for Viola and Strings: The Ultimate Collection
Viola Methods and Studies
You can download repertoire from the internet for free.
Viola collections
The AMEB publish excellent repertoire books for each grade level up to grade 6.
Suzuki Books 1 to 7 have great repertoire and are excellent value for money.
Solos for Young Viola Players, Volumes 1 to 5 by Barbara Barber contain important repertoire. CD’s available.
Here are some book recommendations by year level:
Year 8/9 Suggested Repertoire
Suzuki Book 2
AMEB Viola Grade 1 & 2
Time Pieces Viola Volume 1 Philip Bass & Paul Harris (ARBSM Publishing)
First Repertoire for Viola Books 1 & 2 Marguerite Wilkinson & Katharine Hart (Faber Music)
Strictly Classics Book 2 O’Reilly (Alfred Publishing)
Superstudies for Viola Book 2 Mary Cohen (Faber Music)
Technitunes Viola Sheila M. Nelson (Boosey & Hawkes/MDS)
Beautiful Music for Two String Instruments Books 1 & 2 Samuel Applebaum (Alfred Publishing)
The Essential String Method Viola Book 4 Sheila M. Nelson (Boosey & Hawkes/MDS)
Year 9/10 Suggested Repertoire
Suzuki Book 3
AMEB Viola Grade 3
First Repertoire for Viola Books 2 & 3 Marguerite Wilkinson & Katharine Hart (Faber Music)
Amazing Solos Viola Howard Harrison (Boosey & Hawkes/MDS)
Superstudies for Viola Book 2 Mary Cohen (Faber Music)
Solos for Young Viola Players Volume I Barbara Barber
Year 11 Suggested Repertoire
Solos for the Viola Player Paul Doktor (Schirmer/Music Sales) - also available from Music Minus One with recording
Solos for Young Viola Players Volume 2 Barbara Barber
Suzuki Books 4 & 5
AMEB Viola Grade 4
Time Pieces Viola Volume 2 Philip Bass & Paul Harris (ARBSM Publishing)
Beautiful Music for Two String Instruments Book 3 Samuel Applebaum (Alfred Publishing)
Concert and Contest Collection (Hal Leonard)
Technique Takes Off Mary Cohen (Faber Music)
Music for Viola I (Editio Musica Budapest)
Album of Classical pieces Volume 3 (Kalmus)
Classical and Romantic pieces (Oxford University Press)
Chester string series viola Book 2 (Chester)
Year 12 Suggested Repertoire
Suzuki Books 6 to 8
AMEB Viola Grades 5 & 6
Chester Music for Viola (Chester)
Music for Viola II & III (Editio Musica Budapest)
Solos for Young Viola Players Volumes 3, 4 & 5 Barbara Barber
Beautiful Music for Two String Instruments Book 4 Samuel Applebaum (Alfred Publishing)
From Viola Sonatas & Concertos: The Ultimate Collection:
Telemann Viola Concerto
Marcello Sonata in E Minor
Rust Sonata in C major
Pleyel Concerto in D major Op. 31
Accolay Concerto in D minor
From Viola Solos: The Ultimate Collection
Maris 5 French Dances
Klengel Album of Transcriptions
Vaughan Williams, R. Six Studies in English Folksong
Faure Après un rêve
Vivaldi Intermezzo from Concerto Grosso un D Minor
Ravel Pavane pour un infante défunte
Schumann Märchenbilder
Kalliwoda Nocturnes Op.186 No. 1, 2 & 5
Vierne Legende
Glazunov Elégie
Clarke Passacaglia
Here are some further viola books to explore:
Celtic Fiddle Tunes for Solo and Ensemble Craig Duncan (Mel Bay) - available for violin, viola, cello, bass (all with piano) and includes melody and harmony parts so you can form an ensemble with any combination of string instruments!
The ABCs of Viola for the Intermediate Viola Book 2 Janice Tucker Rhoda (Carl Fischer/MDS)
The ABCs of Viola for the Advanced Viola Book 3 Janice Tucker Rhoda (Carl Fischer/MDS)
Abracadabra Viola Peter Davey (A & C Black)
All for Strings Viola Book 3 Gerald E. Anderson & Robert S. Frost (Kjos/Music Sales)
Basic Bach for the Young Violist Alan Arnold (Viola World/Music Sales)
Early Music for Viola Ferenc Brodszky (Editio Musica Budapest/Faber Music)
Easy Winners Viola Peter Lawrance (Brass Wind)
Essential Elements 2000 for Strings Viola Book 2 Michael Allen, Robert Gillespie & Pamela Tellejohn Hayes (Hal Leonard/Studio Music)
Fast Forward Viola Katherine & Hugh Colledge (Boosey & Hawkes/MDS)
The First Ceilidh Collection Viola Christine Martin & Anne Hughes, ed. Ingrid Hooton (Taigh na Teud)
A First Year Classical Album for Viola Players Watson Forbes (OUP)
Microjazz for Starters Viola Christopher Norton (Boosey & Hawkes/MDS)
New Tunes for Strings Viola Book 2 Stanley Fletcher (Boosey & Hawkes/MDS)
O Shenandoah! and other songs from the New World Viola Polly Waterfield & Louise Beach (Faber Music)
Piece by Piece 1 & 2 Viola Sheila M. Nelson (Boosey & Hawkes/MDS)
Playing the Viola Alison Milne (Novello/Music Sales)
Play It Again Viola Daniel Scott (Faber Music)
Schott Viola Album Raymond Dodd (Schott/MDS)
Shooting Stars Viola Katherine & Hugh Colledge (Boosey & Hawkes/MDS)
Six Very Easy Pieces Op. 22 Viola/Cello Edward Elgar (Bosworth/Music Sales)
A Sketchbook for Viola Michael Rose (ABRSM Publishing)
Starters for Viola Lionel Salter (ABRSM Publishing)
Strictly Strings Viola Book 2 Jacquelyn Dillon, James Kjelland & John O’Reilly (Highland-Etling/Faber Music)
String Builder Viola Book 2 & 3 Samuel Applebaum (Belwin-Mills/Maecenas)
Playing with the Orchestra, Classics for Solo Instruments and Play-along CD with Orchestra - Viola (Carl Fischer)
Team Strings 2 Viola Richard Duckett, Olive Goodborn & Christopher Rogers (IMP/Faber Music)
Tunes for My Viola Eleanor Murray & Sebastian Brown (Boosey & Hawkes/MDS)
Viola Quick Change! Mary Cohen (Faber Music)
Viola Time Sprinters Kathy & David Blackwell (OUP)
Viola Walkways Philip Bass (Piper)
Winners Galore Viola Peter Lawrance (Brass Wind)
Young Strings in Action Viola Volume 2 Paul Rolland, ed. Sheila Johnson (Boosey & Hawkes/MDS)
14 Easy Tunes Viola Colin Cowles (Fentone/De Haske)
1st Recital Series Viola James Curnow, Craig Alan, Douglas Court, Mike Hannickel, Timothy Johnson & Ann Lindsay (Curnow/De Haske)
Easy Position Tunes for Viola Neil Mackay (OUP)
The Essential String Method Viola Book 4 Sheila M. Nelson (Boosey & Hawkes/MDS)
Got those Position Blues? Viola Edward Huws Jones (Faber Music)
The Fiddler Play-Along Viola Collection Edward Huws Jones (Boosey & Hawkes)
Microjazz for Viola Christopher Norton (Boosey & Hawkes/MDS)
New Pieces for Viola Book 1 & 2 Gordon Jacob & Kenneth Jones (ABRSM Publishing)
New Tunes for Strings Viola Book 2 Stanley Fletcher (Boosey & Hawkes/MDS)
Viva Viola! Marguerite Wilkinson & Philip Bass (Faber Music)
Advanced Technique for Strings, Viola (Essential Elements series) (Hal Leonard)
String Techniques for Superior Musical Performance Robert S. Frost (Kjos/Music Sales)
Artistry in Strings Book 2 Robert S. Frost (Kjos/Music Sales)
Viola Time Scales Kathy & David Blackwell (OUP)
Music for Viola Books I to III (Editio Musica Budapest)
Fiddle Jam (Hal Leonard) - This is the BEST book if you want to learn to improvise!
Jazz Philharmonic - Viola (2 volumes) (Alfred)
Easy Jazz Viola John Widger (Spartan Press)
Standard Of Excellence: Jazz Combo Session - Viola (Kjos/Music Sales)