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MUSIC FOR VIOLA AND PIANO

This page explores music for viola and piano, focusing on viola and piano repertoire. Discover contemporary viola and piano music, including modern viola-piano compositions, new music, and various viola and piano pieces. Find viola and piano scores by notable viola-piano composers.

DRIPPING MINUTES - FROZEN YEARS 

for viola and piano 

Duration:

8'30" minutes
 

Instrumentation:   

viola and piano

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Year Composed:  

2017
 

Written For:            
Tabea Zimmermann
 

Premiere Performance:
12 November 2021

Philharmonie im Kulturpalast

Dresden, Germany

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Matan Gilitchensky, viola

Ohad Ben-Ari, piano 

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music for viola and piano

viola and piano repertoire

Program Notes:

As the title suggests, Dripping Minutes - Frozen Years explores themes of time, the passage of time, and the contrast between psychological time and real time. In this slow-paced piece, I depict certain events that pass by, yet collectively, they create a sense of time standing still.

Dripping Minutes - Frozen Years is dedicated to Tabea Zimmermann. 
 

Score of Dripping Minutes - Frozen Years for viola and piano

ABOUT VIOLA AND PIANO REPERTOIRE

Contemporary viola and piano repertoire offers a rich and dynamic selection of compositions for viola and piano duets, perfect for musicians seeking to explore innovative and modern works. This repertoire features a diverse range of styles, from avant-garde to neo-romanticism, showcasing the expressive capabilities of both instruments. One classic example from the viola and piano duet repertoire is Shostakovich's "Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 147," a masterpiece that blends lyrical melodies with complex harmonic textures. Performers and enthusiasts of contemporary viola and piano compositions will find these duets to be a rewarding addition to their musical journey, enriching their understanding and appreciation of contemporary classical music.

viola and piano Repertoire (20th & 21st Century)

  • Rebecca Clarke – Sonata for Viola and Piano (1919), viola and piano

  • Paul Hindemith – Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 11 No. 4 (1919), viola and piano

  • Dmitri Shostakovich – Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 147 (1975), viola and piano

  • Henri Vieuxtemps – Élégie, Op. 30 (1854), viola and piano (widely revived in the 20th century)

  • Benjamin Britten – Lachrymae, Op. 48 (1950, rev. 1976), viola and piano

  • Nadia Boulanger – Trois pièces (1914), viola and piano

  • York Bowen – Sonata No. 1 in C minor, Op. 18 (1905), viola and piano

  • George Enescu – Concert Piece (1906), viola and piano

  • Mieczysław Weinberg – Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 28 (1945), viola and piano

  • Ernest Bloch – Suite for Viola and Piano (1919), viola and piano

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams – Romance (1914), viola and piano

  • Dmitri Kabalevsky – Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 117 (1974), viola and piano

  • György Kurtág – Signs, Games and Messages (1980s–2000s), viola and piano (selected movements)

  • Henri Dutilleux – Trois Strophes sur le nom de Sacher (1976, later arranged), viola and piano

  • Jennifer Higdon – Sonata for Viola and Piano (1990), viola and piano

  • Lillian Fuchs – Sonata Pastorale (20th century), viola and piano

  • Libby Larsen – Sonata for Viola and Piano (2001), viola and piano

  • Peter Maxwell Davies – Sonata for Viola and Piano (1984), viola and piano

  • Elliott Carter – Elegy for Viola and Piano (1943), viola and piano

  • Frank Bridge – Allegro appassionato (1908), viola and piano

  • Paul Chihara – Sonata for Viola and Piano (1982), viola and piano

  • Aaron Jay Kernis – Still Movement with Hymn (1993), viola and piano

  • Kaija Saariaho – Vent Nocturne (2006), viola and piano (originally for viola and electronics, often performed with piano reduction)

  • Caroline Shaw – In manus tuas (2009, arr. 2020s), viola and piano

  • Georges Enescu – Sonata No. 2 for Viola and Piano (1951, unfinished), viola and piano

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