Viola excerpt · Audition repertoire
Beethoven, Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
III. Allegro (Trio)
The low-string fugato of the Trio, which the violas take up after the cellos and basses. Tests clarity and off-string articulation.
At a glance
- Instrument
- Viola
- Composer
- Ludwig van Beethoven
- Work
- Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
- Movement
- III. Allegro (Trio)
- Era
- Classical (c. 1750–1820)
- Composed
- 1808
- Clef
- Alto clef
- Level
- Advanced, conservatory level
- Audition list
- Yes, standard excerpt
How to practise it
The bow style, the trouble spots, and the stylistic decisions that come up most often on this excerpt.
Bowing
Light off-string playing in the lower half, springy rather than dug in.
Where it goes wrong
Do not accent the first beat of each bar, the phrase runs across the bar lines.
Style
The passage is marked quietly and should stay mysterious; most players take it too loud.
Tags
Work on the technique underneath
Arco's viola curriculum builds the bow strokes, positions, and clef reading this excerpt assumes, with recorded viola playback throughout.