Viola excerpt · Audition repertoire
Berlioz, Le Carnaval romain, Op. 9
The lyrical viola melody near the opening, one of the few moments in the repertoire where the section carries the tune outright.
At a glance
- Instrument
- Viola
- Composer
- Hector Berlioz
- Work
- Le Carnaval romain, Op. 9
- Era
- Romantic (c. 1820–1880)
- Composed
- 1844
- 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
Sustained and singing, with the bow change hidden. The section must match note lengths exactly or the line fragments.
Where it goes wrong
The melody sits where viola intonation is most exposed; practise it slowly against a drone.
Style
Warm and unhurried. It is a love theme, and playing it briskly is the usual misjudgement.
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.