Viola excerpt · Audition repertoire
Strauss, Don Juan, Op. 20
The standard opening request at viola auditions. Fast, high, and written in a register where the viola has to project without turning thin.
At a glance
- Instrument
- Viola
- Composer
- Richard Strauss
- Work
- Don Juan, Op. 20
- Era
- Late-Romantic (c. 1880–1910)
- Composed
- 1888
- Tempo
- Allegro molto con brio
- Clef
- Alto clef
- Level
- Audition, professional standard
- 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
On-string and broad. A light stroke disappears under the orchestra and reads as tentative behind a screen.
Where it goes wrong
The passage climbs into a register violists spend less time in; secure position work matters more than speed here.
Style
Heroic character from the first note, there is no warm-up bar.
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.