Harmony?!

    
Harmony?!    21:12 on Thursday, February 12, 2004          
(Josh)
Posted by Archived posts

Ok. I`ve played viola for four years, and I`m angry that there are hardly any pieces where the viola gets the total melody. Come on people! Give the violas something more to work with! Strike for viola rights! lol


Re: Harmony?!    00:28 on Monday, February 16, 2004          
(Victoria)
Posted by Archived posts

Haha I feel like that all the time! (I`ve played viola for 12 years)
short response: STRIKE!
long response: a philosophical-ish piece I wrote the other day.

"I would say that one of the laws of the universe is that you can`t have both quality and equality. Note that in the orchestra, the viola is an overlooked instrument. Often unheard of or seen as inferior, violists receive unimportant parts that are much less exciting to play. The viola is an alto instrument, a middle voice--according to basic principles of music, it rarely merits the melody line. Most insulting, violinists who are not skilled enough to be 1st or 2nd violinists are assigned to the 3rd violin part--which is usually a transcribed viola part.

Why succumb to the injustice? Why allow yourself to be trodden over?
Should we overthrow the classic repertoire of orchestral music in favor of
modern harmonization and conductorship?

It`s a cruel thing. Every serious violist is forced to learn it. The truly great composers are never fair--the most intrinsic parts of music theory prohibit "fairness." Yet if we do accept our part in the orchestra as was designed by the composer, the group sounds better as a whole, and as a whole, we succeed.

God is not fair. The most intrinsic parts of life prohibit fairness because it`s not supposed to be a perfect world. Some of us have sparkly talents and surpassing intellect. Some of us have oddities which push us into the far corners of society. Some of us are the leaders and some of us are the led. Some of us can blatantly rule the world and some of us have only a small part to play. The Composer of our lives designed this according to the basic rules of His universe.

It`s a cruel thing. Every human has to accept it. Unfairness and imperfection are inevitable. Nevertheless, are they not part of a greater perfection we can`t yet understand? Would our lives not be points on a grid without them? Does our worth not extend beyond our own knowledge? If we stopped thinking about how we are underprivileged and started thinking about how we could make the most of it, we`d be able to. If we worked as we were designed to instead of complaining about the design, we`d understand it someday. In the meantime, and by the grace of God, society could move on forward.

The viola song is not one of glory nor one of shame. It is knowing what is
best for the group as a whole and playing your part accordingly. It is being
content with what you have been assigned because you understand it`s for
the greater good. And the greater good, in turn, is for the good of each that contributes to it."

Hehe maybe that made somebody think.


Re: Harmony?!    07:42 on Tuesday, February 17, 2004          
(Josh)
Posted by Archived posts

How poetic of you. Even though violas have it bad, and I understand where my place in the orchestra is, I am only trying to say violas need to have a better part to play. Granted, it can`t always be fair, but the is a way to balance the melody and the harmony and have the violins and violas play at the same level. The upside to all of this is that they will eventually have to, because the viola is steadily increasing in popularity (yay). They will eventually have to help us out with harder music instead of dumbing it up for us violists. In philosophical terms, they (when I sasy they, I mean composers) should aquies to what it to come: the violist movement. Okay, I`m not very philosophical, but you get the idea. Thank you for your response and drill the propaganda into the heads of mindless sheep that are the youth of America!!!!!!!!! lol, bye.


Re: Harmony?!    23:42 on Tuesday, February 17, 2004          
(Victoria)
Posted by Archived posts

Lol mindless sheep. I know what you`re saying about balanced harmony -- but in the meantime (while we haven`t yet accomplished viola revolution), I wanna say that Dvorak`s American quartet has an AWESOME viola part! My quartet is attempting to learn it right now-- still really difficult but slowly starting to sound like music


Re: Harmony?!    07:46 on Wednesday, February 18, 2004          
(Josh)
Posted by Archived posts

Good to know. In fact, That sounds like a good peice already. D you know if there are any sites that have that song on it? Thanks, and that piece will sound like full-fledged music before you know it. Bye!


Re: Harmony?!    00:07 on Thursday, February 19, 2004          
(Victoria)
Posted by Archived posts

I have an mp3 of the first movement at my site: http://violasong.com/dvorak1.mp3
We sound pretty good don`t we?!? Haha ok it`s the Sebastian Chamber players. Notice the viola solo right in the beginning


Re: Harmony?!    07:46 on Thursday, February 19, 2004          
(Josh)
Posted by Archived posts

Wow! That was really great. There will be a day where I I`ll play that. Is that the difficult compared to your other pieces that you play in that orchestra?


Re: Harmony?!    19:57 on Wednesday, February 25, 2004          
(Josh)
Posted by Archived posts

Uh, are you there? It;s starting to get boring without someone to talk to.


Re: Harmony?!    23:01 on Thursday, February 26, 2004          
(Michael)
Posted by Archived posts

Hey, Ive played the viola for 2 years and had a solo a week ago on my viola. I think the viola would be a perfect feature for a sad lement or deep song.. considereing we have the low DEEP RICH MELLOW STRINGS.. unlike the high ear crackling violin.. lol... BUT I THINK viola players are becoming more popular.. and eventually some composer will have to do something..!! IM ON STRIKE WITH U GUYS.... go violas... i might also take lessons to learn the Irish Fiddle.. not sure yet though... :O


Re: Harmony?!    07:45 on Monday, March 1, 2004          
(Josh)
Posted by Archived posts

Go Irish fiddles! I completly agree. Irish music rules! I also agree that violas are perfect for slow songs, but as for me, I would prefer the more up tempo songs. Keep playing and go Irish!


Re: Harmony?!    07:39 on Tuesday, March 9, 2004          
(aero)
Posted by Archived posts

you shouls play a piece written by Borodin (i think thats how u spell it) i played it in the string quartet and the viola part is gr8!


Re: Harmony?!    07:42 on Tuesday, March 9, 2004          
(betty boop)
Posted by Archived posts

OH WOW, KOOL ROCK!!!!!!!! i went on tour to ireland with the county orchestra and the host music college arranged a fiddleing course for the VIOLINS, so i threw a strop and so i went and played it on my viola, which was a little tricky, but gr8 fun!!!! go 4 it and fiddle ur little heart out! btw i no longer play the fiddle, its the FIDDOLA heheheheheheh!


Re: Harmony?!    07:36 on Wednesday, March 10, 2004          
(Josh)
Posted by Archived posts

Fiddola, hilarious! My uncle plays the violin (and a very nice one at that)and he goes to an Irish fiddle camp every year. I`m gonna go with him soon and break the monotony of violins with my viola! Mwahahahaha! No, they only have music for violins, but he said they welcome violas, which I suppose is good because that means not everyone hates violas (see the joke site on the viola links to see what I mean).


Re: Harmony?!    21:34 on Tuesday, March 16, 2004          
(Hannah)
Posted by Archived posts

Yay! Violists! I was just searching for a recording of the Handel concerto for viola that I`m playing and I happened upon this! It was so fun to read your viola convos (and I really do agree!). I`ve been playing for. ..5 years! No, six ! Anyhow, I`m repeating myself, I know, but it`s just really neat to hear some other violists and their opinions! And also, Josh? is that your name? If the orchestra music you`re playing bores you, there`s so much neat solo and chamber music stuff out there for the viola. You should join a quartet, or something!


Re: Harmony?!    07:49 on Wednesday, March 17, 2004          
(Josh)
Posted by Archived posts

Thank you for the thoughts. I would gladly join a quartet, provided that there was one I could join. All of these quartets that they have in my town are for college or high school. Unfortunately, I`m still in middle school. However, I do plan to join the first orchestra I can get into. I take classes in school and that`s about it. Our teacher is very good (and funny for that matter), but she underestimates how much more my class could play. I`m in eighth grade, and wer`re still playing Colors of the Wind"! Do you see something wrong with this picture? Believe me, I would love nothing more than to join an advanced orchestra, there just aren`t any that would take me simply because I`m too young. Please keep responding, and I will do my best to answer soon. Bye!


   








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