Character Pieces: Book 1 and 2
New repertoire for young viola players is always welcome and these two books by Patsy Gritton are no exception. I have had an engaging couple of weeks exploring these attractive pieces with some of my pupils. Both books consist of four pieces, all of which have the maturity of more advanced works but are accessible to the younger player. They are described as being approximately Grade 3-5. They would also work well for an adult learner.
These books are well laid out – each piece is presented clearly and set on its own individual page. All the pieces are contemporary yet not challenging to the ear, which would make them a perfect choice for a school concert or possibly a GCSE performance piece. There is a mix of styles in each book, ranging from slow and lyrical to more upbeat, fun pieces. Gritton has a wonderful understanding of the qualities of the viola.
Each title implies a different musical character and there is a good mixture of rhythms, time signatures, major and minor keys, and a variety of different bowing styles. The suggested fingerings work well, with the brave use of second position in many places, which is often overlooked at this stage.
‘Floating’
This piece is beautiful; it has a smooth flowing viola line over a busy piano part with rich harmonies. There is a magical moment when the viola drops down an octave on to the C string, before climbing back up into the upper register. With a dynamic range of only ppp to p, this piece focuses on developing good bow control and sound quality. While slow and quiet pieces often fail to hold the attention of energetic youngsters, Floating, being just 18 bars long, is the perfect length to experiment with the art of subtlety, without children losing interest.
‘Enigma cantabile’
This is a lovely, expressive piece. It is in a minor key, which is often the preferred choice of many of my pupils. There is a good use of the whole viola register and plenty of chances to work on shifting. I very much like the words used to describe the desired ‘dark velvet’ sound.
‘Barcarolle’
For this piece I was able to relive memories of a Venetian gondola ride – it captures the lilting mood perfectly. I welcome the use of ledger lines, giving students a chance to familiarise themselves with the higher register of the alto clef, which is all too often put into the treble clef for ease of reading.
‘Wiggle Woggle’
We have had tremendous fun with this piece. Its ‘Tempo di Rag’ is cheerful and upbeat. Although it isn't marked as such, pupils have spontaneously fallen into giving this piece some swing. I didn't have the heart to stifle their instinctive urge! There are some challenging rhythms, but the fun nature of this piece encourages students to persevere in order to get them right. There are some treble clef passages to strengthen those who are averse, and plenty of rests that require careful counting.
‘Shades of Blue’
A slow, melancholy piece with wonderfully lush harmonies. This piece uses the full register of the viola, from the open C up to F on the A string. It is a chance to develop the viola's singing qualities while also experimenting with rubato.
‘Waves Lapping’
This piece provides the opportunity to practise string crossings. It has plenty of open strings to explore resonance and the relationship between the bow and the strings at a soft dynamic. Performance directions like lilting, express. and ethereal give you an indication of the composer's wishes.
‘Drama Queen’
Here we have a fun, lively tango. A chance to channel your inner diva. This piece would go down well as an encore. It is full of drama, requires crisp bowing and a good sense of rhythm. There is a wonderfully expressive section towards the end before it returns to its crisp rhythmic feel, with some dramatic pizzicato and some fail-safe tremolo to finish!
‘Wait for Me’
This is the most advanced of all the pieces. It has a bit of everything. This piece definitely requires more than just learning the notes. Gritton makes clear that the piece should convey a strong sense of yearning and unresolved tension. It is a wonderful introduction to expressive playing with so much for the teacher and pupil to delve into.
