TRANSCRIPTIONS AND ARRANGEMENTS AS AN EXPANSION OF THE VIOLA REPERTOIRE

Abstract

This article examines the diversity of transcriptions and arrangements for viola, covering many genres (solo works, suites, sonatas, concertos, plays, etc.), created from the Baroque to the present day. The aim of the article is to study the specifics of transcriptions, revisions and arrangements for viola, and to investigate their impact on the expansion of the concert-performing and educational-pedagogical viola repertoire. The methodology is based on the following methods: systemic, which traces different genre directions from solo to ensemble; historical-chronological, which emphasizes the change in the approaches of composers, editors, performers, and teachers to creating arrangements depending on their affiliation with a certain style; comparative, which reveals the essence of the differences between different editions of the same works; and analytical method, which includes a detailed consideration of transcriptions. The novelty of the topic lies in the distribution of arrangements, transcriptions and revisions for viola, which make up a significant part of the performing and pedagogical repertoire, by authorship, genres and reasons for creation. During the study, it was found that to a large extent the primary reason for the appearance of transcriptions and arrangements was performing or pedagogical practice, which required replenishment of the concert and educational repertoire. Using the example of J. Brahms's sonatas, R. Schumann's and K. Weber's pieces, the conditionality of the creation of several versions of their own works by composers for different solo instruments was revealed. An analysis of the differences between the editions of the most frequently performed works, namely the Cello Suites by J. S. Bach and the Sonatas op. 120 by J. Brahms, was also provided. Finally, the contribution of performers (V. Primrose, L. Tertis, M. Kugel, V. Borisovsky) and teachers (Z. Dashak, B. Palshkov, M. Grinberg) to the enrichment of the viola repertoire was characterized. Based on the conducted research, it was concluded that the use of transcriptions, arrangements and editions is a widespread and regular practice among viola players, which helps to reveal the richness of the timbre and sound of the viola. In addition, their performance is an excellent opportunity for performers to become more familiar with the creative work of composers, and is not forced for viola players due to the relatively limited original viola repertoire.