Beyond extended techniques: fundamental techniques in Viola Spaces of Garth Knox

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Simon István Értz (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Scott Rawls

Abstract: Viola Spaces are often seen as interesting extra projects rather than valuable pedagogical tool that can be used to fill where other material falls short. These works can fill various gaps in the violist’s literature, both as pedagogical and performance works. Each of these works makes a valuable addition to the violist’s contemporary performance repertoire as a short, imaginative, and musically satisfying work and can be performed either individually or as part of a smaller set in a larger program (see Appendix A). They all also present interesting technical challenges that explore what are seen as extended techniques but can also be traced back to work on some of the fundamentals of viola technique. Etudes for viola are often limited to violin transcriptions mostly written in the eighteenth, nineteenth, or early twentieth centuries. Contemporary etudes written specifically for viola are valuable but are usually not as comprehensive or as suitable for performance etudes as are Viola Spaces. Few performance etudes cover the technical varieties that are presented in these works of Garth Knox. In this paper I will discuss the historical background of the viola and etudes written for viola. Many viola etudes written in the earlier history of the viola have not continued to be published; this study will also look at why some survived and others are no longer used. Compared to literature for the violin there are large gaps in the violists’ repertoire that Viola Spaces does much to fill; furthermore many violinists have asked for transcriptions of these works. In the main body of this study, I will examine each individual etude in Viola Spaces and discuss its pedagogical use, for studying both contemporary techniques as well as fundamental techniques of viola.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 2016
Keywords
Contemporary, Extended, Garth Knox, Technique, Viola
Subjects
Viola $x Instruction and study
Knox, Garth. $t Viola spaces

Email this document to