Wait... Good Viola Pieces Exist? (Official Viola Tier List)
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 22. 04. 2024
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I love how educated they are on everything else except viola stuff
One of them should really deep dive and convert for a decade. Might learn something.
Brett played viola during the first weeks of uni. He knows, but the jokes are deeply rooted.
They know much more about violas, than they show. If nothing else, they played in orchestras, string quarters with violists for years. (Have you seen the dozens vids where they play with violist friends? Or when they can recognize orchestra pieces from the viola part?)
What a roast!!đ€Łđ€Ł
I think this tier list shows their personal preference though I thought most of the pieces were really good. They don't love the instrument that much so their judgement will be biased obviously.
I suppose they are too focused on the violin.
Viola doesnât try to be a violin. The more muted, heartier sound is intentional and works in its own right!
yeah, they'll never understand
Yeah violins have a shrill tone that Iâve had to get used to (by listening to a bunch of twoset). I like the warmer, softer sound of the viola
Whatever lets you sleep at night
the viola needs to be 22 inches long to project as well as a cello or violin, but its unique sound is still good
Guys I found the violists! Get em!
"I'm struggling to hear the pitch"--Eddy
That's it. That's the quote!!!!
Perfect pitch boi losing his perfect pitch after hearing the violas (jk, violas I love you.)
Perfect pitch --> ?? Imperfect????
Finally a worthy contestant to challenge Eddy's perfect pitch!
Well, old people lose their perfect pitch, unfortunately.
Age is coming for him. đą
Viola broke him. đą
"I feel like we just offended all violists"....UM...I think you already accomplished that previously đ
The only thing they managed to accomplish is prove that violists are pretty much impossible to offend. There's enough jokes out there that you can't get to professional level without developing some thick skin against them.
The thing about the viola is that it doesnât shine with other instruments or when itâs trying to play something âviolinyâ. When viola plays a completely solo piece with not even a piano, it sounds so deep and beautiful. The piece has to be written just so.
Yeah, it just lacks an ability to 'fight' its sound over other instruments. So perfect to blend in an orchestra, or completely on its own like you said. But having a viola solo with any other instrumentation just feels kind of weird
1000 ....The perfect example is the Vieuxtemps Cappricio Op. 55 for solo viola
VIOLA GANG RISE UP đŁđŁđŁđ„đ„đ„
As a Violist Yes Like The violins need to accept Violas are also good and The violinist also suck at times
@@giselle080THANK YOU FOR FINALLY SAYING IT
Yeah but viola bad
i play violin but one of these days i would like to own a viola just because i love the deeper tone
RAHHH đ„đ„đ„
I go to see student performances at Curtis often. Let me tell you, their violists are NO JOKE. Especially this one, Iâll have to find her name, I was totally blown away. Talent beyond talent, and she projected like a violinist too. It didnât sound clunky at all. I think it must be that the viola is more difficult to play because when you hear it played extremely well itâs just mindblowing.
Hope you can find her name, sounds interesting, and I would like to hear more from her.
Haesue Lee
@@stevenzhang4761 Thanks!
Of course they're not a joke. They only are if one is inspired to deem them inferior based on what TSV say.
Of course it's harder to play -- it's bigger, heavier, it needs more pressure to speak, and the notes are further apart in all positions. Plus it's incredibly hard to find a shoulder rest that works.
The problem with people who eat a lot of chilli, is that they can't taste more subtle flavours any more and crave only chilli to "liven" it up. You've chillied up your ears guys. The viola isn't the violin, it tastes different. It doesn't need violin spice, it needs a more receptive palate!!
Well said
wow I totally agree with you as a violist. Well said!
I like that! I'm trying to psyche myself up with positivity to (continue to) play viola in our local orchestra concert in a couple of weeks, but it doesn't help I've developed 'trigger finger' with my 3rd (ring) finger & so it also hurts a little when stretching it.
"i feel like we just offended all violists out there"
not the first time guys... not the first time
Viola's dark, meaty, and sometimes muted or strained tone makes it my favorite instrument in the orchestra. The deep warmth sends me. How it connects the violins and cellos together in orchestral harmony is essential... without it, an orchestra sounds naked and sparse. Violas make the ensemble resonate with breadth and life. A good solo viola has a weight that makes the sound stick with you forever.
I learned a smidge of viola from a friend in high school and have recently, over a dozen years later, been trying to work the viola up again. This list is exactly what I need - pie-in-the-sky pieces to dream of learning. Your violin bias is way too strong lol, but I really appreciate this topic being covered! Always gonna vote for giving the viola more light and exposure on your channel. :)
I'm a bass player, I can say similar things about the double bass. Check out the Dragonetti repertoire for double Bass. My Bass Professor Michael Gieb has excellent renditions of each movement. Let me know what you think, I'm curious.
PLEASE DO A PART 2! As a violist, Bruch's Romance is my obsession. Also hope Wieniawski's Reverie and Vieuxtemps Capriccio are there
Thanks for the suggestions, I'm always glad to discover new pieces. I'll go look those up!
2:03 they didn't rank the whole list they had, there was abt 10 more (incl. vieuxtemps). I guess that's why they said "if you want us to rank the rest..", but they'll need to add a few more for a part 2
Don't forget the Bloch suite...
Iâm learning Romanze now!
York Bowen viola concerto!!!
Itâs just worth remembering that all the things TwoSet said about the viola (itâs quiet, it canât project, it doesnât really have that bright, clear forceful tone) are the same things we trumpet players say about the violin.
Brandenburg concerto in C tier is wild
For real number 6 is such a banger with such a unique sound because of the instrumentation
Harold en Italie as well
@@ulysse__ Also the Shostakovich
It's the piece most-deserving of S tier
Dude Shostakovich in C kill me đâ@@arthurjohannfiedler-compos1861
0:11 IN AND THERE'S A MOZART LAUGH
True! đđđ
man, I really want you guys to bring back the more classical music nerd content, where you go deep in about it.
samee
Yes!
this!
Pt 2 please with a Viola King cameo- I miss that bro đ
Yes, part two please!
seconding even if i already know what the tenor of the video will be like
Or even with the actual Viola King (there's a CZcams channel called "Viola King") - I'd love a collab!
@@Casutama that would be very cool!!!! I appreciate his stuff
The one video we thought they would never makeâŠ
At the end Brett says, "Violinists out there, don't worry, there's always a back-up career." It's true, cause violinists are a dime a dozen, but a good violist is always in demand! Though you should only play viola because you love it! (Yes, I'm viola gang!)
Twoset convinced me to learn viola
Same
Same!
They did that to me long time ago. No regrets.
Same
My favorite for a while has been Passacaglia. I've always wanted to see a viola pieces tier list. Finally, that wish has been fulfilled
pascagalia is amazing
Do you know, that one of their favorite pieces they perform in every of their concerts is the Passaglia? Being violinists, they play the arragment for two violins, but still, I am sure they are very familiar with the original too.
('TwoSet Violin - Handel's Passacaglia - World Tour 2023 Berlin')
Then there's Rebecca Clarke Passacaglia. Gorgeous violaâ€
âWelcome to TwoSetViolaâ
I see yâall have joined the dark side
VIOLA GANG RISE UP
Wait that Hindemith Concerto clip did not do it justice đ
Same with Harold in Italy (probably for others too, but I'm not familiar with them)
Also Paganiniâs sonata
@@phineas1117 Also the Walton and the Shostakovich sonata - they picked pretty odd clips.... Like yes but especially with the Walton they definitely didn't pick the bit that was clearest about the theme. I also wonder if they might be biased when listening to a fast movement vs a slow one?
Same for the Clarke sonata. And all of the pieces, really. You can't fairly judge a 20+ minute piece on a 10 second clip.
nor with the stamitz either!
That piece can be so aggressive and rich but the recording was so much more of a light tone with much more rubato and while itâs an interpretation I donât think it fits the piece very well
If they do a part two, they should check out Vaughan Williams Romance for Viola and Piano, itâs beautiful
Don't encourage them. They're just a couple of kids effing around for cheap laughs.
I have a strong suspicion that Brett and Eddy secretly love the viola, but due to the mainstream bias towards the violin, they have to join the crowd and make those viola jokes. I mean, I don't know much viola piece, and some of these pieces actually sound good!! They are recommending these viola pieces to us to promote viola even though they are saying the opposite. Long live Twoset Viola!! (And they make good viola jokes, remember, viola prayer makes the best viola jokes)
They have dozens of videos, featuring violas - playing with their violist friends. They played with violists in orchestras, string quarters. They do love viola as much as any other orchestra instruments.
They do. Every musician does its just the jokes.
I feel for them it's "meh" compared to violin, but they still appreciate good music and good musicians
@@antine1279 For them, everything is "meh" compared to the violin ;)
I've never even thought of it as joining the crowd to make viola jokes. In the battle of orchestra instruments, we're always fondly trashing each other. TwoSet being only violinists means we're missing the very savage responses me and all other violists have to violinists in normal orchestral contexts. (And missing every other instrument lovingly going after each other.)
Omg very triggering. đđąđ
Part 2 please
+1 to that!
Lol
I just woke up and the first thing I see is a TwoSet viola tier list!!!đ±
I am a violist, but I never played violin before viola. I absolutely love the instrument, its rich tone is just so captivating! My personal favorite piece is Waltonâs viola concerto, the piece as a whole is so great and emotional. PLEASE do a part 2, this was awesome to see!
The Walton viola concerto was actually the first concerto I heard -- and I don't mean the first viola concerto, I mean the first concerto for any instrument. It was the piece that made me want to play a string instrument. (I started on violin, but that was mainly because there was an old violin in the family that hadn't been played in 20 years and was available to me for free; I planned to switch from day one and switched when I had the chance to borrow a viola for an extended time.)
Yes yes I want a part 2!!! Loved TwoSet Viola, and some of those pieces sound really nice! đ
Viola gang needs some appreciation after all the jokes đ€âš
As a violist - i think we are superior.
I agree
As a violist - i also agree
I donât think it I know it
We are.
@@skizbees Always were.
How could you do such a thing, Berlioz's Harold in Italy is so good!!!! :'(
fr it's a crime
Harold crew assemble â€
I'm a violinist btw, I just know ab/ harold in italy cause im a berlioz fan
@@tacotuc8553 I'm also a violinist but if violists let me hold their instrument I start playing Harold đ
It's good, but as a violist, I get tired of being asked to play Harold by people who don't know any other viola piece.
One piece which is missing in this list is Mendelssohnâs viola sonata in c minor- composed when he was a essentially a foetus and just so achingly beautiful
The Shostakovich viola sonata is absolutely fantastic
Mozartâs Sinfonia Concertante is just a next level piece
One of my favorite pieces for viola has always been Telemann's Viola Concerto in G major (TWV 51:G9). Especially the opening movement is beautiful. Please check that out. Also, consider the following works:
- Bloch's excellent Suite for viola & orchestra
- Debussy's Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp
- Hindemithâs Trauermusik for viola and string orchestra (Especially the last movement is very moving. Hindemith composed the piece probably in just a few hours. He had come to London to perform his work Der Schwanendreher, but King George V happened to die just as the visit began. Der Schwanendreher would have seemed too cheerful during the mourning period, so Hindemith composed as quickly as possible a beautiful piece of mourning music for viola and string orchestra more suitable for the situation.)
- Reger's Piano Trio No. 1 in B minor op. 2 (for violin, viola and piano)
- R.Strauss' Don Quixote
- George Benjaminâs Viola Sonata
- Kalevi Ahoâs Trio for clarinet, viola and piano
What about Suite Hebarique? That piece has a good viola part I think.
Viola king ranking viola pieces, 100% official, definitely trustworthy!!
No matter how many times I teach them, I never get tired of the Telemann solo and double concertos.
Telemann is the best!
i have a solo in a concert playing the 3rd movement tmrw and i just know i'm gonna miss that first shift XDDD
Apparently Mozart was so fond of the viola that he played the viola part in his quartets!
And added a second viola to create the string quintets, some of his very finest pieces.
I think viola actually sounds very nice when played well. Look at some into more of zukermans viola stuff.
Not just Zuckermann - Tabea Zimmermann (the first soloist they showed) is really good, so are many others.
Thank you for your content. I just think it is quite absurd to judge a piece based on couple seconds of it. However, that is not the reason I am writing this. I just thought I had to write something about the Shostakovich Viola Sonata. We can hear couple cheerful seconds of a very dark piece. Yes, the microphone was too close, but that does not mean, viola is not projected well. I had the honor to hear this sonata live and I had the opposite problem. The piano was quite weak. So I don't think it is correct to dismiss the piece because of a mic too close. Fun fact, the part we can hear was not really composed for viola. It is actually the opening of opera The Gamblers (recommend hearing that beginning). Shostakovich recomposed it for viola and piano couple decades later because it works so well with viola. It is so catchy and I just love it. However as I mentioned, the piece is dark. Particularly the last movement. Especially if you think about the fact, that these were the last notes of Shostakovich basically written on his death bed. You can feel the pain, darkness, sadness and probably the last effort to resist the inevitable. I just can't imagine any other instrument playing this part better. Viola works extremely good here. At the very end we can hear a morendo part played on piano, which I believe to be something like last breath of a leaving personality. Shostakovich passed away just days after checking the official transcription of his handwriting, never to listen to this magnificent piece live.
Part 2, we need to see the ranking for the rest of the pieces! Would also like to see them try playing on some of the alternative forms for the viola.
Morpheus by Rebecca Clark is a fantastic duet for viola and piano
You should listen to Suite for Viola and Orchestra by Vaughn Williams, it's beautiful :)
I always remember the conductor screaming âviOOOOOLAAAAAAâ whenever I hear viola in any TwoSetVid đ„Č
Violaaaaaaaaaa! đ€Łđ€Łđ€Łđ€Ł Classic đđ€đ»
Viola tier list done, next TwoSet cello tier list!
Yes! Yes please!
It was not a ranking, but they have a beatiful video recommending cello pieces: '5 EPIC Cello Performances You Have To Listen To'
I'll be real, Brett got it right. The violin is piercing while the viola is more damp. Which is why I'd rather listen to a viola 80% of the time. I prefer my ears intact.
You should have gone for the slow movement of the Brandenburg 6, absolutely beatiful duo that becomes a trio.
As a violist I'm so glad they finally did that video đ„č Also for part 2 please listen to Martinu Rhapsody Concerto (especially the 2nd movement)
I'll always write for viola. It's a gorgeous instrument, and a lot of players are really open to playing new music.
We absolutely 100% need a part 2. When you do part 2, I hope you watch Marc Sabbah's performance of Vieuxtemps, Henri - Capriccio for Viola solo "Hommage Ă Paganini". It is gorgeous, and the acoustics are to die forđ„č
THIS
Running commentary from me (a clarinetist and wannabe violist):
Ok they did Walton dirty đ it's up there with Trauermusik for best standard-rep concerto for sure
I don't like the Bartok at all, it seems really awkward (and I love Bartok so that's not the problem)
The Berlioz seems like more of an orchestra piece than a viola piece to me. It would be like calling Scheherazade a violin concerto
The Brahms pieces are even better in their original form as clarinet sonatas!
Didn't know Ligeti or Shosty wrote viola music, will listen (edit: the Ligeti kinda goes hard?)
Disappointed that the Widmann Concerto didn't make it on the list, it's one of the most creative modern concertos I can think of (up there with Chin's violin concertos and Eotvos' percussion concerto)
I am a violist and I am proud đ„č †love †you two set! đ»
Wote for part two! I would love to hear the rest of the pieces.
I would like to have heard a wee bit more of the pieces
Part 2! Iâm just realizing how much less tiring viola is to listen to than violin. Iâve learned to appreciate violin now but it still hurts my ear bones.
fun fact: with the Brahms sonatas 1 & 2 it was first written for clarinet than transcribed for viola.
But transcribed by Brahms himself, and there are double-stop passages that definitely can't be played by a clarinet.
@@andrewhcit yes it was transcribed by Brahms himself. As he thought it would sound nice on the viola.
Is the viola Eddy gave you as your birthday gift still alive, Brett?
if it's not still alive, it will haunt them as a viola-ghost until the day they die
actually they played that viola in a couple of vids
'Sightreading Viola Pieces on the Viola'
'2 Types of Violists'
'Guessing The Concerto from the VIOLA PART'
'Violin vs Viola'
@@e2pii213you are a true two set scholar, here have a phd
York Bowen's Viola Concerto should have been on the list. Not only is it a repertoire piece but Bowen was in general enthusiastic about viola and think more highly of it than violin, and wrote a lot of other chamber works for it.
Also, in 20th century viola has became something of a specialty of Britain, starting with the advocation of Lionel Tertis
Two set viola returns
Oh no
Oh yes, part two, please!
I see viola, I click! (Im a violinist)
part 2 pretty please with a cherry on top covered in a banana sundae
Thank you both, Brett & Eddy, so much for this episode!
I've actually been meaning to research and find all of the good pieces with a viola solo. I'd love to see a part two to this episode. Super duper cool!
đđđ»đ» Sending warm hugs. Stay healthy. Take care. đ«đđŻđ„°đ„°
Itâs 04.00, I should be asleep but here I am, watching TSV rank viola pieces and being sad when itâs over! Part 2, please!
I actually kinda prefer the muted quality of Viola because I can find Violin more sharp sounding sometimes. To each their own right đ€·ââïž
That was great! I almost whooped out loud when I saw that clip of Maxim Rysanov playing Schubert. (He's also commissioned and conducted new works, which I think is fantastic.) Have you heard him play some of the pieces from Dobrinka Tabakova? Delicious, I'm telling you.
You missed out so much good stuff, like the Handel-Halvorssen Passacaglia, the Glinka sonata, the Rubbra concerto (and his other gried viola piece Meditation on a Byzantine Hymn). Also, Rebecca Clarke deserved better. I must thank you for putting the Bartok and Walton concerti on the same tier - lest you begin an alto civil war.
It was part 1. Just keep up recommending them more pieces.
Clarke is S-tier
If part 2 doesn't have the Bloch Suite for viola and orchestra or the Martinu Rhapsody-concerto I'm rioting
(No really go listen to those pieces)
also it needs to include the Bach concerto in c minor and Handel concerto in b minor. they r both great pieces
The Bloch suite (in its original viola and piano version) is in the tier list maker, but the Martinu is not.
@@Katie-ef8pr Problem with those pieces is that they weren't composed by Bach and Handel...
@@andrewhcit If you mean the Suite Hebraique; there's a suite from 1919, which is the one I referred to
@@dvdjrv7976 I'm referring to the 1919 suite. It's originally for viola and piano.
YOU GUYS SHOULD DO CELLO NEXT!!!!!
Haven't even watched the video yet and I'm already excited! we either get viola jokes or viola appreciation and I'm here for it :D
Edit: turned out to be a bit of both! Loving the fact that they actually acknowledged good viola playing lol. Shostakovich viola sonata deserved better though đ
I think violinists just need to realize that not every instrument needs to be obnoxious and piercing
đ
We need B2TSM to cover âViola Gangâ rn!
Violins hurt my hearing. Cellos too clumsy. Gimme viola.
For rreeeeeaaallll
Absolutely. I played viola back in the day, but hurt my wrist and can't play it. So I started cello about 10 years ago. I love playing it, but it's not a viola!
Yeah finally the so long awaited viola pieces tier list! đ
Part 2, please! As someone who started learning viola last year _because of_ your channel, you have no idea for how long I've been craving this specific video. I'm so happy right now!
To what Brett said, about the viola sounding "like the violin, but muter" - I can sort of see that, but I think to me it feels more natural to think about it in a different way: the viola just has a different sound quality than a violin, it's less bright (and more difficult to project on) which can be a flaw in certain pieces/areas, but in other areas/pieces, that same quality can bean advantage, as it means it's also more mellow and less piercing than the violin.
That quality really lends itself to expressing sadness, grief, fear (I know, I know, queue all the viola jokes). There's a really great video by the CZcamsr "Viola King" called "Top 10 Darkest Viola Pieces Ever Written" and it features a lot of pieces that weren't in this video (although they might be in part two). Maybe check it out (and it would be amazing if you considered making another video about it!), it's really good and genuinely interesting!
As a violist, I need to know what they think of the Zelter concerto.
The Zelter is not so well-known to other musicians, but is wonderful to play AND listen to!
@@user-hl4kk8wd3k I used the first movement of Zelter as my college audition piece. This piece holds a special place in my heart
Shostie writes a viola sonata then dies. His last piece.
Bartok's viola concerto too -- he didn't even finish it, it was completed by Tibor Serly after Bartok's death.
Yes! Please part two for more viola education (and twoset roasting while ranking).
I'd love to get part 2, it's always like a nice rec list of various pieces
Okay, do a part II, with Max Reger, Britten, Vaughn Williams, and Stravinsky. And a bonus round ranking all of Rolla's 40(?) viola concertos! đ
I LOVE ROLLAâ€
I only started my adventure into classical music with my first piano lesson when I was nearly 10 years old more than 60 years ago. My father LOVED the romantic era of composers, most particularly, Italian opera so those were the records I grew up with. He didn't like Baroque music and even only a sprinkling of Mozart here and there. So when my teacher told me I had to play Bach and made me listen to "old stuff" I really didn't understand any of it (or, perhaps just put up a mental block) UNTIL I listened to a fantastic recording of Brandenburg 6. At the time my teacher also taught violin and cello but not viola. I really wanted to take up viola as a second instrument. In the end, I went full on keyboard Baroque with harpsichord, Clavichord and organ. So thank you JS Bach for Brandenburg Concerto No. 6!
4:58 abslolutely love this rendition of the Mozart concertante! Noah and Amihai are just slayyying it!
Violas are so wonderful!!! Please Two Set Violins, I love and respect you a great deal, except when you talk about violasđą
So does this mean we are getting a cello and a double bass teir list as well? Those would be interesting to see đ
Edit: Twoset complementing anything viola (in the voice of Bruce Banner a la Age Of Ultron): oh these really are the end timesđ
We need a part 2! Im playing the Hummel Fantasy right now and i need you guys to review it!!!
You guys should really listen to more viola - there is so much great stuff out there nowadays, even on youtube.
Part 2 please! Also itâll be awesome if yâall rank cello solos/concertos also đ
You two are the best. Yes more, please.
Thank you so much!!đ„°âšđđ»
5 mil subs eddy performs the walton viola concerto
YES
Or Paganini Sonata per la Grand Viola
This feels like more "lets roast the viola for any shortcoming however clutching at straws it is.". Not to mention theyre listening to very short extracts which doesnt even reflect the entire work. I bet if they heard the entire Paganini, for example, they'd be more impressed.
The ballade from RVW's suite for viola and orchestra!
please do another 8-10 must see performances video!
i love just listening to cool pieces with you guys and seeing how you gush about them;-;
They should do "5/8/10 must-see viola performances"
"it needs...something" that's my thought exactly for every viola piece
I missed Twoset's educational videos soooo much!!! Please do moređ„șđ„șđ„ș
Yes, a part two! These were nice to listen to.
VIOLA KING COMEBACK WHEN?
you guys are a piece of work
Part two!!! Viola pieces never get shown like this, in ranking these you expose a lot more viola repertoire that I would love to learn and others need to know about!
Love the funny comments lol!!
The Shostakovich Viola Sonata a âCâ? Itâs one of the great pieces period, not just as a viola piece. Listen to the third movement. The piece was completed just weeks before his death, and it explores this deepest mystery of life.
Yes, the extracts chosen are odd in some of these.
I think the Shostakovich viola sonata was a late masterpiece! U also can't possibly rank the Ligeti so lowđą
D tier for Harold in Italy with no reason is crazy
pt 2 PLSSS!!! we need more viola king content too
Can we see more hands-on violin / classical music activities? We just seem to be seeing you guys sitting at a computer, and it would be nice to see violin charades again ..?â€
We need a part 2!