Violin/Viola solo recommendations?

I was wondering if anyone can recommend some songs with violin/viola solos along with an orchestra?

Violin solos are plentiful! Some of my favorites are the Sibelius violin concerto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITTbY1n3Iz8, the one by Bloch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTEnPximays, and the Tchaikovsky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbJZeNlrYKg. Feel free to check out Mendelssohn's and Beethoven's if you're looking for a more classical feel.

For viola... good luck! There isn't a whole lot for viola + orchestra in the repertoire. The Stamitz (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaHRWcEfroU) is popular among violists but it has that purely classical sound. Harold in Italy by Berlioz  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4NC4E5RXik) is about the only great Romantic-sounding orchestral piece featuring viola out there... unfortunately, this piece isn't very virtuosic. Hindemith wrote Der Schwanendreher (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkFbrUEhSCc&t=7s)—not my favorite but I guess it's worth mentioning.

There is, of course, another viola concerto written by someone you might know. 😉 It hasn't been performed yet but it was composed by a violist! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYW8K6N4FEE)

The Brahms Violin Concerto is one of my favorites:  

2 minutes ago, pateceramics said:

The Brahms Violin Concerto is one of my favorites:  

Ah yes, 'tis a good one, too! Dvorak also wrote one that isn't too shabby: 

For more modern tastes, I would suggest the Barber Violin Concerto and Ligeti Violin Concerto.

Tchaikovsky's is pretty mandatory listening.

36 minutes ago, Tónskáld said:

Violin solos are plentiful! Some of my favorites are the Sibelius violin concerto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITTbY1n3Iz8, the one by Bloch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTEnPximays, and the Tchaikovsky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbJZeNlrYKg. Feel free to check out Mendelssohn's and Beethoven's if you're looking for a more classical feel.

For viola... good luck! There isn't a whole lot for viola + orchestra in the repertoire. The Stamitz (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaHRWcEfroU) is popular among violists but it has that purely classical sound. Harold in Italy by Berlioz  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4NC4E5RXik) is about the only great Romantic-sounding orchestral piece featuring viola out there... unfortunately, this piece isn't very virtuosic. Hindemith wrote Der Schwanendreher (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkFbrUEhSCc&t=7s)—not my favorite but I guess it's worth mentioning.

There is, of course, another viola concerto written by someone you might know. 😉 It hasn't been performed yet but it was composed by a violist! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYW8K6N4FEE)

 

The violas lower tones has an appealing factor to me that I want to use to create a left right solo battle between a violin and viola. I can't say that I'd be able to write solos with some of the duration that these have, but a 15 second alternating clips of each would be nice. I could picture the viola moving further right to create a more balanced distance between the two. Also having them more front stage. with some light percussion in the background. 

25 minutes ago, pateceramics said:

The Brahms Violin Concerto is one of my favorites:  

 

 

Thank you for this one, I'm also trying to get some ideas for some background instruments for the leads, in this one the woodwinds and French horn go along nicely. 

6 minutes ago, SilverWolf said:

The violas lower tones has an appealing factor to me that I want to use to create a left right solo battle between a violin and viola. I can't say that I'd be able to write solos with some of the duration that these have, but a 15 second alternating clips of each would be nice. I could picture the viola moving further right to create a more balanced distance between the two. Also having them more front stage. with some light percussion in the background. 

I love that idea! Just keep in mind that the viola is one fifth lower than the violin, and therefore can't play quite as quickly as its higher-pitched cousin. The violist has to strike the string a split second faster than the violin in order to play at the same time.

@Tónskáld has suggested many great concerti from the Romantic era. I also recommand the following works,

Wieniawski (All Violin Concerto)

Ernest Chausson - Poeme for Violin and Orchestra

Ravel - Tzigane

For more modern choices, my list will be as follows,

Bartok - Violin Concerto No.2

Bartok - Romanian Folk Dances

Stravinsky - Violin Concerto

Aram Khachaturian - Violin Concerto

Berg - Violin Concerto

Kabalevsky - Violin Concerto

Martinu: Violin Concerto No.2

16 minutes ago, Monarcheon said:

For more modern tastes, I would suggest the Barber Violin Concerto and Ligeti Violin Concerto.

Tchaikovsky's is pretty mandatory listening.

 

 

I checked out this one from Ligeti, around 1:38 they have some nice kind of like sweep bowing(not sure if it's right term){guitarist words} it has a cool type of motion to it. 

3 minutes ago, Tónskáld said:

I love that idea! Just keep in mind that the viola is one fifth lower than the violin, and therefore can't play quite as quickly as its higher-pitched cousin. The violist has to strike the string a split second faster than the violin in order to play at the same time.

 

I'm using about 130-140 bpm at most about 16th notes, but really focused more on the rhythm aspects to keep it interesting. Thank you for the advice I'll see if I could use lighter staccatos. 

7 minutes ago, HoYin Cheung said:

@Tónskáld has suggested many great concerti from the Romantic era. I also recommand the following works,

Wieniawski (All Violin Concerto)

Ernest Chausson - Poeme for Violin and Orchestra 

Ravel - Tzigane

For more modern choices, my list will be as follows,

Bartok - Violin Concerto No.2

Bartok - Romanian Folk Dances

Stravinsky - Violin Concerto

Aram Khachaturian - Violin Concerto

Berg - Violin Concerto

Kabalevsky - Violin Concerto

Martinu: Violin Concerto No.2

 

 

Thank you for the list, I'll probably be more inclined towards the modern ones. I'm not quite as educated on all the different eras, but trying to learn some. 

I think you may look at the Caprices and Violin Concerti of Paganini if you want to see the (rather extreme/nearly full) capabilities of violin, e.g. the use of harmonics, double-stops, different bow techniques.

Ysaye's violin sonatas are great too.

6 minutes ago, HoYin Cheung said:

I think you may look at the Caprices and Violin Concerti of Paganini if you want to see the (rather extreme) capabilities of violin.

Ysaye's violin sonatas are great too.

 

I like the one from 0:22 from Paganini, something about the fast arpeggiated chords sound awesome, along with some accented notes for dynamics. 

Here's the section of a song that I'm working on it's the outro, but finally I uploaded something at least. I haven't adjusted the articulations yet or velocities though. 

Nice solo Silver, thanks!

Me favorite solo violin is the well known from Mendelssohn's violin concerto in E minor...

4 minutes ago, Guillem82 said:

Nice solo Silver, thanks!

Me favorite solo violin is the well known from Mendelssohn's violin concerto in E minor...

 

 

I like the double stops she was using in this one, It's cool how they do all of that and there's not even a fret board to help remember positions.

Telemann wrote a concerto for two violas and for solo viola as well as many for violin. You can find them on IMSLP.

Ligeti viola sonata

Kurtag games

Also check Bruch's double concerto for clarinet & viola. 

Not sure if anyone's interested, but here's a link to the completed version of this song. It releases on Dec 2. 2019 https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/silverwolf/fall-on-your-feet