What instrument is an “alto” string part in a score?
In the music score below, the bottom five parts seem to be string parts. We think the first two are violins, the last is string bass, and the second-last is cello. But what is the third-last? Is it a viola? We understand the clef is an older-style C-clef (alto or viola clef).
terminology instruments orchestral-strings
asked Dec 24 '18 at 0:43
LarsHLarsH
24219
add a comment |
In the music score below, the bottom five parts seem to be string parts. We think the first two are violins, the last is string bass, and the second-last is cello. But what is the third-last? Is it a viola? We understand the clef is an older-style C-clef (alto or viola clef).
terminology instruments orchestral-strings
asked Dec 24 '18 at 0:43
LarsHLarsH
24219
add a comment |
In the music score below, the bottom five parts seem to be string parts. We think the first two are violins, the last is string bass, and the second-last is cello. But what is the third-last? Is it a viola? We understand the clef is an older-style C-clef (alto or viola clef).
terminology instruments orchestral-strings
asked Dec 24 '18 at 0:43
LarsHLarsH
24219
In the music score below, the bottom five parts seem to be string parts. We think the first two are violins, the last is string bass, and the second-last is cello. But what is the third-last? Is it a viola? We understand the clef is an older-style C-clef (alto or viola clef).
terminology instruments orchestral-strings
terminology instruments orchestral-strings
asked Dec 24 '18 at 0:43
LarsHLarsH
24219
asked Dec 24 '18 at 0:43
LarsHLarsH
24219
asked Dec 24 '18 at 0:43
LarsHLarsH
24219
asked Dec 24 '18 at 0:43
LarsHLarsH
24219
asked Dec 24 '18 at 0:43
LarsHLarsH
24219
24219
add a comment |
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
Yes, Alto = Viola. It's the French name for the instrument, and the score shown is a part of 'Carnival of the Animals' by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Carnival_of_the_Animals#XII_%22Fossiles%22_(Fossils)
The other instrument names are easily recognisable. Note that Bb Clarinet is 'Clarinette en SIb'. The French write the scale as do, ré, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do rather than C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. In German it would be "Klarinette in B'. In Germany, 'B' is 'Bb', 'H' is 'B'. Apart from confusing foreigners, this has the advantage of letting German composers write fugues based on 'BACH'.
Alto clef is the standard clef for viola music. A particularly high passage might move into treble clef. But mostly they live in alto clef.
answered Dec 24 '18 at 1:55
Laurence PayneLaurence Payne
35.6k1669
1
Don't the French still use the mediaeval "ut" for do?
– Andrew Leach
Dec 24 '18 at 12:55
add a comment |
Yes it is a part written for a viola. Because of its range the alto clef is standard choice for viola in all types of music.
Here is an orchestral example from Verdi's overture to II Signor Bruschino (from the textbook Instrumentation and orchestration) where the viola is marked Va.
edited Dec 24 '18 at 21:11
Laurence Payne
35.6k1669
answered Dec 24 '18 at 0:51
Dom♦Dom
36.5k19106223
add a comment |
Your Answer
StackExchange.ready(function() {
var channelOptions = {
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "240"
};
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
createEditor();
});
}
else {
createEditor();
}
});
function createEditor() {
StackExchange.prepareEditor({
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader: {
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
},
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
});
}
});
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fmusic.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f77840%2fwhat-instrument-is-an-alto-string-part-in-a-score%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
Yes, Alto = Viola. It's the French name for the instrument, and the score shown is a part of 'Carnival of the Animals' by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Carnival_of_the_Animals#XII_%22Fossiles%22_(Fossils)
The other instrument names are easily recognisable. Note that Bb Clarinet is 'Clarinette en SIb'. The French write the scale as do, ré, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do rather than C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. In German it would be "Klarinette in B'. In Germany, 'B' is 'Bb', 'H' is 'B'. Apart from confusing foreigners, this has the advantage of letting German composers write fugues based on 'BACH'.
Alto clef is the standard clef for viola music. A particularly high passage might move into treble clef. But mostly they live in alto clef.
answered Dec 24 '18 at 1:55
Laurence PayneLaurence Payne
35.6k1669
1
Don't the French still use the mediaeval "ut" for do?
– Andrew Leach
Dec 24 '18 at 12:55
add a comment |
Yes, Alto = Viola. It's the French name for the instrument, and the score shown is a part of 'Carnival of the Animals' by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Carnival_of_the_Animals#XII_%22Fossiles%22_(Fossils)
The other instrument names are easily recognisable. Note that Bb Clarinet is 'Clarinette en SIb'. The French write the scale as do, ré, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do rather than C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. In German it would be "Klarinette in B'. In Germany, 'B' is 'Bb', 'H' is 'B'. Apart from confusing foreigners, this has the advantage of letting German composers write fugues based on 'BACH'.
Alto clef is the standard clef for viola music. A particularly high passage might move into treble clef. But mostly they live in alto clef.
answered Dec 24 '18 at 1:55
Laurence PayneLaurence Payne
35.6k1669
1
Don't the French still use the mediaeval "ut" for do?
– Andrew Leach
Dec 24 '18 at 12:55
add a comment |
Yes, Alto = Viola. It's the French name for the instrument, and the score shown is a part of 'Carnival of the Animals' by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Carnival_of_the_Animals#XII_%22Fossiles%22_(Fossils)
The other instrument names are easily recognisable. Note that Bb Clarinet is 'Clarinette en SIb'. The French write the scale as do, ré, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do rather than C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. In German it would be "Klarinette in B'. In Germany, 'B' is 'Bb', 'H' is 'B'. Apart from confusing foreigners, this has the advantage of letting German composers write fugues based on 'BACH'.
Alto clef is the standard clef for viola music. A particularly high passage might move into treble clef. But mostly they live in alto clef.
answered Dec 24 '18 at 1:55
Laurence PayneLaurence Payne
35.6k1669
Yes, Alto = Viola. It's the French name for the instrument, and the score shown is a part of 'Carnival of the Animals' by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Carnival_of_the_Animals#XII_%22Fossiles%22_(Fossils)
The other instrument names are easily recognisable. Note that Bb Clarinet is 'Clarinette en SIb'. The French write the scale as do, ré, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do rather than C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. In German it would be "Klarinette in B'. In Germany, 'B' is 'Bb', 'H' is 'B'. Apart from confusing foreigners, this has the advantage of letting German composers write fugues based on 'BACH'.
Alto clef is the standard clef for viola music. A particularly high passage might move into treble clef. But mostly they live in alto clef.
answered Dec 24 '18 at 1:55
Laurence PayneLaurence Payne
35.6k1669
answered Dec 24 '18 at 1:55
Laurence PayneLaurence Payne
35.6k1669
answered Dec 24 '18 at 1:55
Laurence PayneLaurence Payne
35.6k1669
answered Dec 24 '18 at 1:55
Laurence PayneLaurence Payne
35.6k1669
35.6k1669
1
Don't the French still use the mediaeval "ut" for do?
– Andrew Leach
Dec 24 '18 at 12:55
add a comment |
1
Don't the French still use the mediaeval "ut" for do?
– Andrew Leach
Dec 24 '18 at 12:55
1
1
Don't the French still use the mediaeval "ut" for do?
– Andrew Leach
Dec 24 '18 at 12:55
Don't the French still use the mediaeval "ut" for do?
– Andrew Leach
Dec 24 '18 at 12:55
add a comment |
Yes it is a part written for a viola. Because of its range the alto clef is standard choice for viola in all types of music.
Here is an orchestral example from Verdi's overture to II Signor Bruschino (from the textbook Instrumentation and orchestration) where the viola is marked Va.
edited Dec 24 '18 at 21:11
Laurence Payne
35.6k1669
answered Dec 24 '18 at 0:51
Dom♦Dom
36.5k19106223
add a comment |
Yes it is a part written for a viola. Because of its range the alto clef is standard choice for viola in all types of music.
Here is an orchestral example from Verdi's overture to II Signor Bruschino (from the textbook Instrumentation and orchestration) where the viola is marked Va.
edited Dec 24 '18 at 21:11
Laurence Payne
35.6k1669
answered Dec 24 '18 at 0:51
Dom♦Dom
36.5k19106223
add a comment |
Yes it is a part written for a viola. Because of its range the alto clef is standard choice for viola in all types of music.
Here is an orchestral example from Verdi's overture to II Signor Bruschino (from the textbook Instrumentation and orchestration) where the viola is marked Va.
edited Dec 24 '18 at 21:11
Laurence Payne
35.6k1669
answered Dec 24 '18 at 0:51
Dom♦Dom
36.5k19106223
Yes it is a part written for a viola. Because of its range the alto clef is standard choice for viola in all types of music.
Here is an orchestral example from Verdi's overture to II Signor Bruschino (from the textbook Instrumentation and orchestration) where the viola is marked Va.
edited Dec 24 '18 at 21:11
Laurence Payne
35.6k1669
answered Dec 24 '18 at 0:51
Dom♦Dom
36.5k19106223
edited Dec 24 '18 at 21:11
Laurence Payne
35.6k1669
edited Dec 24 '18 at 21:11
Laurence Payne
35.6k1669
edited Dec 24 '18 at 21:11
Laurence Payne
35.6k1669
35.6k1669
answered Dec 24 '18 at 0:51
Dom♦Dom
36.5k19106223
answered Dec 24 '18 at 0:51
Dom♦Dom
36.5k19106223
answered Dec 24 '18 at 0:51
Dom♦Dom
36.5k19106223
36.5k19106223
add a comment |
add a comment |
Thanks for contributing an answer to Music: Practice & Theory Stack Exchange!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fmusic.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f77840%2fwhat-instrument-is-an-alto-string-part-in-a-score%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
