Stuck in the middle of the virtuosic violins and the charming celli, the viola seldom gets the spotlight and has been the butt of many an orchestral joke. This episode we talk about a beautiful and often misunderstood inner voice of the orchestra with the help of some of our amazing ESO violists. “Tune in” as we answer the age old questions: What is a viola? What makes them so unique? And why-oh-why are there so many viola jokes?
Featuring the voices of Principal Violist Keith Hamm and Assistant Principal Violist Ethan Filner.
You can find the transcript of this episode here,
Show Notes:
Sensational Strings - Summer Day Camps at the Winspear Centre
https://www.winspearcentre.com/tommy-banks-centre/summer-day-camps/
Rusty Musicians - Summer Camp
https://www.winspearcentre.com/tommy-banks-centre/rusty-musicians/
YONA’s Road to Joy Fundraising Concert
https://www.winspearcentre.com/tickets/events/other/2021/road-to-joy
Keith Hamm
Bio
https://www.winspearcentre.com/more/about/about-eso/meet-the-musicians/strings/keith-hamm/
Beethoven - Eyeglasses Duo for Viola and Cello | Keith Hamm & Julie Hereish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_X6kvwRZic
Keith Spotify Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1RV71l6sbcKTroIpF6udxK?si=f2d3743383fd4503
Ethan Filner
Bio
https://www.winspearcentre.com/more/about/about-eso/meet-the-musicians/strings/ethan-filner/
Two Pieces for Violin and Viola | Ewald Cheung & Ethan Filner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtvxmXscwL8
Ethan Spotify Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4BP3uxtLz9XuKT6WHpTZct?si=c5e82e6a81f94ea9
The Strad
The History of the Viola Joke
https://www.thestrad.com/playing-and-teaching/the-history-of-the-viola-joke/5399.article
WQXR
Why is the VIola the Butt of so Many Jokes?
https://www.wqxr.org/story/why-viola-butt-so-many-jokes/
Carl Rahkonen
No Laughing Matter: The Viola Joke as Musicians Folklore
http://www.mit.edu/~jcb/jokes/viola-presentation.html
New World Symphony
Viola Visions Festival
https://www.nws.edu/viola-visions/watch-now/
National Music Museum: Rivinus Viola
http://collections.nmmusd.org/Violas/Rivinus/10830/RivinusViola.html
National Music Museum: Tenor Viola
http://collections.nmmusd.org/Violas/Guarneri3354/3354GuarneriViola.html
The Met Museum: Viola d’Amore
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/504490
The Met Museum: Viola da Gamba
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/503219
Berliner Philharmoniker Master Class - Viola
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW0ncJ3-dxQ
The New York Times
This is What a $45 Million Viola Sounds Like
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe11Pp1g39I