SOLO VIOLA

Joseph Küffner
(1776-1856)

Concerto for Viola

Edited from the original parts

Küffner was a popular German composer who firstly worked as a concert master and conductor in the German &
Austrian episcopes (remnants of the Holy Roman Empire).
To begin with he was employed (from 1797) as a chamber musician in Würzburg, and later, after it was absorbed by
Bavaria (from 1802), as a conductor of military music.
He composed many operas, symphonies and a great deal of chamber music. As an enthusiastic guitarist a lot of his
chamber music contains the guitar (like Paganini). Note that this piece is Opus 139.
His Quintet in B flat, Op. 32, was previously ascribed to Weber. This is probably an indication of his craftsmanship.

This score
This score & parts are taken from the original parts, originally published by Schott in 1825, made available in
facsimile at the ISMLP (Petrucci) website, from scans made by the SLUB Dresden project.
It is entitled Concert pour Alto Viola avec accompagnement de deux Violons, Alto, Violoncelle & Contrebasse, Flûte obligé,
deux Hautbois, deux Bassons, deux Cors, deux Trompettes & Timbales and is dedicated to Monseigneur Albrecht, Prince
regnant de Sayn-Wittgenstein Berlebourg.
The parts reveal that the oboe parts are interchangeable with clarinet (in C), a fairly common practice in the early
19th century.
Sadly, the full score does not seem to exist and I have had to re-assembled it from the parts. Thankfully the engraving
of the parts by Schott is truly beautiful musical calligraphy. mostly clear and accurate. There are one or two tiny
mistakes. Because of the limitations of the pre-formed engraving tools used to mark slurs, they are sometimes
ambiguous and frequently inconsistent. Having re-assembled the full score I have attempted to rationalize most of
them. Curious performers should consult the original parts if you think I have misinterpreted them.
Of particular historical interest to viola players are the fingerings in the solo part which seem to have been engraved,
not later interpolated. I have included most of them in the solo part although it is unlikely all of them will be used.
They show how much sliding was employed, and especially the use of harmonics.
Also of historical interest is the use of extended ‘accent’ markings, not confined to just one note but sometimes
extending over a whole bar. This is an indication of the subtle difference between accents as nuances and the range
of other accentuations like sf, fz and fp. Also of interest is the use of rinf over a whole group of notes, not just one. In
some of the parts the rinf symbol is clearly centred over the whole bar.
It is also historically interesting to note that the cantabile passages are clearly marked to be taken a little slower than
the opening brisk tempo.
The bowings in the solo part mostly work well, although the ambiguity of the slurs often means making personal
decisions.
In some places I have removed redundant accidentals (more than one per bar) to accord with contemporary
engraving practice. In some places I had to insert some cautionary accidentals.

My impression of the assembled score is that, despite some innaccuracies by the engravers, it received meticulous
attention. The parts are written consistently in accord with the highest theoretical principles. It is the work of a
highly educated professional composer who really knew his craft and especially his orchestration. The peculiar
problems of accompanying the solo viola are very skillfully addressed.
It may not be as intuitively ‘inspired’ as Mozart or Beethoven, but rather seems to have been written in the ‘popular’
style of Rossini, Paganini or Weber. This was the spirit of the times. Remember Beethoven railing against this
‘populist’ tendency.

However it seems a really enjoyable work, worthy of study by all serious viola students.
I hope you enjoy the edition.

Alan Bonds
Perth, Western Australia
June 2016
[email protected]
 CONCERTO for VIOLA
Allegro I Joseph Küffner (1776-1856)
20 tutti

dolce

25

30

34

40

44

48

52

rinf

56

61

66

71
81 solo
2 2

1 2

85

rall. a Tempo
88

91

95

98

101

cresc.
110

114 poco rall.

dolce
118

cantabile con expressione

126
 a Tempo

3
3

130

133

136

139

142

145

148
 0

178 solo 0

183

3
3
3

187

3 3 3 3

191

195 Minore

198

201

1 1
204

207 1 1

210

213

216
 a Tempo
219 solo

227

231

235 4

239

242

245

cresc.

248 poco rall.

4 4
251

cantabile
(dim.) 4

255

259

263
 a Tempo
267 1

3 3 3 3

270

273

276

279

282

285

3
3

289 tutti tutti

295

300
 Adagio
II

6 solo

dolce

12

16

20

23

27 Minore

30

34

38
43

47

49

51 rall.

Majore
53 a Tempo

57

61

65

69

dolce

74

79

diluendo 3
 POLONOISE
Moderato

11

15

19

22

26 tutti

30

34

38

3 3

42 solo

47
52

56

59

62

cantabile con expressione

66
1

70

74 4 3

79

83
6 6

86

89

6 6 6

92
96

100

103 rall.

106 a Tempo

110 tutti

114

118 Minore 3

3 3
3

123

3 3
3 3

128

3 3

133

138

3 3 3
3 3
3
142

3 3
3 3 3
3 3
3 3
145

3 3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3

148

3 3
3

151 Majore
solo

164

168

172

176

179

183

187 tutti

191

195
199

3 3

203 tutti

cantabile con amore

215

219

224

229

6
233

6 6
6
236

239

6 6 6

242 solo

250