Oh how we love to pick on the viola and the poor unfortunates who play them..... Instrumentalists throughout the ages have belittled their colleagues of other persuasions. Why even double bassists in the United States would often swipe at each other about the advantages of one bow style (German) over the other (French). But somehow in the early 1980's, our attention focused onto that instrument most mired in the musical middle. Half violin... half cello... the viola seems to be the ODD MAN OUT and have endured everything we can throw at it!

Ney-bald-aar! In fact, it would seem that our non-illustrious friends who play them actually ENJOY and thrive on the attentions their recently irreputable reputation has brought them! And still composers insist on writing them in!

Gradually over the last decade, this sentiment of dissatisfaction has taken root and flourished with the public as well. This gave critical mass to what has become a political tsunami unseen since the days music union president Petrillo stopped the broadcast industry from airing Interlochen students. This represents a sea change for classical music as orchestra librarians across the country prepare to bend to the political winds and actually erase the viola parts to orchestral scores from Bach to Bartok!