Capriccio for Viola Solo by Henri Vieuxtemps/arranged for marimba by Gene Koshinski (2009)

Capriccio for Viola

This expressive 19th Century viola solo adapts perfectly to the marimba and exploits the instrument’s rich and expressive qualities. A lyric and beautiful solo perfectly fit for any recital.

It is important to note that my marimba adaptation of this work is a transcription where the original material was preserved as much as possible. However, the piece is transposed down one octave in order to retain the dark quality of the viola's low register as well as to highlight the richness of the low register of the marimba. The performer should use soft and heavy mallets including a rich bass mallet in the first position. This bass mallet should be used as much as possible in the lowest octave, even if that means playing fast passages with only the bass mallet (e.g., measures 24-26).