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I am wondering, if a viola comes in different sizes, and the different sizes do make a the viola sound different, is someone who has to play the smallest viola, due to whatever circumstances, restricted as to if they are accepted into an orchestra or any other group? I mean, the cello parts would not sound the same on the smallest viola, right? Wouldn't they sound just a tad not asfull, even with a good small viola? Almost violin sounding?
I know cellos come in different sizes, too, but I don't think adults get as small an instrument as comoared to a small adult viola.
Thoughts?
The Bumble Bee Flies
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Prior to the 1970s/80s, before blind auditions became the norm in professional orchestras, there was a lot of discrimination against people who played smaller violas or violas in non-standard shapes.
Today, professional orchestra auditions take place behind a screen, so the audition panel makes the decision without ever seeing the candidate or the instrument being played. All that matters is how it sounds. We're now seeing a lot more violas under 16" being played in professional orchestras than before. That said, violas smaller than 15-1/2" are still rare at professional level. Even in blind auditions, the smaller a viola gets, the more likely the player is to be at a disadvantage simply because of the acoustic limitations.
In community orchestras, even elite/semi-pro ones, small violas are not nearly as much of an issue as long as the viola is good enough to be responsive throughout its range. There's a shortage of amateur violists in most places, so even if the orchestra has high standards, they're unlikely to turn away someone who has the technical chops to play at that level. My semi-pro orchestra even had someone playing a 14" viola for a couple years, and someone else played in the viola section for over a decade with a 14-3/8" viola.
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Thanks, AndrewH. That was really interesting. I have been wondering bout that for. while. My Fiddlerman is a 15 1/2 and my other is between 15 1/2 and 16. Comfort when playing wise, that little bit of extra size is huge. The 15 1/2 is probably my absolute max. It got me thinking about being disqualified from groups if you can't play the larger size.
I keep trying the other one, and it keeps getting me sore. I can feel it causing me to stretch too much. It was fine when I got it, easy to manage and was not feeling like a stretch or anything. My joints have tightened up a little since then. That is probably the problem. I purchased the smaller Fiddlerman one because of that. I am good now and it has a nice sound.
The Bumble Bee Flies
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Just to be clear, there's a fair number of pros playing 15-1/2" violas. 15-1/2" is the smallest size that's common in professional orchestras. It's smaller than 15-1/2" where the numbers seem to drop off rapidly. You can occasionally find violas as small as 15" in professional orchestras, and there are more of them now than in past eras, but I don't know of any smaller than that.
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I do have a 15". I rescued it from the pawn shop. It looked neat. It does play, nothing wrong with it. I do notice it lacks the oomph and fullness, which makes sense. It is nice when my arms are sore or stiff.
The Bumble Bee Flies
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Gordon Shumway
