Arpeggione Sonata Viola Imslp May 2026

So whether you choose the historic Hermann edition, the practical Forbes arrangement, or a homemade transposition from the original arpeggione part, one thing is certain: Schubert’s lost instrument has found its true voice on the viola. Visit IMSLP, download the files, and let the music speak. Have you performed the Arpeggione Sonata on viola? Which IMSLP edition do you prefer—original key or transposed? Share your experience with the viola community.

Today, the arpeggione is a relic, but the sonata thrives, primarily in the hands of cellists and violists. Thanks to the , violists have free, instant access to a wealth of editions, arrangements, and historical insights into this masterpiece. What is an Arpeggione? First, a brief history. Invented in 1823 by Viennese guitar maker Johann Georg Stauffer, the arpeggione was a hybrid: a six-stringed instrument fretted like a guitar but bowed like a cello, held vertically between the legs. Its range was roughly that of the cello, but its sound was softer and more intimate.

For violists, the repertoire borrowed from other instruments is a lifeline. While the viola boasts masterpieces by Bartók, Hindemith, and Walton, much of its core canon comes from transcriptions—none more beloved than Franz Schubert’s Sonata in A minor for Arpeggione and Piano , D. 821.