Akimenko Romance Op. 13 for Viola and Piano

Here's the rewrite:

Akimenko's Romance Op. 13 is a short, song-like piece for viola and piano from the late Romantic period: lyrical in character, warm in sound, and considerably less familiar than most viola repertoire at this level. Akimenko studied with Rimsky-Korsakov and Lyadov in St Petersburg, and that lineage shows in the craftsmanship of the harmonic writing. This edition prepares the original score for contemporary use with clean engraving and a separate viola part.

At around ABRSM Grade 8, the solo part asks for sustained legato playing and careful phrase shaping above all else. The melody sits mainly in the middle and upper registers, where tone production and bow control are most exposed. Double stops in thirds and sixths appear in the middle of the piece and need confident intonation, and there is a faster left-hand run that require clean finger action, but the piece is built around expressive playing rather than virtuosic display. It's a useful study for any violist who needs to develop a singing tone and the ability to carry a long melodic line, and it works well as examination or recital preparation at this level.

At three to four minutes, it sits naturally as an opening piece or a contrasting item in a recital programme. The compact form and accessible idiom mean it holds an audience's attention without requiring prior knowledge of the composer.

See and hear the difference

Check the score and part preview images above, then watch the complete score video below. They'll give you a clear sense of the engraving quality and overall difficulty before you buy.

Key features

• Instrumentation: Viola solo and piano
• Difficulty: approximately ABRSM Grade 8
• Duration: approximately 3–4 minutes
• Style focus: sustained legato and phrase shaping, double stops in thirds and sixths, left-hand runs
• Format: PDF download, full score and viola part
• Editor: Paul Wood

Who it's for

This suits violists preparing for Grade 8 examinations or early diploma work who need something expressive and rewarding without the scale of a full concerto movement; teachers looking for late Romantic repertoire that develops tone and phrasing; and recital programmes where a short, lyrical piece is needed as contrast to busier works. The relative obscurity of Akimenko is an asset in competition and examination contexts where a less-familiar choice will stand out.