Söchting Suite for 4 Violas Op. 58 for 4 Violas

Sochting: Suite Op. 58 (Arr. Viola Quartet)

Sochting's Suite Op. 58 was written for four violins, but it translates well to viola quartet: the warm, darker tone of four violas suits the piece's character, and the writing sits comfortably in the viola's range throughout. This arrangement keeps the original structure intact, treating the four parts much like a string quartet. Viola I carries the melody for much of the time, Viola IV holds the bass line, and Violas II and III fill the inner voices — though each player gets their moment with the tune.

At Grade 6 and around seventeen minutes across its movements, this is a substantial piece of chamber music. The focus throughout is on making music together: blending four viola tones into a coherent ensemble sound, listening across the parts, and shaping phrases collectively. There is nothing here designed to show off individual technique as the rewards come from playing well as a group.

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

Key features

• Instrumentation: Viola Quartet (Viola I, II, III, IV)
• Original instrumentation: Four Violins (Emil Sochting, arr. Paul Wood)
• Difficulty: approximately ABRSM Grade 6 (all parts)
• Duration: approximately 17 minutes
• Format: PDF download, full score and all four parts

This suits viola quartets looking for a substantial programme piece that sits outside the standard viola ensemble repertoire. It works well for viola ensemble days, conservatoire chamber music programmes, and music service events where a group of strong viola players needs something to get their teeth into. The suite structure also makes it practical for workshop settings, where movements can be worked through separately.