Weber Variations on 'A Schüsserl und a Rein'dl' for Viola and Orchestra

Weber: Variations on 'A Schüsserl und a Reindl', J. 43 for Viola and Orchestra

Weber's Variations on 'A Schüsserl und a Reindl', J. 43, is one of the few original concertante works for viola and orchestra from the Classical-Romantic period, and that alone makes it worth knowing. Based on a popular Austrian folk tune ("a little bowl and a little pan"), it is spirited, inventive, and thoroughly characteristic of Weber's ear for melody and colour. This new edition by Paul Wood returns to the original orchestral score and presents it in a freshly engraved text for working soloists and conductors.

The solo writing sits at Diploma or Professional standard throughout. The theme is lyrical and singing, but the variations that follow demand a full range of technique: clean fingerwork at speed, confident shifts, expressive cantabile in the slower writing, and the rhythmic precision to drive the livelier variations with real character. This is repertoire that asks the violist to be equally at home as a musical storyteller and as a virtuoso, and the seven-minute span gives both qualities room to breathe.

Weber's orchestration is transparent and well-balanced. The double winds give the tuttis a full, rounded sound without overloading the texture, and the writing consistently leaves the viola room to project clearly. The orchestral parts are genuinely demanding in places, particularly in the faster variations where ensemble rhythm and intonation matter, but a well-prepared advanced orchestra will find the writing idiomatic and rewarding.

At seven minutes, this is a substantial solo vehicle without the length of a full concerto, and its relative unfamiliarity works in its favour for programming. It brings real variety to a concert bill and gives the violist a genuine showpiece that most audiences will be hearing for the first time.

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: Solo Viola + Orchestra (Flute I, Oboe I/II, , Bassoon I/II, Horn I/II, Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello, Double Bass)
• Difficulty: Diploma / Professional (solo); Advanced (orchestra)
• Editor: Paul Wood
• Duration: approximately 7 minutes
• Format: PDF download, full score and all parts

This edition suits professional and conservatoire recitals where a less familiar solo vehicle will stand out from the standard concerto repertoire. It is a strong choice for youth symphony and county orchestras ready to support a senior soloist, and for competition or diploma programmes where something characterful, technically demanding, and genuinely rare gives the performer an advantage.