Arpeggione Sonata Viola Imslp

Schubert composed the sonata in November 1824 for the , a six-stringed instrument invented just a year earlier by Johann Georg Stauffer. Often described as a "bowed guitar," the arpeggione featured a fretted fingerboard and was tuned E-A-D-G-B-E like a modern guitar.

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.

For violists, the serves as an essential resource for accessing public-domain editions, historical manuscripts, and various arrangements of this demanding work. Historical Background: The "Guitar-Cello" arpeggione sonata viola imslp

Franz Schubert’s , is a cornerstone of the Romantic chamber repertoire, despite being written for an instrument that has been extinct for nearly two centuries. Today, the work is most frequently performed as a transcription for cello or viola.

The arpeggione was a stringed instrument that was invented in the early 19th century by Johann Gottfried Moritz. It was designed to be a hybrid instrument, combining elements of the guitar and the violin. The arpeggione had a distinctive sound, with a warm and intimate quality that was well-suited to the musical styles of the time. Schubert composed the sonata in November 1824 for

Critical for collaboration. The piano part is notoriously difficult—Schubert wrote a symphonic accompaniment. IMSLP provides high-resolution scans of the original 1871 Breitkopf & Härtel edition, the first publication of the sonata (long after Schubert’s death).

If you find a rare or heavily edited arrangement that works beautifully for your hand, consider scanning and uploading your own bowings and fingerings to help future generations of violists! Arpeggione Sonata, D.821 (Schubert, Franz) - IMSLP Visit IMSLP, download the files, and let the music speak

IMSLP hosts multiple viola arrangements, each with different philosophies: