Violin obligatory

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Violin obligat is the name for an orchestral part that was offered in parts mainly in the first half of the 20th century as an alternative to the second violin . In the simplest versions, it is a "follow-up violin" that occasionally plays a second part.

“ Obligate ” means that this voice cannot be left out. The violin obbligato, however, does not contain the melody part: In the "violin obbligato" all the important elements of the accompaniment or indispensable secondary parts for the melody were incorporated, mostly using double stops . Most of the instruments except the first violin were dispensable when the violin was used obligatory without the arrangement missing anything essential. Above all, the viola could be dispensed with.

There are exceptions to this rule: Often it is also required that the piano reduction (usually as a piano principal part) is played as a kind of figured bass . Necessary parts that cannot be performed by the violin obbligato have been inserted with cue notes in the parts of the first violin or clarinet, which should be played if they are missing.

This meant that both large symphony orchestras and small spa and salon orchestras could play from the same orchestral parts . A typical small-scale instrumentation thus consisted of a clarinet (piano), first violin (direction), violin obbligato and cello or double bass. With the same voices, the piece could also be played for double-cast woodwinds and brass with choral strings, using the normal part for the second violin. Because of the fuller sound, some conductors also preferred the violin obbligato in this case.

Many music publishers still offer part sets with violin obligatory. Since around the 1970s, when the original line-up also established itself in “light” classical music, the violin has rarely been used. - With the establishment of new salon orchestras in recent years, however, the older practice has regained ground.

literature

  • Reto Parolari: Circus Music in Theory and Practice , Swiss Music, Winterthur 2005, p. 75. ISBN 3-9501993-1-4