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By Hsin-Yun Huang for VivaViola! January 2022

I think without a doubt, one of the most profound privileges any classical musician could have is to experience a Beethoven cycle of any kind -- symphonies, quartets, concerti or sonatas. For me, my short tenure with the Borromeo Quartet was filled with memories of learning, rehearsing, debating, making sense of our Beethoven interpretations, accepting challenges from each other and then performing on stage and standing by our choices. It was always humbling, terrifying and thrilling at the same time.

This memory was the source of inspiration for my transcription of the Beethoven Cello Sonata. Unlike his other cello sonatas, the opus 102 no. 2 seems especially to embrace the higher register of the instrument; hence, when played on the viola, it seems to fit well. The sonata has short and energetic compact outer movements filled with exuberant vitality. The golden heart of the sonata lies in the timeless slow movement which unquestionably belongs to the Late Style with its deep grieving and yearning. It is a jewel of a sonata that seems to possess every dimension of character. From the trumpet call of the first moment to the intricate fugue that demands our every concentrated fiber to follow its multiple lines, this is Beethoven in his true essence.

The Berg opus 5 follows Beethoven further into the idea of short motivic expressions. These pieces, originally written for clarinet and piano, are in miniature style. Each of the four movements takes no longer than 2-3 minutes but demands the full attention of listeners to capture all its subtle dialogue and story. Despite the short length of the composition, its ideas and musical gestures are incredibly dramatic and often surprising. They fit beautifully on the viola thanks to the work of our esteemed colleague Roger Tapping of the Juilliard Quartet. His discovery and transcription of it was so perfect on the viola, it was irresistible to me.

The next three pieces each showcase a different instrumental demand on the viola. Garth Knox’s 9 Fingers is a testament that one could create a whole virtuosic world on the viola without the bow. The authentic and exotic harmonic language of Adnan Saygun’s Cello Partita (middle movements) feels like a most intimate prayer. Then Kenji Bunch defies the melancholy nature of the viola and brings 70s rock style to the instrument by tuning two strings down to a G natural, hence "3 G's." Our journey from Austria to Turkey to America is full of wild, unexpected turns.

The Dvorak opus 73 "In Folk Tone" is my guilty pleasure. The viola’s ability to mimic the voice lends itself well to a large and varied repertoire. When we take away words, then actually the fun begins as we now need to formulate diction with the imagination of the left hand fingers. This is when I have so much fun exploring subtle differences with seeming sameness.

The Korngold "Much Ado About Nothing" Suite was a generous gift of a transcription from my former student Meng-Chun Chuang. It filled the void of a certain style of romantic era in the viola repertoire. One hears distinct characters of Shakespeare captured through Korngold’s imagination. The pieces are charming, playful, demonic, soulful and robust. I have confidence soon this will be part of the standard viola repertoire.

With enormous heart and gratitude, once more I thank my extraordinary viola community in Taiwan. It is with their unwavering support that I keep exploring, having faith, discovering new things.