JAVS Spring 2026

Roughly half of these works are concerti or sonatas, often categorized in Soviet and post-Soviet pedagogical sources as krupnaya forma (large-[scale] form), intended to function as central repertoire within recitals or as milestones in a student’s annual progression. 15 Scholarly and pedagogical sources tend to focus on such large-scale works—particularly symphonies, concerti, operas, and ballets—leaving the parallel domain of malaya forma (small-[scale] form) comparatively neglected. 16 Within the viola repertoire, the Soviet catalogue includes forty seven socialist realist single-movement works for viola and piano that are short in duration (under ten minutes), frequently cast in simple ternary (a–b–a) forms or organized as suite-like collections of short or ultra-short movements of a similar nature (see Figure 1). 17

Socialist Realist Viola Literature Beyond representing a novel addition to the global viola repertoire, the compositions discussed in this article serve as a case study of obscured Soviet socialist realist music that merits renewed academic attention. These works possess significant stylistic and pedagogical value and thus occupy a potentially important role in instrumental training, as well as in the artistic exploration of lesser known repertoire for recitals and recording projects. The current catalogue of original Soviet works for viola lists approximately ninety compositions that may be classified as socialist realist, based on their date of composition (1930–1970, using the widest possible range) and their adherence to core stylistic characteristics associated with the movement. 14

Figure 1. Small-scale social realist works for viola and piano. 18

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 42, No. 1, Spring 2026

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