> > > > Naw, but it seems like it. There are, I believe... twenty violins, three violas [only one that plays consistantly and I think she'd really a violinist... I've pondered taking it up for the orchestra... prob'ly not, I'd have to stop making jokes]
> > >
> > > By the way, why do musicians continually make bad jokes about violas and violasists (sp), anyway? It can't be because the instrument sounds bad...
> > >
> > > Wolf "???" spirit
> >
> > It is because they (the musicians) are evil and cruel and jealous of the sweet, free, resonating beauty of the viola. They're jealous, do you hear me?! Jealous!
>
> They're the easiest. Think about it. You can't pick on a Bass. We need the basses. [substantial snip snip]
See, if there's a really high piece, it generally goes to the violins. Violas are left to play harmony with that C string they are so proud of having. All the instruments have their own sound-- the deeper than deep basses, the sweet cellos, the soft violins / heady fiddles-- but a viola is just a viola. A violin-wannabe that sides with the cellos on the basis of comparative strings. Sure, it sounds a little different, I'll give it that, but there isn't as much character. In their defense [what am I doing?!] the viola-dominated pieces I've heard are all exceptionally beautiful. There are just so few of them in comparison to the others. [snip]

Wow...uh...well this *still* doesn't really explain why "violas are the easiest to pick on". So if I cut all this down to the chase, am I correct in deducing that the actual tone range of a viola is effectively covered by violins and cellos, already? In other words, violas are a joke because they're actually somewhat *redundant* in an orchestra?

Wolfspirit