by Jessica Del Curto
Daily Lobo
He and his viola have graced many a stage, but Emerson de Biaggi's oddest performance was at a barbershop.
De Biaggi, a Brazilian violist, is in Albuquerque this week working with UNM's Music Department. He has been playing the viola since he was 15. The barbershop request came during the middle of a haircut.
"The barber asked me, 'Can you play for me?'" de Biaggi said.
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After de Biaggi played, the barber told him it felt like the instrument wanted to talk.
"It was a very nice compliment," he said.
The viola is bigger than a violin and smaller than a cello.
"I hate to use this analogy, but the violin is like a chihuahua, and viola is sort like the blue heeler," said Kim Fredenburgh, assistant professor of viola.
The viola is deeper in pitch than the violin.
"There definitely is a sad quality to the viola," Fredenburgh said. "It's a darker kind of sound - not so brilliant sounding."
De Biaggi studied with violists such as Donald McInnes and is a professor of viola at the University of Campinas in Brazil.
He said he started out playing the violin but switched to the viola because he loved the sound.
"It's a temperament thing," he said. "Musicians always try to find instruments that appeal to their personality."
De Biaggi said within the last two centuries, the viola has received more attention.
"Viola is always the neglected instrument of the string family," he said.
He said the instrument is gaining a repertoire as more composers are inspired by its sound.
Fredenburgh said there are 12 viola students at UNM, which is a good number given the size of the school.
Because of UNM's flexibility, she said she has a lot of students who are majoring in other things and are still able to study viola at a higher level.
"You wouldn't be able to do that in Brazil," de Biaggi said.
He originally got an engineering degree because that was what his father wanted him to do.
"But then I couldn't resist," he said.
At first, his family was worried he would starve as a musician, but now they are proud.
He said his background in engineering helps him play the viola.
"When I teach, I always try to find the physics behind it," he said. "The engineering mind tries to dissect and understand how things work. Musicians are normally instinctive."
Viola student Francisco Pestana is from Brazil but never had the chance to work with de Biaggi. He said he is looking forward to the professor's recital.
"I'm very excited, because he is going to play Brazil music, which isn't very common, even in Brazil," he said.
Pestana said he chose the viola because the sound is softer than the violin.
"The music is more sad," he said. "It's more of an intensified sound."
