Viola Repertoire?

Doesn't anyone find it it to be weird that some many composers as Dvorak, Mozart, and Shostakovich loved the viola so much but did not not write any huge works for it? This is excluding the Shosty Viola Sonata or the Sinfonia Concertante. Basically why is the viola literature dwarfed by violin and cello literature?

Viola Repertoire?
The main problem is one of sound projection. The viola in a large hall does not transmit sound the way a violin or cello does. This was a big problem before the days of amplification.





Remember the viola is a "compromise" instrument with respect to size. If it were built in the same proportions as a violin to maximise the sound then it would be 21 inches in body length . This would be very difficult to play under the chin. LOL Most violas now are about 15 or 16 inches in body length.





http://www.theviolaworkshop.com/page6.ht...





Listen to a viola playing in a concert hall and then listen to a violin and a cello. You will see what I mean.
Reply:There are a lot of great works written for violin though. See:





http://beststudentviolins.com/resources....
Reply:The Viola was not a popular instrument until the 1900s and even if they had written any works for Viola who would be skilled enough to play them?
Reply:Because the viola is a rarely played instrument and Dvorak was actually employed as a violist. Also, I know your pain, I play the bass and there are even less solos for it than the viola.








please answer my questions:


http://answers.yahoo.com/question/;_ylc=...





and





http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...
Reply:Most viola players, especially the very best, were/are also skilled violin players. The violin is preferable for solos because of the high range, it could be heard better, and it has a clearer sound. It is already hard enough for a violin is project over a grand piano or a full orchestra, a viola would be 10X harder. Composers also needed to make a living, so they needed to write music they were asked to or would sell better. There wasn't really a huge demand from amateurs for viola solos. There are still some pretty awesome pieces for viola by Hindemith. Dvorak gave violists some pretty cool lines in his string quartets. Mahler gave violas a nice solo in his first symphony. Deep down, everyone knows they wanted to give the violists some nice solo works, but unfortunately couldn't.