Bela Bartók's "44 Violin Duos", or selections therefrom, have been the source of arrangements for a variety of instruments, such as for piano (one set by the composer, the "Petite Suite"), "band", as well as duos for every member of the string family, even contrabass. These all followed the original concept: a pair of identical instruments. This set for viola and violoncello is intended to fill a gap, where two instruments an octave apart can produce the broader tonal range. (P. Bartók)