THE AMERICAN VIOLA SOCIETYChapter of

INTERNATIONALE VIOLA-FORSCHUNGSGESELLSCHAFTOFFICERS

MAURICE W. RILEY, PRESIDENT512 Roosevelt Blvd.Ypsilanti. MI48197313 - 482-6288Emeritus Professor of Violin-VIOlaEastern Michigan University

MYRONROSENBLUM,PAST PRESIDENT39-23 47th StreetSunnyside. NY 11104Queensborough Community College

DWIGHT POUNDS, VICE PRESIDENT1713 Daren CourtBowling Green. Ky 42101Western Kentucky University

ANN WOODWARD.TREASURER209 W. University DriveChapel Hill, NC 27514University of North carolina

HAROlD KLAn. SECRETARY1024 Maple AvenueEvanston. Il 60202Violist in Chicago Symphony.Advertising for AVS Newsletter

,Il

,---~l

---.:..---=-=--===I----I

--:- ---=-:-:.:-.=..1,--.-......;;";;-'- -.-~=iI

-------- ---------------- -_.- --------------

~=~----;l?".===-= ~;~ .,.,.==., •. ~~~:,.~.

Ii

IiI

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS

DAVID DALTONArchivist. IntemationalPrimrose Viola Archives,~ditor. A.V.S. NewsletterBrigham Young UniversityProvo. Utah 84602

MARCUS THOMPSON19 Florence StreetCambridge. MA 02139Mass. Inst. of Tech ..New England Conservatory

FRANCIS TURSI16 Coniston DriveRochester, NY 14610Eastman School of Music

ROBERTSLAUGHTER1105 North Riley RoadMuncie, IN 47304Ball State University

1lfOMAS TATTON2705 Rutledge WayStockton. CA 95207University of the Pacific

JOSEPH DE PASQUALE532 Lafayette RoadMerion Station. PA 19066Principal Viola. Philadelphia OrchestraProf. of Viola. Curtis Institute

LOUIS KEYMAN1343 Amalifi DrivePacific Palisades. CA 90272Private Teacher in theLos Angeles Area

DONALD McINNESProfessor of ViolaSchool of MusicUniversity of MichiganAnn Arbor. MI 48109

ROBERTOPPELT26305 Coolidge AvenueOak Park, MI 48237Private teacher in Detroit area

MILTON KATIMS8001 Sand Point Way NEIC-44Seattle, WA 98115

PAUL DOKTOR215 West 88th StreetNew York. NY 10024Juilliard SchoolMannes College of Music

COORDINATOR WITH THECANADIAN VIOLA SOCIETY

A. BAIRD KNECHTEL103 North DriveIslington. ONT. M9A 4R5CanadaPresident, Canadian Viola Society HONORARY PRESIDENT

DR. WllUAM PRIMROSEdeceased

Editorial office: Music - BYU, Harris Fine Arts Center. Provo. UT 84602

Advertising and class' fieds office' Harold Klatz t I 024 ~1aple Avenue, Evanston IL 60202

The Journal of the American Viola 'Society" is a publication of that organization, © 1985, and isproduced at Brigham Young University.

David Dalton, Editor.

MUSIC FOR

VIOLAViola Solo

PHILLIP RHODESPartita (P66952)ca. 15 minutes

DENNIS RILEYVariations ill (P66435)5 1/2 minutes

$10.00

5.50

SOULIMA STRAVINSKYSuite for Viola (P66628B) •••••..•.•••• 4. 00Arranged from Piano Suitefor the right hand (Perich)8 minutes

DOUGLAS TOWNSENDDuo for 2 Violas, Op. 5 (P6038) •.. . . •. 4. 50ca. 8 minutes

Viola and Piano

DAVID AMRAMThe Wind and the Rain (P6692) •••••.• $ 9. 007 minutes

ROSS LEE FINNEYSonata in a minor (P66254) •. . . . . • • . .. 10. 0013 1/2 minutes

MILTON BABBITTComposition (P66408) Score •.•..•.•.. 10. 0010 minutes

Sonata No. 2 (P66253)ca. 15 minutes

10.00

J. S. BACHSonatas (3) BWV 1027-1029 (P4286A) ... 9. 50Arranged Va, Pf (Forbes)

MRS. H. H. A. BEACHSonata (orig Vn, Pf) (P66847) •....•. Q 19. 00Transcribed and edited by Roger Hannayca. 30 minutes

ANTONIN DVORAKSonatina, Op. 100 (P9363A) 10. 00(orig Vn, Pf)Arranged Hallmann-Gurgel

KARL STAMITZConcerto, Op. 1 (P3816A) • . • • . • • . . • . • 6. 50

HALSEY STEVENSSuite (P6031) ••••.•••.... Q • • • • • • • • • •• 6. 50Cl(Va), Pf9 minutes

LESTER TRIMBLEDuo (P66076) ..•........•........... 8. 5012 minutes

CHINARY UNGKhse Buon (P66959b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 7. 50ca. 18 minutes

For a complete list of music for viola in Edition Peters pleasewrite for our Instrumental and Chamber Music Catalogue.

c. F. PETERS CORPORATIONDept. VA-26· 373 Park Avenue South

New York, NY 10016 • (212) 686-4147

SHAR NEW RELEASE

HI went the road to Damascus. I saw the light,repented of past transgressions, and convertedto the viola."

- William Primrose (1904-1982)

A VIOLIST'S LEGACY

NOW AVAILABLE - the television documentary on Primrose originally recordedat Brigham Young University. The wonderful grace and charm of the musical giant isforever preserved in a 30 minute color video presentation. A magnificent additionto any music library or private studio video collection, Shar takes pride in offeringA Violist's Legacy for the first time.

A VIOLIST'S LEGACY - available in VHS or Beta $110(please specify)

3/4" format also available $140

Available exclusively from

Order Toll-Free: 1-800~521-0791••~ii-l Shar Products CompanyI 2465 S. IndustrialI ~O. Box 1411I Ann Arbor, MI 48106

In Michigan: 1-800-482-1086 Local: (313) 665-7711

Alessandro Rolla'sString Music

by

Luigi Inzaghi

Alessandro Rolla was born in 1757 anddied in 1841. Both a violinist and aviolist, he was one of the best knownviolists of his time. During his 84years he composed close to six hundredworks, nearly all of them for strings.In Rolla's output, for the first timein the history of music, the viola istreated on the same level as theviolin. Violists especially. there­fore. should study these works andadopt them as part of their reper­toire. The 576 compositions classifiedby Liugi Alberto Bianchi and myself1include:

Duets------32 for 2 violas

-131 for 2 violins-78 for violin and viola-1 for violin and cello

Sonatas-4 for violin and bass-4 for viola and bass

Trios-9 for violin, viola, andcello

-28 for 2 violins and viola-5 for 2 violins and bass

Quartets and more-16 string quartets~1 serenade for 2 violins and

2 violas-string quintets and sextets

These works have their importance andraison d' etre in the musical historyof the late eighteenth and earlynineteenth centuries; even the in-novative genius of Nicolo Paganini wasinfluenced by this example of Italian

melodic tas te. Indeed. the gui tarquartets by Paganini, which are sopleasant in their continuous melody.are closer to Rolla's style than toBeethoven's. We shall not. however.treat in detail all the compositionsmentioned above, but only some of them.mainly the chamber compositions fortwo, three. and four strings actuallypubl ished by Rolla. These are mostrepresentative of his personality as a

.c omposer ,

Roll a was a p rol ific composer ofstring duets, producing 244 during hislifetime. His colleagues composed farfewer: Bartolomeo Bruni (1757-1821)144. Giuseppe Cambini (17 46-1825) 120.Joseph Fodor (1751-1828) 102. Viotti(1755-1824) 59. Pleyel (1757-1831) 45.Pierre Rode (1774-1830) 27, and LouisSpohr (1784-1859) only 15.

Of Rolla's 244 duets. he published only163, however, spanning the 55 yearsfrom the publication of his Opus3 for two violins in Paris in 1786(BI. 143, 216. 232) to the year of hisdeath when he published the duet fortwo violins (BI. 149) dedicated toCount Giuseppe Archinto.

The Viola Duets

Rolla did not publish his duets for twoviolas. which are becoming known onlyin our century. Three duets (BI. 13,17. and 19) were edited by Fritz Rikko(New York. Weaner-Levant. 1944). one(BI. 8) by Myron Rosenblum (Dallas.Rarities for Strings), and three(BI. 15, 18. and 8) by Ulrich Druener(Frankfurt. Peters, 1976). Since theviola duets were not pub1 ished byRolla, the year of their composition isvery difficult to establish. They mustcertainly have been composed before1802, when Rolla left Parma to becomeorchestra conductor at the Teatro alIaScala in Milan.

The duets for two violas may be dividedchronologically (-aond stylistically)into three different groups. The first

3

group was probably composed betweenabout 1775 and 1780. when Rolla wasbetween 18 and 23 years old. From amusical point of view. these are themost elementary works. easily perform­ed. Comprising only two movements.many of them incorporate the repetitive

preclassic rhythm: 'II~. v : I \ ~ r" ~J';J d " .;}.;) d

so characteristic of music of the1760's.

The second group of viola duets aremore sophisticated compositions.Ulrich Druener writes: "The duetsstill have two movements. but they areof longer duration. The themes clearlysuggest Viennese classicism. though themelodic language remains Italian infeeling. Technically there is greatprogress evident. The fast passagessound brilliant and virtuosic without.however. intentionally seeking dif­ficulties. The accompanimental partsare written with more care. The duetsbelong to the ranks of 'dialogued andconcertante duos' of the time ofCambini and Bruni. in vogue in thedecade from 1780-1790."2

In the third group of viola duets. mosto f which are in three movements. wefind traits more typical of Rolla'sart. Druener describes several ofthem: "serious and sad tonality inthe duet in F minor (BI. 18); Italian­style cantabile in the duo in E-flat(BI. 8); difficul t passages in thefirst movement of the duet in F major(BI. 15). which are frankly virtuoso instyle; burlesque humor in the Cantabilescherzoso of the same duet. ,,3 Thefirst movement of these duets, anAllegro. takes the classic two-themesonata form; the second movemen t isslow in contrast and is in a variedtripartite ABA form, and the thirdmovement is a Rondo. Its monothematicnature allows Rolla to express a mostbrilliant virtuosity, which the youngPaganini surely knew during hisapprenticeship in Parma.

4

·The best duet for two violas is the onein F major (BI. 15). The secondmovement. whose burlesque humor hasalready been mentioned. is a uniquecomposi tion among the existing duetsfor two violas. It is built on onetheme. wi th variations in syncopatedt ripl e ts and quadruplets. In thefourth variation, the first violaimitates the guitar by performing thetheme in pizzicato chords while thesecond viola accompanies the first witharpeggiated thirty-second notes in thelow register. When listening to thiscomposition. one seems to hear a stringquartet, not a viola duet.

The Duets for Violin and Viola

The duets for violin and viola areundoubtedly Rolla's most importantworks. Here is where the composershows us clearly the development of histechnique, style, and art.

The three duets of Opus 1 (BI. 62, 97,108), published by Andre in 1795,correspond in style to the second groupof viola duets. In these. the first oftwo movements is in a two-theme sonataform and the second movement is arondo in the style of Viotti. Tech­nically speaking, Opus 1 is easilyperformed. The two solo instrumentsalternate almost regularly although theviolin is slightly dominant while theviola tends to carry the melody in thepassages in the minor keys.

If Opus 1 is a "Duo- concertante," theduets between Opus 2 of 1801 and Opus6 of 1806 are "Gran duos concertante,"almost symphonic in character. Thereare three movements, and the style isthat of pre-Paganini Italy, featuringa virtuosity which surpassed the Viottischool, and conforming to the patternsof Vien~ese classicism, according toDruener. In the Adagio ma non tropposostenuto of the second duet of Opus 2(BI. 39), there is what Druener calls"great inspiration nearing that ofthe young Beethoven."S And a technicalinnovation appears in the second duet

of Opus 4, where octaves are inter­spersed with conjunct motion.

The pre-Paganini style is already fullypresent in the three duets of Opus 5(BI. 61, 85, 101), composed before1809; appogiaturas, trills, roulades,and rapid passages of all sorts whichare typical of P aganini join theperfect Italian cantabile-like styletypical of Rossini and Bellini.Druener calls the type of Opus 5 a"Gran Duo Concertante Sinfonico." be­cause the form reaches the size of asinfonia concertante (of which Rollacomposed none). In fac t , in thesecond duet (BI. 101) we find a Minuetwith Trio after the first movement andanother Minuet interrupting the finalRondo, in imitation of a symphony.Druener writes, "The technical standardof these duets is higher than that ofViotti's violin concerti, inasmuch asthere are frequent arpeggios of octavesin the two parts, and high passagesreaching the eleventh position in theviolin and the eighth in the viola. "6

The violin and viola duets of Opus6. 7, 8, and 9 were composed in thestyle of the "gran duo sinfonicoclassico" and do not differ in stylefrom the duets of Opus 4. The thirdduet of Opus 10 (BI. 82. in F minor,dedicated to Charles IV. King of Spain)is in four movements. and has a"Presto" instead of a final Rondo; itis based on two themes like the firstmovements. The quality of this duet isexceptional and perhaps explains whyRolla published his Opus 10 before Opus7, 8. and 9.

In 1809, the Allgemeine MusikalischeZ e i tung pub1 ished the f 011 owingcriticism: "Compositions like these bySignor Rolla are quite well-known toboth professional musicians andamateurs and are well-liked by them.These duets, which are in a concertantestyle, deserve the same reception.

There is the same sensitive expression,the same knowledge of the instrumentswith their peculiarities and goodeffects. the same variety of instru­mental idioms which. if not always new.are seldom common.... However, theseduets require experienced p~yers. ifthey are to be effective•••• "

(English translation adapted by LouiseGoldberg)

(To Be Continued)

1Luigi Inzaghi and Luigi AlbertoBianchi. Alessandro Ro Ll a t Catalogotematico delle opere (Milan: NuovoEdizione. 1981). The BI. numbers usedare from this catalog.

2U. Druener. "I duetti p e r :strumenti a corde di Alessandro Rolla"in Alessandro Rolla; Atti del Convegno[1981] (Parma. 1984. p , 128.

3 IbLd , , p. 128 •

4Ibid., p , 131.

SIbid., p , 130.

6 I b i d., p , 132.

7"Kurze Anzeige: Tre Duetti perVio1ino e Viola ••• Oper 10." AllgemeineMusika1ische Zeitung. 12 (November 29.1809), col. 144.

Luigi Inzaghi" a resident of Pavia inItaly" did his dissertation on Al es­eandr-o RoZZa. Together 1JJith LuigiAl bertio Bianchi" he published in 1981the definitive biography and index ofRolla and his ~orks. In2aghi ~ill hostduring September in Italy the XIVInternational Viola Congress.

5

Bottom row, left to right: Kristin Rogenstine, Don Fast, Marcia Bean, Amy Leonard, Vicki Gau, JeffWilliams, Ryan Hall; Middle row: Greg Lipscomb, Beth Oakes, Lisa Murray, Beth Hankins, Jenny. Douglas,Michelle Mayo, Mark Mcnuliffe, Top row: Caroline Coade, Kathleen Sibler, Jeffrey Irvine, Alison Heydt,Stella Newman, Jenny Ries.

OBEThe 1985-1986 Oberlin College Conservatory of Music Viola Class.

Jeffrey Irvine, Professor of Viola.

For more information about the viola program at Oberlin call or write.

Mr. Michael ManderenDirector of Admissions

Oberlin Conservatory of MusicOberlin, OR 44074

216/775-8413

Mastering the DifficuIties

of Sight-Reading

by

William Schoen

Years ago as a member of Vernon Duke'sForgotten Music Society in New YorkCity, I sight-read programs of un­familiar string quartets before membersof the society. This was an excitingexperience and invaluable preparationfor my future career. It was here thatthe Arriaga Quartet No. 1 was firs tplayed in America, for instance.Later, as a member of the Gui1etQuartet, I participated in making thefirst recordings of all three Arriagaquartets.

There are players whose skill atreading at sight, both technically andmusically, is so remarkable thatonefeels one is hearing a performance. Aformer teacher of mine Oscar Shumsky,the brilliant virtuoso, is legendaryfor his sight-reading prowess.However, this article is meant forthose players who are weak in thisarea, and who may be convinced thatthey will never acquire any facility inreading.

Many players, including amateurs, whohave played chamber music for yearshave become proficient readers. But inmy o p LnLon , a person with readingdifficul ties may achieve surprisingresults in a year or less by dailyapplying the sugges tions I wish topresent. The string p Lay e r s shouldbegin by reading a very easy etude orpiece found perhaps in one of the violamethod books. P'r e f e r a b Ly , thisselection will also have some musicalvalue. The material should" be readwith three things in mind: It is ofparamount importance that the rhythmsbe played as accurately as possible

wi thout breaking down, and that thereading must continue to the end evenif badly played. The third point is todo as well as possible with dynamics.expression. and style. At this stage.notes are of less importance.

Method

A slow tempo should be chosen. so thatone can observe the above goals and dowell enough not to become discouraged."If the reading was not too successful,it would be advisable to try again. Atthis point one should analyze theperformance and answer some questions.Were the key and time signatureschecked before playing'? Was a momentspent looking down the page forpossible unpleasant surprises? Was itpossible to look ahead for a bar or twowhile playing'? Was the performancemechanical '?

The teacher may notice that a studentdoes not know keys with absolutecertainty. It will be helpful, ofcourse. to work on etudes in all thekeys. In addition to the normalprocedure of playing scales, scales canbe practiced starting and ending onother tones than the tonic. These canbe found on the first page of theGalamian scale book. (ContemporaryViolin Technique by Ivan Galamian andFrederick Neumann, Galaxy Music Corp.)

As a judge of sight-reading in manyauditions. I have noticed that someplayers have .a weak knowledge of thepositions. These players perform toofrequently in the first and thirdpositions. crossing the stringsconstantly in the most awkward manner.It is beneficial to play an etude asmuch as possible in one position,choosing a different etude and adifferent position daily to avoidplaying "by ear." Ld e a'l Ly , one shouldknow seven positions across fourstrings and not just on the higheststring. The helpful use of extensionsshould be emph as Lzed , Fingers can bekept down when advisable. Excessive

7

shifting can be avoided in chromaticpassages by the more modern use ofconsecutive fingers. One can crossstrings to a new position withoutshifting by pivoting on an openstring. Thinking enharmonically isalso helpful in certain passagesespecially in contemporary music.

When one's rhythm is unstable. clappinghands to the rhythm with the aid of themetronome aids in learning to feel thepulse and in working out subdivisionsof the beat. Examples of difficul trhythms can be· found in solfeggiobooks. Also. the works of Schoenberg.Stravinsky. and Hindemith abound withexamples of such problems. Hopefully.fear of the faster note values will beovercome. and rushing will be correct­ed. Furthermore. the rests must not beneglected. because their time valuesare just as important as those of thenotes. Work can also be done on speedyrecognition and adding up of the notes.rests. and dots.

Although the importance of good rhythmhas been emphasized here. the playermust be aware that faul ty bowing canresult in rhythmic instability. Poorjudgement in the proper placement ofthe bow for the passage. unskillfulstring crossing. a spiccato thatbounces too high. and uneven bowstrokes all resul t in clumsy playingwhich limits the tempo and the qualityof the performance.

As the pupil progresses in correctingthese faults while sight-reading daily.he should add some drill in transposingpassages an octave up and an octavedown. Incidentally. if he feels heldback by poor recogni tion of inter­vals. this must be corrected so he can"hear" the notes or visualize thembefore playing. Some may have to takeremedial work on rhythmic dictationand solfeggio.

Enseable Playing

Chamber music playing and membership in

8

a community orchestra will give muchneeded experience in relating theindividual part to other parts of themusical whole. In making music .withothers the player must try to hear theother parts in the foreground of hisconsciousness and his own playing inthe background. It is advisable tohave various editions of orches trastudies such as those published byInternational Music Co, , and to lookfor old copies of operas and symphoniesby even forgotten composers for readingpractice. Sight-read this; material .20to 30 minutes daily. after which.analyze and practice any problems.

While reading. imagine vividly that oneis playing an audition for a conductorand an orchestra committee. Continuedvisualization of this kind can make anac tual audi tion less frightening. asthe player may feel by the time of theaudition that he has been through thisexperience before.

After the "crash" program described inthis article has been worked on for ayear. one will be surprised to findsight-reading has lost its terrors. andit will become an enjoyable adventure.

Finally. when liberated from the fearof sight-reading. the player will beginto interpret. to improve in stylisticplaying. and to play with flair. color.and charm. Mozart wrote in one of hisletters that reading notes mechanicallyand accurately. but without style andexpression. is not sight-reading. Thetrue goal in reading is to communicatea musical performance.

Jlit tia. Schoen became the ChicagoSymphony's Assistant Ppincipal Violistin 1964. Born in Czechoel ovakia andraised in Cleveland 3 he graduated fromthe Eastman School of Music andreceived a Master's Degree at RooseveltUniversity. In 1963 Mr. Schoen uaeappointed Principal' Violist of thePhiladelphia Orchestra by EugeneOrmandy. His chamber music career

"QUARTET"by

Homer Clark

A lyrical, award-winning transparent watercolor in earth tones, and a

favorite of William Primrose.

Laser-copied and double-matted.

Image size:

6 x 9 inches

16 x 24 inches

Mat Size:

11 x 14 inches

22 x 30 inches

$35

$70

Proceeds in support of the Primrose International Viola Archive

(the official archive of the American Viola Society).

Payment to: PRIMROSEC-550 HFAC BYUProvo, UT 84602

The Violists of Leningrad

(Memoirs of a Russian Composer)

by

David Finko

How did it happen that the viola becamethe instrument that was most inspiringfor my compositions and that severalviola players became my closestfriends?

From childhood I recall the first deepimpression made on me by viola play­ing. I was a piano student at thetime, and one day,! went for the firsttime to the home of a new pianoteacher, Profesaor Konstantine Schmidt,who lived on Sa~ine Drive near the NevaRiver. When I got to the landing ofthe building where he lived, I heardunexpec t edl.y the amazingly beautifulsounds of a' v Lol.a , Although I hadattended symphony concerts before thattime, I had never' heard an unac­companied viola so close as at thatmoment. I was astonished and so deeplyimpressed that I could not move. Theviolist, as it happened, was .Ls a akYasenyavsky who was a neighbor of mypiano teacher. (His wife was a friendof my family, and it' was she who hadrecommended Professor Schmidt as ateacher. )

Isaak Yasenyavsky was one of the bestviolists of Leningrad, and for manyyears he held the position of principalviolist of the second LeningradPhilharmonic Orchestra. (The LeningradPhilharmonic consists of two or­chestras.) I was a friend of IsaakYasenyavsky for many years. I listenedto his studies often, and Itookseveral important lessons on the violafrom him. The mystery of the viola gotinto my soul bit by bit, thanks tohim. I will never forget him. He diedof cancer in the mid-197Gs. I took

10

part in his funeral. His spirit,however, did not die; I see him andseem to speak with him often in mydreams ••••

Notable Violists

As a student at .the Leningrad Conserva­tory (1960-1965), I knew many violistsand often attended viola recitals. Theoldest and most respected violist wasProfessor A.M. Sosin (1892-1970). Hewas an excellent teacher, and most ofthe violists of Leningrad were at onetime his pupils. Two of his pupilswere especially significant and wellknown: Yury Kramarov (1929-1982) andAlexei Ludevig (b. 1929). AfterProfessor Sosin' s death, those twoviolists became the principal teachersof the viola at the Leningrad Conserva­tory, and Yury Kr ama r ov was givenSosin's position at .the Conservatory ashis successor.

Professor Yury Kramarov was a wonderfulviola player and a very competentteacher. His knowledge and musician­ship were sophisticated. My memoryretains especially strong impressionsof two of Yury Kramarov's appearances.I cannot forget how greatly he perform­ed the viola part of the Eighth StringQuartet by Shostakovich, as well as theViola Concerto by J.C. Bach. A problemfor him was that the authorities of theLeningrad Philharmonic did not let himperform with any of their orchestras ontheir stage (that is, the "Big Hall" ofthe Leningrad Ph i.Lharmorri,c on BrodskyStreet). I could not understand that.It was a damned problem! Although YuryKramarov was an excellent violist, hedid not belong to the Philharmonicelite of "chosen soloists." Nor was hean orchestra member. Wicked tonguessaid that he was not able to carry outthe responsibilities of a high classsol ois t per forming a 1 a rge- scalecomposition with the orchestra in "TheBig Hall." He was too nervous onstage,etc. As a consequence, Yury Kramarovperformed mostly, outside of thatprestigious hall with chamber groups

throughout the city and in recitals atthe Conservatory.

I mentioned his sophisticated mUS1C1an­ship, which may explain t.he miraclethat some of his viola students laterbecame successful conductors. The mostout.s t andd.ng of them are Yury Simonovand Yury Temirkanov. They were bothviola students who later never workedas violists. Yury Simonov became theMusic Director and Chief Conductor ofThe Bolshoi Opera Theatre in Moscow,and Yury Temirkanov became ChiefConductor of the largest opera companyin Leningrad. They both deeplyrespected their teacher Yury Kramarovwho had stirred their talents andhelped them develop their skills. YuryKramarov was always terribly busy andworked very hard. He was loved by manywomen, and he also liked to have a dropof vodka too often. Perhaps it wasthese factors that caused his suddenand early death.

Another outstanding pupil of ProfessorA. Sosin is a well-known Leningradviolist and viola d t amo r-e player,Professor Alexei V1adimirovich Ludevig(b~ 1929). He is now both the princi­pal professor of viola at the LeningradConservatory .and, co-principal violistof the Leningrad Philharmonic. (Heshares this position with a very goodviolist, Igor Malkin, who was a pupilof Pr-o fe s s o r V.' Borisovsky (1900­1972) ) • Professor Alexei Ludevig wasso important fpr my creative life thatI will say more about our collaborationand friendship later in this memoir.

Another violist of the LeningradPhilharmonic comes to mind. He wasunforgettable! His name was MichaelLevant. I met him in 1966 when hewas in his fifties. He had played inthe viola section of the LeningradPhilharmonic for many years by tha ttime, and he had grown tired of playingand practicing. He preferred to spendhis spare time with his wife, his twoteen-age daughters, and his dogs.During the intermissions of orchestra

concerts, Michael Levant enjoyedp LayLng dominoes wi th the brass orpercussion players backstage instead ofsocializing with visitors or "importantladies" of the Board. (Some peoplecriticized him for such behavior. )Michael Levant was a special friend ofmine. I entrusted to him my ideas offuture compositions for the viola, andhe was very interested in talking aboutthem. I t was he who told AlexeiLudevig about my projects and introduc­ed us to each other. We then met withMichael Levant often, always in somesmall restaurant, but each meeting waswarm, pleasant and inspired. We talkedon the p hone everyday. It was aterrible shock for me to learn abouthis sudden death as a result ofunsuccessful nose-throat surgery in thesummer of 1973.

Pinko's Compositions for Viola

My first composition with a significantsolo part for the viola was a stringtrio with the ti t1e Mourning Musicwritten in 1968 in memory of my ,violinteacher, Professor E1iah Lukashevsky(1892-1967). He had been the firstviol inis t of the famous Glazunovquartet, but in the 1960' s he was anold man, retired from the conservatoryand teaching a chamber music class atthe Vyborg Palace of Culture. I wroteMourning Music to pay homage to thatgood man. The violin part of this workshould produce the image of EliahLukashevsky as a person as well as thecharacteristics of his violin playing.The three players of this trio shouldbe considered as string quartet memberswho remain after the death of the firstviolinist. I originally wanted to namethe composi tion "A Quartet wi thoutFirst Violinist", but later I changedmy mind. Mourning Music was performedseveral times by different musicians atdifferent places. I recall that weeven performed the trio on the street,at Lukashevsky's grave, and once insidea s tanding bus. I also remember thebest viola player who ever performedthe viola solo part." He was a member

11

of the Leningrad Philharmonic. JakobLevinson. and his playing was rich andunforgettable. Finally I shouldmention the Eliah Lukashevsky used tospeak scornfully about the viola andviolists. but during the last years ofhis life. he loved the viola verymuch. One day he told me. "In my handsthe viola is an obedient creature.What a joyl"

Now let me return to Professor AlexeiLudevig. As mentioned earlier. I hadhoped of meeting a violist of very highstature to perform my future violacompositions. One day in the winter of1967 Michael Levant introduced me toAlexei Ludevig after a symphony concertof the Leningrad Philharmonic. It wasa formal and cold conversation. Icould not imagine on that chill snowyevening that Alexei Ludevig wouldbecome my friend and the performer ofmy viola works. He was a tall handsomeman with noble manners and a goodnature. His viola playing was mar­velous. Ludevig's sound was recogniz­able without actually knowing who itwas performing. He had a particularlyrich and powerful sounq. thanks to boththe physical strength of his arms andhis big old Italian viola. (Ludevigdid not like to let anyone else playthis instrument. If I--or even hisvio1ist-son--implored him to beallowed to play a few notes on hisviola, he permitted it reluctantly and·insisted that the player wash his handswith soap before touching the instru­ment, and he asked the player to bevery careful. He was very anxiousuntil such a situation passed.)

Alexei Ludevig's technique and intona­tion were perfec t . His artis ticwill-power and intellect enabled him toperform large-scale compositions withorchestras especially well. He wasalso able to deal successfully with theauthorities of the Leningrad Philhar­monic. (He was, moreover, a devotedhusband and father. Ludevig was

12

married to Natalia Bilibin. a beautifulwoman who was an artist. They had onlyone child. a son who also became adistinguished violist. They lived intheir apartment at the edge of Lenin­grad with their dog and two cats. Imight add that Alexei was a devoted sonas well. His care for his old parentswas very touching.)

The first composition I wrote forAlexei Ludevig was a Sonata for ViolaSolo. I was inspired by the biblicalbook of Jeremiah which I had read bychance. It seemed to me that I hademployed ancient Jewish idioms which Iknew by in tui tion. The harmonicprogressions were influenced by Bartokand Hindemi t h , but the texture wasinspired both by old Italian violinmusic and by the sonatas of Bach. Thissingle-movement composition, twelveminutes in length, turned out to be achallenging work. I cannot forget myfirst meeting with Alexei Ludevig whenI showed him the piece. It was in themiddle of the summer of 1968 in Pushkin(a small town near Leningrad) whereLudevig's family was on summer vaca­tion. We got together in a park, saton a bench, and I showed him the roughdraft sheets of the composition.Alexei Ludevig liked the piece, andwhile we were having lunch together, wetalked about the forthcoming perfor­mance.

The premiere of the sonata tookplace during the International SpringMusic Festival in Leningrad on April23, 1971. Alexei Ludevig performed thecomposition quite well •.. We . got a badreview in the magazine Soviet Music anda good review in the Polish magazineRux Muziczny. This collaboration withAlexei Ludevig continued with five morecompositions: Concerto for Viola(1971). Concerto for Violin and Viola(1973). Dithyramb for Viola and Organ(1974), Concerto for Viola and StringBass (1975), and Concerto for Violad' Amore and Harpsichord or Guitar(1977) •

Rare instruments and bowsExpert appraisals

Hours 10-5:30 Tuesday-Saturday410 South Michigan Avenue

Chicago, Illinois 60605

Telephone (312) 663-0150

~0 ~ ~ ....... .......

The Concerto for Viola

The Concerto for Viola and Orchestrais a single-movement composition about16 minutes in length. It was built onseveral contrasting themes and shouldrepresent a personal. humatt drama. Themain ~heme_h~d'some flavor of bothJewishcantorial idioms.and old-RussianZnamermy chant' that made the musicexpress my own personal suffering fromthe split of being both a Jew (becauseof my faithfulness to the Jewishreligion) and a Russian (because of mybirthplace and education). Theconcerto turned out to be a bigchallenge for a vio1is t , both tech­nically and intellec tually. AlexeiLudevig understood this matter perfect­ly and worked a great deal with thesolo part. The world premiere of theconcerto was scheduled for April. 1972with the Leningrad Philharmonic.Alexei Ludevig decided to get someexperience performing the concerto inadvance in ~rder to be more confidentfor the world premiere. For thatreason he performed' the piece at firstwi th the student orchestra of theLeningrad Conservatory. and then he andI went to Petrozavodsk where he made arecording of the concerto wi th thePetrozavodsk Philharmonic for theKarelian Radio on January 10. 1972.(Feodor Glustchenko conducted tha tperformance. He later became theconductor of the State Orchestra of theUkraine.)

The tape of that perf ormance helpedAlexei Ludevig to be completelyready to perform the concerto with theLeningrad Philharmonic. and on April28. 1972. he played extremely well(Vakhtang Jordania conducted). We gotseveral reviews. The issue of a majorCommunist Party newspaper, SovietCulture, of May 8, 1972 stronglycriticized the concerto. But everyoneelse recognized a significant success.The rest of the reviews were positive.Ludevig and I. and' several friends,celebrated the success at the Ludevigs'home, and I dedicated the concerto to

14

him. (Later he made a new recording ofthe concerto with the LeningradPhilharmonic for a record under thelabel Melodya. bur the recording wasnever issued because I left the SovietUnion as a refugee.)

How the id ea of the Concerto forViolin and Viola arose is curious. Itwas at midnight in a compartment of thetrain Pe t rozavodsk - Len Lng r ad asAlexei Ludevig and I were returningfrom making the recording of the violaconcerto in January, 1972. We weredrinking hot tea and eating sandwichesafter a hard day in Pe t r oz av od sk ,talking about the viola repertoire andour possible contribution to the violaliterature and dreaming of double andtriple-concertos with significant violaparts. I said I would try to write aconcerto for violin and viola. In thesummer 1973 the concerto was complet­ed. It is a three-movement composi­tion. The solo parts bore a particularresemblance to dramatic actors whoseindividual voices rise to. prominenceduring the course of the music. Whatis more, this concerto has been thoughtof as an "opera" for two instru­ments/ characters who "sing" and "act"without words. One critic said thatthe violin represented a femalecharacter and the viola a male charac­ter.

The world premiere of the compositiontook place in Leningrad on April 5,1975. Alexei Ludevig performed theviola part brilliantly, with theprincipal violinist Gennady Kneller and

_wi th the Leningrad Philharmonic (thechief-conductor of the Bolshoi OperaTheater of the USSR, Yury Simonov. wasthe conductor of that performance). Wereceived many positive reviews. Wejoked later that Ludevig had "acted" atired, disappointed husband, whileG. Kneller had "acted" a quarrelsome,pushy wife. But, on the whole, theconcerto should represent a seriousdrama of life. I should mention thatAlexei Ludevig r ec orded the Concertofor Violin and Viola twice (in Karelia

c

l

a

and in Leningrad), and that Melodyareleased the record in 1977.

'It happened that I wrote somewhat byaccident a composition for viola andorgan wi th the ti t Le Dithyramb. In1975 Alexei Ludevig was invited toperform in a viola-organ recital with awell-known organist, Anastasya Braudo,and I was· asked to submit a work. Inthe 1960s I; was working on a large­scale opera-mystery about cosmic mind,supreme consciousness, space travel,etc. I included an electronic organ inthe orchestration, and there was ssignificant part for the viola sec­tion. I .never completed that opera,but I used the material to make myDithyramb for Alexei Ludevig. OnOctober 22, 1975 that three-movementcomposition was performed, for thefirst time, by Ludevig in Leningrad.We celebrated the premiere at his homeand praised the beauty of the viola­organ combination.

Viola and Bass

Allow me to tell abou t .a spec ialadventure which was undertaken byAlexei Ludevig and myself. One day myfriend performed the famous Concertofor Viola and String bass by CarlDitters von Dittersdorf. We had alavish suppe r tog e the r af ter theperformance and discussed the richartistic resources of that unusualensemble of viola and string bass."They are brothers from birth 1 Theyare the only real violas which havesurvived until our time!" Ludevig.exclaimed. "And as solo instrumentsthey are discriminated against still.They are considered Ln s t r umen t s .ofminor importance compared wi th thepiano, violin and cello. They are likeJews in Russia or like Blacks inAmerica ••. ," I added. We were veryexcited as we talked about a moderndramatic concerto for both viola andstring bass, attempting to prove thatboth these instruments may be evengreater artistically than the univer­sally recognized piano, violin and

cello.

I went home immediately and began tooutline such a composition. InSeptember of 1975 the Concerto forViola and String Bass was completed.It is a three-movement dramaticcomposition about 22 minutes inlength. Solo parts were expressive anddifficul t , and are significant fortheir deep psychological content. Idid not include viola and double bass'sections in the orchestration in orderto let the solo instruments be morestriking. At first Alexei Ludevigconsidered the concerto as an impos­sible work to perform' because of itsdifficul ties, but later he adaptedhimself to the solo part. Alexeinegotiated an opportunity to performthe concerto with the LeningradPhilharmonic, but the authorities didnot want "tragic" music to be performedby such "tragic instruments" on thestage of the main hall of the LeningradPhilharmonic. Moreover, there was no

"tradition of letting a string bassplayer perform with the orchestra inpublic.

Ludevig was in despair, and I fel t thesame. But we had a clever friend,Valentine Stadler, who was a violist inthe Leningrad Philharmonic. At hissuggestion we changed our strategy. Weoffered the string bass solo part ofthe concerto to the chairman of theCommunist Party branch of the LeningradPhilharmonic. He happened to be apleasant, intelligent man who playedstring bass brilliantly. His name wasHerman Lukyanyn, and he was theco-principal of the double bass sectionof the Leningrad Philharmonic. He alsotaught at the Leningrad Conservatory.He accepted our offer. I must say thatit was a happy choice to have thatbassist help us achieve our goal. Inthe first place, the authorities couldnot deny the party chairman's requestwhen he asked them to manage theperf ormance of the concerto. In thesecond place, Herman Lukyanyn wasreally a brilliant 'bass player, and he

15

had a fine Italian instrument.

As had happened with the viola concertobefore. the three of us went toPetrozavodsk to test the concerto andto get first-hand experience performingit with an orchestra. It was a funnyand never-to-be-forgotten trip. Wereserved the whole train compartment.which had four sleeping berths (twoupper and two lower berths). Thestring bass occupied one of the upperberths. and we occupied the others.The viola was kept inside Ludevig' sberth. On the way to Petrozavodsk (thetrip is about ten hours one way) wewere nervous and discussed somepossible problems with the solo partsand the orchestration. At 8:25 a.m. onApril 5. 1976 we arrived in Petro­z avod ak , and by lunchtime AlexeiLudevig and Herman Lukyanyn hadrecorded the concerto with the Petro­zavodsk Philharmonic (Edward Tchyvgelconducted) for the Karelian Radio. andwe had obtained tapes of the record­ing.

On the way back to Leningrad the threeof us were so excited and happy that wedid not sleep the whole night in oursleeping compartment on the train butinstead drank coffee and brandy.listened to the tape and talked aboutthe excellence of the viola and thestring bass. Later Herman Lukyanynsucceeded in securing an opportunity tomake a recording of the concerto withthe Leningrad Philharmonic. which tookplace on January 11. 1977. It helpedAlexei and Herman polish their playingof the solo parts. Finally. the firstpublic performance of the concertotook place on March 2. 1977 with theLeningrad Philharmonic on its mainstage. Alexei Ludevig and -HermanLukyanyn performed very well (EdwardTchyvgel conducted again).

Pinal Work for Ludevig

The last composition of mine wri ttenfor Alexei Ludevig was the Concerto forViola d'Amore and Harpsichord or Guitar

16

with Chamber Orchestra. My friend wasa viola d'8Dlore player and oftenperfor.ed in concerts of baroquemusic. Such concerts were performedmostly in former royal palaces aroundLeningrad. Once it happened that I wasa member of the viola section of anorchestra when Alexei Ludevig performedan old Italian concerto for violad •smore and chamber orchestra. Afterthat performance we went back hometogether. talking about a large-scalemodern piece for viola d' amore whichwould reflect the tragic aspects oflife. ideas of reincarnation. and thesuccession of epochs. I completed mythree-movement concerto for violad' amoxe , harpsichord (or guitar) andchamber orchestra in 1977. AlexeiLudevig was preparing the solo part.but he did not have time to perform theconcerto because I was then in theprocess of leaving Russia. (Atthe suggestion of LudevLg , I foundDr. Myron Rosenblum. who premiered thework in the United States).

I left Russia on the morning of October28. 1979. The evening before. I sawAlexei Ludevig for the last time in mylife. It was very had to abandon thisfriend whom I would never see again andwho would not be permitted to performmy music in public anymore. We weresorry that we did not have time tocarry out our contemplated projects.such as a concerto for two violas. aconcerto for three violas. a concertofor viola and cello. etc. But then itwas time to say goodbye to my friend.We gave each other a long hug. andAlexei left my home.

I cannot forget these friends--andviolists--whom I have lost. I live inAmerica cherishing the hope of meetingviolists who might replace these lostfriends and become enthusiasticassociates of mine in making a contri­bution to the gra~deur of the viola.

Daflid Finko attended the Leni.nqradConservator-y of Music from 1Jhich hegraduated 1Jith the Fir-at Prize in

Composition for his Piano Sonata. Hehas since had a distinguished career asboth a compoeer and perfarmer; havin~

7Qpitten many uork« on commission forthe RUssian Ministpy of Cultupe as 7Qellas sevepal 7Qell-kno7Qn pepfopmeps.

TO'iJJapd the end of. 1979., David Finkoleft Russia and pesettled in the United

Order now for publicationby December 31, 1985Franz Zeyringer

Literature for ViolaNew edition 1985

German - English., French

Contents: ForewordIntroductory article"The Viola and its Literature"14.000 works for viola:

Viola solo 750Duos with viola 5000Trios with viola 4300Viola with orchestra 1300Double, triple and quadruple

concertos 600Recorder and viola 50Voice and viola 1200Various combinations 200Methods, studies and exercises 600

Index of 1000 publishersIndex of 5000 composers

Price: 470,- Austrian shillings, 70 German marks,$28 US

Publisher: Julius Schonwetter jun.A-8230 Hartberg, Michaeligasse 26, Austria

States tahere he has taugh t at theUniversity of Texas and the Universityof PennsyLvania. He is now a professorat Comps College of Music in BrynMa1JJr., PennsyLvania. He has receivedewards from the Fromm Foundation., ASCAPand the Memorial Foundation for Je7QishCulture.

I~------_·_---_··_-----------CONCERTO

FOR VIOLA AND ORCHESTRAby

Russian-American composerDAVID FINKO

Appropriate for virtuoso soloists,advanced students and chamber orchestras

Performed by The Leningrad Philharmonicand several university orchestras

of the United States

offset, art cover

Full score, solo part and tape $12.00(Price includes tax, handling and postage)

DAKO PUBLISHERS4225 Osage Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19104(215) 386-7247

II

__ . J

The Evolution of the

Suzuki Viola Schoolby

William & Doris Preucil

The publication of the Suzuki ViolaSchool arose from a need expressed bothby public school teachers who hadenjoyed using Zahtilla's Suzuki in theString Class (no longer printedr:- andby private Suzuki teachers who wantedto offer complete string programs,including orchestras and quartets.Many teachers were transcribing theviolin volumes as needed for theirviola students, but the lack of pianoaccompaniments and model recordings wasa problem continually brought to theattention of the Suzuki Association ofthe Americas in the early 1970' s , InJapan, instrumental study is pursuedfor Lnd i.v i.dua.L growth ra ther than ameans of participation in orchestras orchamber music for the school-agestudent. There was little need for aSuzuki viola method in Japan. This wasa Western need which would have to bedeal t with in the Wes t, with theapproval of Dr. Suzuki.

The SAA Viola Committee, at that timechaired by Virginia Schneider of theUniversity of Louisville, agreed thatthe repertoire sequence of the firstfour volumes of the Suzuki ViolinSchool represented an amazing ac­complishment in progression of musicaland technical 'teaching points, andproved highly motivational through theuse of good music and both challengesfor growth and plateaus for thedevelopment of fluency. The basictechnic a1 found a t ion ac qui red bystudents mastering these four volumeswas desired for viola students aswell. Until the fourth vol ume--whenconcerti of Seitz, Viva1di s and Bachappear--the selections are not specif-

18

ically violin repertoire, but universalmusic as well-suited to the viola as tothe violin. Teachers trained in theuse of the Suzuki violin repertoire caneffectively benefit their violastudents with few adjustments necessarybecause of the difference betweeninstruments. The fourth viola volume,which includes two Seitz movements andthe outer movements of Vivaldi'sConcerto in A minors also introducesthe viola student to both the G MajorConcerto and the Concerto for TwoViolas of Te1emann and begins toestablish the identity of the existingviola repertoire.

Since suitable learning material isnotably scarce for the student violist,it is hoped that the Suzuki ViolaSchool will provide a useful contribu­tion to teachers both within andoutside the Suzuki movement. Becauseall the developmental points are foundin the music itself and must beextracted for s t u dy , some practicesuggestions were added to give insightinto the use of these books. Someteachers may choose to use the reper­toire as supplemental material.Teachers who are stimulated to use thebooks as Suzuki intended can use thepractice suggestions as a startingpoint and may choose to attend Suzukiteacher-training courses.

The Five Voluaes

Volume One takes the student from thebeginning rhythmic exercises (develop­ing a clear s tacca to and de t ache) ,through the three basic finger­patterns in keys of D. G and C, andculminates in the Gossec Gavotte. Bythe end of this volume. the studentshould demonstrate independent finger­ing, basic intonation, control of thewhole bow, and the ability to inter­nalize and perform from memory.Volume Two increases fluency in the useof various parts of the bow, developscontrol of intonatiqn in the difficultthird finger-pattern (first finger

low). and creates an awareness of stylein many appealing and varying melo­dies. Third position and treble clefare introduced in this volume.Hunters' Chorus and Minuet in G arescored in the violin key; all othersare down a fifth.

Volume Three, while proportionatelyadvanced in technical and musicaldemands, is particularly appreciated bySuzuki teachers for its opportunitiesto develop the mus ical feeling andtechnical control for phrasing. Bach'sGavotte in G minor and Becker's Gavotteare presented--one-octave lower than theviolin, to develop the sound of thelower strings. Second and thirdposition fingerings are suggested. Thesoulful Nina of Pergolesi is added toallow the-Btudent to experience theunique tonal quality of the viola.

The concerti in Volume Four bring thestudent into the intermediate level.Rapid sixteenth notes appear, and areemployed in the first four positions.The Telemann concerti have beenfingered to develop the string crossingfacility demanded in baroque music, andthe music contains cadenzas suitablefor individual or group performance.The piano accompaniments were rewrittenfrom the original orchestra scores withthe intention that they be playable bythe average accompanist.

Volume Five (soon to be published)contains some heretofore unpublishedworks for the viola. The MarcelloSonata in F for cello, transposed tothe key of G for viola resonance, makesa fine addition to the repertoire. Itis a tasteful, concise (six minutesduration) example of the warmth of theItalian Baroque. Each of its fourmovements is musically strong. and thewhole piece affords a teacher manyopportunities to demonstrate phrasing.The Spinning Wheel. by NicholasRubinstein. is a left-hand study intriplets (probably originally forpiano) by the composer who founded theMoscow Conservatory. It will be the

first music of his to come to print inthe Western World. This piece affordsopportunity to develop good intonationin the problematic key of C minor.Volume Three had much emphasis on thiskey. and Volume Five provides rein­forcement. The first and secondmovements of the J. C. Bach ViolaConcerto in C minor. virtually thestandard intermediate viola concerto.finds a place in Volume Five. as dofour French Dances by Marin Marais.Country Dance by Carl Maria von Weber(to teach up-bow staccato) and Gigue byVeracini (for a lifted bow stroke inpreparation for spiccato study) areused as in the Suzuki Violin School.

Three movements of the Bach Cello SuiteNo. 1 in G Major (Prelude, Courante andGigue) are included in Volume Five. thegeneral bowing pattern for the Preludebeing four notes to the bow. A studentlearning the bowing this way can a~apt

much more easily to a more intricatescheme of bowing which might beencountered in later study. One mayfind. however. the purest form ofphrasing possibilities within a simple.even bowing-pattern. Samuel Barber'sAdagio for Strings comes to mind as anexample.

As a piece primarily for bowing study.the violinists' favorite. Moto Perpetuoby Carl Bohm, is included in a violaarrangement. It is first learned "on"the string (detache). then bouncing bow(sautille).

Consideration for the Violist

In preparing the viola vol ume s , itseemed logical to assume that general­ly these books would be used bystudents somewhat older than theaverage pre-school beginner. Thesestudents will probably become valuedmembers of ensembles sooner thanlikely if they were violin students.I twa s f e 1 t nee e s sary top res entposition study and shifting soonerthan in the v i.o Ld n books, both forearlier preparation for ensemble music

19

\

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~;J

and also to avoid some extensions notfeasible for the student violist.These complications were justified bythe fact that the more mature beginningviolists would understand shifting, andwould appreciate the opportunity toplay comfortably with a less-extendedarm on this larger instrument.(Teachers of very young viola studentsare advised to use al ternative firs tposition fingerings and postponeteaching Nina until well into VolumeFour. )

In some Suzuki programs, experimentswith beginning four- and five-year-oldchildren on small violins strung asviolas. have produced outstanding'resul t s , At the Preucil School ofMusic in Iowa City, we presently have aviola enrollmen t of f i f teen; theyoungest is age five. Many of ourlater beginners are siblings of violinstudents. Children who come to us frompublic school programs are assignedtheir appropriate place in the reper­toire. but also review key pieces inthe earlier books that present import­ant technical study. Violinists whoswi tch to viola. or merely wish tobecome acquainted with it, use theearly books to learn al to clef and todevelop viola tone. In addition to theprivate lesson, viola students have aweekly class which includes technicalexercises, sight-reading and playingtogether "Suzuki-style."

The present SAA Viola Committee ischaired by William P'r e u c d L; andincludes LeRoy Bauer, Louita Clothier.William Foster, Doris Preucil, Virginia

Schneider and Elizabeth Stuen-Walker.The task a t hand is to prepare therepertoire to be used in future volumesof the Suzuki Viola School. Familiar,as well as unpublished viola music isbeing considered. with concern forquality , availability, sequence andrichness of pedagogical content. It isour sincere hope that, using the violinrepertoire as a guide. we can developthe later viola volumes as worthycompanions to the Spzuki ViolinSchool.

(Portions of this article originallyappeared in an article by the same namein the Summe r 1983 American StringTeacher, Volume XXXIII, Issue No.3.)

J/ittia. Pr61lcit made his Ne1JJ Yorkrecital debut in 1960., and since thenhas performed in Europe , the MiddleBae t , Asia., and throughout NorthAmerica as a founding member of theStradivari Quartet. He made a solorecital tour of Japan in 1982., and isthe recopding artist fop the SuzukiVioZa Boh o o l , Formeply principalv-i o l i e t: 1JJith the Det ro-i i: SymphonyOrcheetira , Mr.Preucil is profeeeo» ofvioZa at the University of I01JJa.

Doris Pr61lcil., author of the SU2ukiViola School., is director of thePreucil School of Music in I01JJa City., aSueuk-i. proqram for 450 students ofstrings., piano and flute. She is apast-president of the Suzuki Associa­tion of the Amer-i eae , and a forrnepmember of the NationaZ SymphonyOrchestra.

..

THE HISTORY OF THE VIOLABy

Maurice W. RileyThe first book to deal with all aspects of the viola from ca. 1500 to th'e" pres­ent. The instrument, its music, and outstanding violists are discussed andevaluated. The Foreword is by William Primrose. An appendix contains over300 short biographies of outstanding violists. Over 400 pages of photo­graphs, music, and text.

NEW LOW PRICES: Paper $15.50 Cloth $20.50Maurice W. Riley

512 Roosevelt Blvd., Ypsilanti. MI 48197

~o~S&Moes

VIOLIN MAKERSRestorers and Dealers

Sale and Repair of fine violins,violas, cellos, and bows

New violins, violas, and cellos made byPeter andWendela Moes

\\e would like our friends andpatrons to· know that we have

moved our shop.

Moes~Moes Ltd.

New address:

225 \\est 57th StreetNew Yor~ NY 10019

(212) 245-0740

From the Presidency • • • •

a

Dr. David Dalton is to be commended for the new look. and for the new name of ourformer Newsletter. now The Journal of the American Viola Society. Volume1. No.1 of the new Journal opened with" an excellent article. "Notes on the 1985Congress." written by Katherine Rapoport. A similar article also appears inthe current issue of The Strad.

The XIII International Viola Congress. attended by over 300 violists. is nowhistory. Several aspects of the congress. not mentioned by Ms. Rapoport. shouldbe given special note. Recitals and concerts were presented by a succession ofvirtuoso performers including At a r' Ar a d , Joseph de Pasquale. Paul Doktor.Burton Fine. Rosemary Glyde. Kim Kaahk.aahLan , Cynthia Phelps. Milton Thomas.Marcus Thompson. Walter Trampler. Abraham Skernick. and Ann Woodward.

As in previous congresses. there were a representative number of viola composi­tions by contemporary composers. including Judith Smith Allen. Simon Bainbridge.Marshall Fine. Henri Lazarof. William Thomas McKinley. Anthony Newman. Larry AlanSmith. and Christopher Woehr. Several of their works. commissioned for theCongress. were given premier performances; and several of the compositions hadbeen written previously for the performing artist.

In addition to the artists and composers represented at the XIII Congress. thesuccess of the events were made possible by the contributions of groups thatfurnished support and accompaniments. The u.S. Air Force Symphony. Lt. DennisLayendecker conductor. appeared in two evening concerts. demonstrating a highlyprofessional level of performance in both featured numbers and in their ac­companiments of viola soloists. The excellent performances of the Air ForceSymphony prompted Frank Benoit. music critic of the Boston South End News towrite. "The Air Force Orchestra is truly a national resource. Even in a time of$700 ashtrays. $200 hammers. and $30 screws. the Air Force Symphony is onemilitary expenditure that must be maintained. no matter what the cost."

The Alea III. a performing arts ensemble in residence at Boston University.Theodore Antoniou director. distinguished itself in an evening concert. in whichit also provided accompaniments for three viola concertos.

The John Oliver Chorale. conducted by its founder. John Oliver. appeared on thefinal evening concert in works for Viola. Chorus. and Orchestra. "Canticle ofthe Sun" by Klaus G. Roy (1950). and "F10s Campi" by Ralph Vaughn-Williams(1925). with the solo viola parts played by Abraham Skernick. were performed withthe Chorus and the Air Force Orchestra.

Music for multiple violas has become a significant part of the Congresses. TheXIII Congress presented the Eastman-Rochester Viola Ensemble. directed by NeilHamil ton. in a thoroughly delightful concert on Saturday afternoon. On thefollowing Sunday morning the Congress came to a conclusion wi th members ofthe audience joining the Ensemble in a Play-Along.

Eric Chapman organized and administered the exhibit of over 40 violas and violabows by contemporary makers. The high quality of many of these"~nstruments gives

22

great promise to the future for violists who cannot afford to purchase a fine oldItalian instrument.

The tremendous success of the XIII Congress can be attributed to the efficientand dedicated work of Dr. Marcus Thompson. who was the host Chairman. He servedin the various capacities of being soloist. conductor. and ensemble player.Thompson was assisted in working out the complicated arrangements and logisticsof events by Gail Eaton and Ernestine Greenslade of the Public Affairs Departmentof the New England Conservatory. Dr. Lawrence Lesser. President of the N.E.C••was always supportive and deserves much credit and gratitude for making theschool facilities available to the Congress.

Those in attendance. as well as the music critics of the Boston newspapers. werein complete agreement that the XIII International Viola Congress was a resoundingsuccess.

The XV International Viola Congress will be held at the University of Michigan.Ann Arbor. June 16-20. 1987

--Maurice W. Riley. President

Instrument Insurance

An established insurance company is interested in offering group coverage throughthe AVS. Any member who wishes All-Risk World Wide insurance with a $100deductable at 45 cents per $100 valuation should contact me. If there is enoughresponse from members of the AVS. it can be offered. I need to know the approxi­mate total valuation being deciared from a member. this being a more importantitem than numbers of instruments.

AVS 1985 Dues

Volume 1. No. 1 of the AVS Journal. August. 1985. contained a membership list.Beneath each name is a date. 1984 or 1985. If the date is 1984. the respectivemember has forgotten to pay the 1985 dues. Please bring dues up to date bymailing a check to: Dr. Ann Woodward. 209 W. University Drive. Chapel Hill. NC27514

--Ann Woodward. Treasurer

~ ( .THE TUBE J)REVOLUTIONARY UNBREAKABLE LIGHTWEIGHT

BOW SHIPPING CONTAINER

Ship your bows anywhere in THE TUBEI100% aa£ety guaranteed.

Recommended & usedby top concert artists.

For £ree in£ormation write:PARAGON PRODUCTS

71 Stonyridge Ct., Dept. 129Powell, OH 43065

Of Interest • • • •

•

The Primrose International Viola Archive at Brigham Young University has acquiredthe memorabilia and library of the late Wal ter Lebermann. Leb e rmarm , thedistinguished researcher and editor of heretofore unpublished works. brought tolight- over 100 pieces mainly for strings. These were concertos. sonatas.ensemble pieces. etc •• of which about a fourth concerned the viola.

Contained in the Lebermann collection are his published works and his handwrittenmanuscripts leading to publications which furnish a good cross section of 18thcentury string concertos. for instance. PIVA is grateful to the Lebermann familyof Bad Homburg. West Germany for the confidence shown in allowing the memorabiliaand collection of this noteworthy colleague to come our way.

--David Dalton. Archivist. PIVABoard Member. AVS

About ViolistsAcademia

• • • •

Donald McInnes, professor of viola at the University of Michigan, has recentlybeen appointed to the facul ty in the School of Music, University of SouthernCalifornia, in a similar capacity. Replacing Mr. McInnes at the U. of M. isYizhak Schotten. formerly principal violist of the Houston Symphony and professorof viola at Rice Institute.

Clyn Barrus has been appointed director of orchestras at Brigham Young Univer­sity. Professor Barrus graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music and from theVienna Academy of Music. He performed as principal violist with the ViennaSymphony and with the Minnesota Orchestra for seventeen years. As soloist and asa member of chamber music groups. he has recorded with Deutsche Grammophon andPhillips.

Michel Samson will teach viola at the University of Louisville. A native of theNetherlands. he was principal violist of the Dutch Radio Symphony. and duringthat tenure made recordings of major viola concerti with' the Dutch Radio andRadio Luxembourg. He is an active conductor as well and has served as assistantconductor of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic.

Bernard Zas Lav , formerly with the Vermeer Quartet, has joined the staff atStanford University where he is violist with the Stanford Quartet. The newviolist in the Vermeer Quartet, formerly associated wi th the New HungarianQuartet, is Richard Young.

Paul Doktor was made an honorary member of the International Viola Society at theXIII Viola Congress in Boston last June.

24

We note the passing on 2 April 1985 of Bernard Shore, the distinguished violist.Shore was a student of Lionel Tertis and occupied positions in the Queen's HallOrchestra, the BBC Symphony, and played the Promenade Concerts under Sir HenryWood for 17 years. Adrian·Boult chose him to be his principal violist in the BBCSymphony. Bernard Shore was the dedicatee of the First Viola Concerto by GordonJacob and offered its premiere. He was a member of at least two quartets and theauthor of two books, one of them, "The Orchestra Speaks."

Watson Forbes, known for his many editions and transcriptions of viola music, wascelebrated in November in a 75th Birthday Concert at the Royal Academy of Music,London.

Maurice Gardner has won first prize for his composition Quadricinium. He willrecieve a $1000 award and be invited to Weber State College in Ogden, Utah, thesponsor of the contest, for the premier. The work is for solo viola and per­cussion. Gardner has enriched the viola repertoire in recent years with severalworks now finding acceptance in the repertoire.

Competitions. • • • •Maurice Vieux Second International Competition for Viola. 2-7 September 1986,Li1le France.Write: Conservatoire National de Region

"Concourse Maurice Vieux"43, Rue Royale59800 LilleFrance

Concert Artists Guild 35th Annual Competition. 9-17 April 1986, New York City.Open to instrumentalists, vocalists, keyboard players. and chamber ensembles.Write: Concert Artists Guild

850 Seventh AvenueNew York. New York 10019

Irving M. Klein String Competition. 7-8 June, 1986, San Francisco.Write: IMK Competition. S.F. State Music Dept.

San Francisco State University1600 Holloway Ave.San Francisco, California 94132

Hudson Valley Philharmonic String Competition. 15-16 March 1986. Poughkeepsie.NY.Write: Mrs. A.L. Gillespie

Aberdeen FarmStaatsburg, New York 12580

25

Young Musicians Competition for Voice and Strings. 8 March 1986, Lima, Ohio.Write: Mrs. Yvonne Reinier

315 S. Cole St.Lima, Ohio 45805

ASTA National Solo Competition. 8-9 April 1986, Anaheim, California.Write: Chairman, ASTA National Solo Competition

University of MichiganSchool of MusicAnn Arbor, Michigan 48109

Second Banff International String Quartet Competition. 13-19 April 1986, Banff,Alberta.Write: Ken Murphy

Music Division, The Banff CentreBox 1020Banff, AlbertaCanada TOL OCO

New Works & Recordings • • • •William Preucil will be playing the premiere of Heinz Werner Zimmermann's ViolaConcerto in San Bernardino, California 22 March 1986.

Robert Glazer premiered and recorded Morton Gould's Viola Concerto. This occuredlast season with the Louisville Orchestra under Lawrence Leighton Smith.

Forthcoming on Northeastern Records is Rebecca Clarke: Music for Viola. Thisdisc will include the Sonata for Viola and Piano; Two Pieces for Viola and Cello;Duo for Viola and Clarinet; and Passacaglia for Viola and Piano. The artists arePatricia McCarty, viola; Martha Babcock, cello; Peter Hadc ock, clarinet; andVirginia Eskin, piano. (NR 212) Some of the same artists are included in aNortheastern phonodisc (NR 207) in Songs by Charles Martin Loeffler whichfeatures the Quatre Poemes, Ope 5 for Voice, Viola, and Pdano , Orders can beplaced with Northeastern Records, P.O. Box 117, Boston, MA 02117.

Editor's Note: Any information pertaining to the viola or violists of generalinterest can be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the AVS Journal.Commentary from our readership is appreciated.

26