JOURNALotthe

AMERICAN VIOLA SOCIETYChapte r of

THE INTERNATIONAL VIOLA SOCIETYAssociation for the Promotion of Viola Performance and Research

Vol. 6 No. I Spring 1990

Features

3 Hermann Ritter and His Viola AltaDaniel Thomason

7 Exploring Sound on the ViolaYizhak Scholten

11 Henri Vieuxtemps' Solo Literaturefor Viola

David Kerr

16 A Practical Approacli to ViolaTechnique

Darrel Barnes

19 Heidi CastlemanRosemary Glyde

27 Survey of the XVII InternationalViola Congress

Ronn Andrusco

37 New Officers

42 AVS in the USSR

/

The Journal of the American Viola Society is a publication of that organization, and isproduced at Brigham Young University, " 1985, ISSN 0898-5987 . The Journal welcomesletters and articles from its readers .

Editorial office: BYU Music, Harris Fine Arts Center, Provo, UT 84602 , (801) 378-3083Editor: David DaltonAssistant Editor: David Day

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OFFICERS

David DaltonPresid entBrigham Young Univ ersityProvo, Utah 84602(801) 378-3083

Louis KievmanVice-Presid ent1343 Amalfi Dr.Pacific Palisad es, CA 90272

Harold Klat zSecretary1024 Maple Av e.Evan ston , IL 60202

Rosemary Cl ydeTreasurerPo. Box 558, Rt. 22C olden's Bridge, N Y 10526

Ma urice W RileyPast President512 Roosevelt Blvd.Ypsilanti , M I 48197

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Paul DoktorM ilton Katim sDonald M clrmesRobert O ppeltJoseph de PasqualeDwight PoundsThomas TattonMa rcus Thom psonFrancis TursiKaren Tuttl eAnn Woodward

COORD/NAroR WITHCANADIAN VIOLA SOCIETY

A. Baird Knec htel

FOUNDER

Myron Rosenb lum

HONORARY PRESIDENT

Will iam Prim rose (deceased)

_..~ e.

cf('cr:J;fChapter of the Internaiionale Viola-Gesellschaft

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Available from :VIOLA WORLDPUBLICATIONS14 FENWOOD RO ADHUNTINGTON STATIO NNEW YOR K 11746

HERMANN RITTER ANDHIS VIOLA ALTA

by

Daniel Thomason

Throughout the long history of theviolin family, the viola has been the oneinstrument for which permanentmathematical dimensions have not beenformulated. Lionel Tertis once said, "It[the Tertis model] is 163/4 inches long, andthis I consider to be the maximum lengthfor playing under the chin, and, at the sametime the minimum from which to hope fora re~lly satisfactory C string sonoritv."!William Primrose commented, "The idealsize is between 16 inches and 16 1/2inches";2 and Paul Doktor added, "Soloistsas a rule, like to play on instruments aslarge as they possibly can handle. Theadvantage which the large instrument has,as far as additional volume of tone andpossibly more depth is concerned, islessened by the continuous strain on the lefthand.,,3These three comments illustrate the20th century belief that the instrumentmust be comfortable to play whileproducing the volume and the characteristicviola sonority violists all seek. Though thisis evident, it was not so obvious to violistsin the nineteenth century, for whom thesituation was quite problematic. Violiststhen were used to small, weak instrumentswith hardly any projection, and with almostuseless C strings. Berlioz observed, "Con­ductors should absolutely prohibit the useof these mongrel instruments. Their weaksound deprives the orchestra of one of itsmost interesting tone elements and robs itof sonority, especially on its deep tones."!

As the violin family emerged in themid-16th century, the voicing eventuallyfollowed the vocal distribution--2 violins,2 violas (small alto, 39 em = 15 1/2", andlarge tenor, 48 em = 19"), and cello (and/ora bass instrument). The smaller alto violawas certainly easy enough to handle bymost players, but the larger tenor wasextremely cumbersome; even so, the twosizes of violas existed until the beginningof the 18th century. As composers movedaway from five voices to the four-voicedstring section, the alto survived and thetenor fell by the wayside. (The tenor parts

were taken over by the cello in its higherranges and later a bass instrument doubledthe cello an octave lower.)

Even into the 19th century, the alto violawas the only middle voice, and itunderwent the same changes that the violinand cello had endured up to this point-­the flattened contour introduced byAntonio Stradivari and other Italian makers;the longer, restructured neck; and thehigher bridge, with sound post and bass barmodifications added early in the 19thcentury. Yet, the viola generally stillretained its small size. This small size, theresult of the incorrect geometrical pro­portions of the the instrument in relationto the dimensions of the violin and cello,resulted in the so-called nasal sound somuch sought after in the 19th century,and which today is accepted as the violasound (described by Berlioz as "husky'l").

Small, Weak ViolasMost viola players in European

orchestras of the 19th century played onvery small, weak instruments; the violasections were often ridiculed as the weakestof the strings, and violists were labelled asthose who played a "pensioner's instru­ment." Violinists ready for retirement, andeven non-stringed instrument players dueto retire soon, were given a viola to playout their remaining years." Richard Wagnernoted, "In the majority of our orchestrasthe viola players do not constitute theflower of bow[ed] instrumentalists.r" Itbecame generally apparent that the violasituation had to be remedied. The dauntlessHermann Ritter, in an effort to find aremedy, tried to produce a viola equal insound and tone to the other stringedinstruments.

Hermann Ritter, born in 1849 in Wismar,Germany, studied violin, theory and musichistory at the New Academy of Music inBerlin. While municipal music director inHeidelberg, he continued to study arthistory and philosophy. It was there thatRitter became interested in the viola. Healso became aware of the precariousposition of the viola and its players, anddecided to reform matters. However, heseemed more interested in redesigning theviola than chastising the players. (Also veryconcerned with the education of new,young violists, he became an influential

3

4 teacher.") When Ritter moved to Wurzburgto teach at the Royal Music School, he hadalready begun designing a viola with a bodylength of 48 ern (approximately 18 7/8").He called his new viola the viola alta, andit was built in Wurzburg by Karl-AdamHorlein (1829-1902). Even though Ritterclaimed to have invented this new viola, itwas in fact a rebirth of the old tenor viola.The correct proportions for a truealto/tenor voice would be on a ratio of 3:2to the violin--in other words, half again aslong (including all other related measure­ments) as the violin. Ritter was a very largeman, so an instrument measuring therequired 54 em (approxi-mately 21 1/4")would not have been impossible for him toplay; but at the urging of Horlein, Rittersettled for a ratio of 4:3, bringing the bodylength down to a reasonable variancebetween 18" and 19".9

As we can enVISIOn, the viola altamoved away in sound from the traditionalnasal viola tone to that of the old tenor.The volume is greater, and gone is thecustomary nasal A string. As thisinstrument approaches the cello in timbre,it is much more similar to the timbre of thetenor violin--which is tuned G, 0, A, E,sounding one octave lower than a violin­-than to the customary viola timbre.According to Ritter, 10 this was effected bythe aid of the rules concerningmeasurements established by AntonioBagatella in his book Regale per laConstruzione di Violine, Viole, Violoncelli,e Violoni (Padua, 1782). The viola alta wasin effect a tenor viola.

Ritter and WagnerRitter showed his viola alta to Richard

Wagner, who was enthusiastic. As Wagnerwas preparing the opening of the BayreuthTheatre (1876) with Der Ring desNibelungen, he asked Ritter to join theorchestra with his new viola. After hearingthe viola alta for the first time, Wagnerwrote to Ritter, " I feel certain that theuniversal introduction of the viola alta intoour orchestras would serve not only tothrow a proper light on the intention ofthose composers who had to contentthemselves with the ordinary Bratschewhile they required the true alto violintone, ... but that it might also bring aboutan advantageous change in the treatmentof the string quartet."n We know that

initially two violas altas were used in theWagner orchestra. (I have heard that atsome time during the Festival Series atBayreuth, at least twelve violas altas wereplayed at one time, but I have been unableto document this.)

Word spread and others acceptedRitter's technique and replaced the oldsmall violas with their high-arched belliesand weak tone with his new invention.Among those influenced by Ritter'sdevelopment were Franz Liszt, AntonRubenstein, and Hans von Bulow. Lisztwrote the Romance Oubliee for Ritter andhis viola alta; von Bulow and RichardStrauss encouraged the use of the violasaltas in German orchestras. Ritter oftentoured as solo violist, promoting not onlyhis instrument, but also his owncompositions for the instrument, as well asmany transcriptions. The itinerary for thetours included Germany, Switzerland,Holland and Russia. Eventually Ritterreturned to Wurzburg , where he remainedas a viola teacher until his death in 1926.

The popularity of these large violaswas enormous, in spite of all those violistswho complained that the new violas werevery uncomfortable because of the longreaches.P The Ritter-Horlein violascontinued to be built until 1902, whenHorlein died. Another violin maker fromWurzburg , Phillip Keller (1868-1949), acellist, took over the Horlein shop and, incollaboration with Ritter, continued tobuild the violas altas, but in a slightlydifferent configuration; for example, aviola alta built in 1905 (#99--now in thepossession of the Hans Weisshaar violinshop, mentioned later in this article) hasa scroll that is cello-like in design.

Restructuring the QuartetRitter developed his interest from

enlarging the viola to also restructuringthe string quartet. He tried to do so inorder to equalize and distribute the voicesin proper mathematical relationship to eachother. In 1898, he added a fifth string tothe viola alta-- the violin E- -to compensatefor difficulties playing in the higherpositions because of the height of thebouts. In 1905, his new string quartet wasintroduced; the instrumentation was asfollows: viol in; a 5-stringed viola alta thatreplaced the second violin, and extended

downward the range of the second voice;a viola tenore, which replaced the old violaand was a true tenor voice (body length 72em [28 1/2"]) tuned G d a e' (the same asthe old tenor violin) and played cello style;a viola bass, tuned like and having the samerange as the cello, but with a larger bodythan the cello, made in strict violin form(narrow ribs). Unfortunately, thisexperimentation did not yield totallysatisfactory results,13 and Ritter did notreceive much support for this venture.

As yet there is no account of how manyviolas altas were built, but the number ispresumably in the hundreds. I have a RitterHorlein viola alta, No. 207, built in 1894;as mentioned, he continued building theinstruments until 1902, when he passedaway. A violist colleague of mine in LosAngeles, Mr. Verne Martin, also has aRitter- Horlein viola alta, undated andunnumbered. I know of two other violasaltas--one the Ritter keller model with fourstrings in the collection of Hans WeisshaarMusical Instruments, in Hollywood,California; and the other a five stringedRitter-Horlein in the Stoelzer collection atAdelphi University in Garden City, LongIsland, New York. The Ritter-Keller belongto the Weisshaar shop has a body length of43.3 em (17 1/32") and has a reddish-orangevarnish. Verne Martin and I have comparedall the specifications of our respectiveinstruments, and found them to be nearlythe same:

Verne Martin's Viola AltaBody length 47.9 em (18 3/4")String length 42 em (16 3/4")Upper bout 21.2 em (8 3/8")Lower bout 26.4 em (10 3/8")Midsection 14.5 em (5 3/4")Color dark red-brownTone quality open, full, dark

lower register

Dan Thomason's Viola AltaBody length 47.2 em (18 1/2")String length 42 em (16 3/4")Upper bout 20.9 em (8 3/16")Lower bout 25.8 em (10 3/16")Midsection 14 em (5 1/2")Color golden honeyTone quality open, full bright in all

ranges

Ritter's CompositionsRitter's pioneering pedagogical work is

as important for the viola player as hisefforts in transforming the viola are. Notonly did he compose a large amount oforiginal music for the viola alta, but hemade many transcriptions, edited manyorchestral study books, and wrote asystematic method for viola instruction. Hisstudies and transcriptions are too numerousto include here, but certain originalcompositions for the viola alta should benoted:

Concert Fantasie No. I for viola altawith piano or orchestraaccompaniment

Concert Fantasie No.2 for viola alta withpiano or orchestra accompaniment

Italian Serenade for viola alta and pianoMelodie for viola alta and pianoElfengesang Op, 7 for viola alta and

pianoSchlummerlied Op. 9 for viola alta and

piano or orchestra accompanimentJag dstiick Op. 27 for viola alta and pianoAuf den Wellen Op, 27 for viola alta and

pianoSpinnerlied Op, 28 for viola alta and

pianoZwei Stucke: Pastorale and Gavotte, 1m

TraumeNach slavischen Eindrucken: Elegie;

Introduction and MazurkaErinnerung an Schott land: Fantasie mit

Beniit zung altschottisher Weisen 14

In examining and playing the Ritterviolas, we develop an appreciation ofRitter's efforts to design an instrument thatwould meet all the requirements for themiddle voice of the strings: adequatevolume, and open sound, ease of playing.As a result of Ritter's work, laterexperimentation in the building of largeviolas occurred; consequently, today'sinstrument builders, by changing thedimensions of the upper and lower boutsand by heightening the ribs, while retaininga comfortable fingerboard and body length,produce violas with large airspaces in thebody.

FOOTNOTES1. Lionel Tertis, My Viola and I (London:

Elek Books Ltd., 1974), p. 164.2. Samuel and Sada Applebaum, The Way

They Play (Neptune City, New Jersey:

5

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Paganiniana Publications, Inc., 1972),Book I, p. 244.

3. Ibid., p. 228.4. Hector Berlioz, Treatise on

Instrumentation. Enlarged and Revisedby Richard Strauss, trans. TheodoreFront (New York: Edwin F. Kalmus,1948), p, 74.

Violists in German orchestras, atleast, usually played rather smallviolas (39 em = 15 1/2"); the Cstring was very flabby, and weakand the instruments had verylimited capabilities for projection.

5. Ibid., p. 60.6. Maurice W. Riley, The History of the

Viola, (Ann Arbor, Michigan: MauriceW.Riley with Braun Brumfield, 1980),p.211.

7. Hermann Ritter, Die Viola Alta oderAltgeige (Leipzig: Carl Messeburger,1885), Anhang I, p, 38.

Maurice Riley, op. cit., 231.8. Maurice Riley, op. cit., Appendix I p.

3I7, Balling; p. 348, Meyer; p, 350,Neuberth.

9. Hans Bender, "The Tenor Violin- - Past,Present and Future," trans. JohnChristie, American String Teacher,XIX, No.4 (Fall, 1969), p. 24.

10. Hermann Ritter und Seine Viola Alta,ed. E. Adema (Wiirzburg: A. Stuber'sBuch- und Kunsthandlung, 1881), p.6.

II. Maurice W. Riley, op, cit., p. 229.Hermann Ritter, Die Viola Alta oderAltgeige (3rd ed.; Leipzig: Verlag vonCarl Merseburger, 1885) Anhang I, p.38.

12. Riley, op. cit., p. 212.I am 6 ft. tall and find my Ritter­Horlein not uncomfortable. Mycolleague, Verne Martin, isconsiderably taller than I, and hesays his viola alta feels quitecomfortable. Once, I took my violaalta to a symphony rehearsal, andone of my section colleagues, whois very tall, played it and exclaimedin obvious glee, "Oh! This isHeaven!"

13. Hans Bender, op. cit., p. 25-26.14. Hermann Ritter, op. cit., Anhang II,

p.51-62.

Daniel Thomason is co-director and 1':0­

founder of the Viola d'amore Society ofAmerica. His main teacher was Paul Doktor;

he took his master's degree and doctorateunder Sanford Schoenbach at the Universityof Southern California. He has published"The Viola d'Amore Music of Carl Stamitz."He has been a member of the DallasSymphony and the Carmel Bach Festival.and plays currently with the GlendaleSymphony. and evenings at restaurants asa "strolling gypsy violist.".

EXPLORING SOUND ONTHE VIOLA

by

Yizhak Schotten

The viola, perhaps more than any otherstring instrument, comes in a vast varietyof sizes and shapes. The smaller violaobviously possesses a brighter, moreviolinistic type of sound, and a biggerinstrument has a darker, alto quality.However, a violist's approach to soundproduction should be the same even thoughinstruments can differ so much in timbre.In fact, the same basic principles apply toplaying all string instruments--finding thecorrect sounding point, bow pressure andspeed, and enhancing the tone with theappropriate vibrato width and speed.Because string instruments responddifferently (even from one viola toanother), each player has to know how toapply these fundamentals to his owninstrument in order to bring out its "truevoice."

I have found that most viola studentsunderstand these principles in theory yetin general are often unable to achieve thebest results when they put them intopractice. The two most common problemsare having a sound that is dull andlackluster, or the opposite extreme, tooharsh and edgy rather than a desirable tonethat is focused and ringing in all dynamiclevels.

I still remember hearing WilliamPrimrose play on the radio in Israel whenI was a teenager. His beautiful sound wasso gripping that I was inspired to switchfrom violin to viola. Later, while studyingboth with him and Lillian Fuchs, I came

7

to realize the importance of a clear,centered and resonant sound. I feel that itis imperative for students to have the rightsound in their ear in order to produce it.Students should be encouraged to listen togreat string players of all instruments bothin live performances and on recordings.Who cannot be affected by the beautiful,focused, and vibrant tone of a Heifetz,Rostropovich, Perlman, and of course,Primrose?

The sound is primarily controlled by thebow arm. The bow should be close enoughto the bridge (sounding point), sustainedinto the strings (bow pressure), with theappropriate speed in order to bring aboutthe overtones necessary to project asonorous tone. These elements are closelyrelated and are constantly changing fromnote to note, string to string, and from onedynamic to another. When the balance isoffset by varying one element and notadjusting the others accordingly, it willresult in the problems mentioned above.

Helping StudentsThere are many ways to help students

improve their sound, and in my experiencethe following practices have beenparticularly effective. I have students drawthe bow, holding it with the thumb and themiddle finger only and using as much armweight as possible to get the fullest sound(this was one of Primrose's favoriteexercises). The bow should be parallel tothe bridge at all times and be slowly pulledfrom the frog to the tip and back. It isbetter to start with the A string, since itrequires the least amount of pressure, andthen work down to the C string. This isvery strenuous, and most students will havea weak tone, particularly at the tip wheregravity cannot help. Therefore, until theydevelop more strength, they must usecaution not to overdo it. Before their handgets fatigued, I allow the students to putthe rest of the fingers down on the stickwithout stopping the bow. This helps focusthe sound and enables them to find thecore. It is good practice to execute this andother exercises on open strings first andthen with vibrated notes.

As students develop an awareness ofcore sound, they need to spend a great dealof time drawing the bow on each string,experimenting with the relationship of the

sounding point and the bow pressure andspeed, using all the dynamics. In doing so,it is important for them to watch the bowin the mirror, observing where the varioussounding points are, and to make sure thewhole bow is drawn parallel to the bridge.Keeping the elbow low makes it easier totake advantage of the arm weight.

The following general guidelines willhelp students in their practice; but aboveall, they need to constantly listen todiscover their own personal sound. Softdynamics should be played with a focusedsound, using a slow bow centeredapproximately between the bridge andfingerboard, and without too muchpressure. Only in pianissimo or for specialcolor effects should the bow be playednear or over the fingerboard and with nopressure. In the louder passages, a slightlyfaster bow closer to the bridge and withmore pressure should be used. A tilted bowfor all these dynamics will create moreresonance because less of the string isblocked by the hair, and the bow can becloser to the bridge when desired. Usinga tilted bow also gives the feeling of"scooping" the sound toward the bridge.In fortissimo or in playing loud chords, afast bow with flat hair should be used notquite as close to the bridge and with themost pressure. A bow with flat hair in thiscase is stronger and more resilient, andthere will be plenty of resonance becauseof the bow speed. Tilting the bow wouldcause the wood to touch the strings andthus interfere with the sound.

It is more difficult to get a good soundon the lower strings, since they are heavierand less responsive. Using less bow andplaying as much as possible in the lowerhalf of the bow, even in piano, will focusand project the tone. This contrasts to usingmore bow in the upper half on the A andD strings. Also on the lower strings the bowshould not be quite as close to the bridgeas when playing on the upper strings. Onfaster notes, especially in the low register,digging into the strings by using a circularwrist and finger motion creates a very clearsound. Playing in the strongest part of thebow closer to the frog uses more of the armweight and helps to get the best sound outof the G and C strings. This is achievedby playing the downbow on the lower side

9

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o.f the string and the upbow on the higherside of the string, as if crossing strings.

Martele and other short strokes such ascolle and up-bow staccato help to accustomthe student's ear to listening for theresonance. Students should start from thestring with a strong attack, using a Quickbo",: and a complete release to get the noteto rmg,

Role of the Left HandThe left hand should complement the

right hand in order to achieve a focusedsound. It is very important to have a correcth.and position, because playing with curvedfingers allows more of the string to ring and~ets the hand vibrate more freely. Accuracy~s of t~e utmost importance, since goodmtonation is essential for a centered tone.P.racticing d.oub!e stops and a variety offinger exercises In different positions withas ~any f.ingers down on the strings aspossible WIll help develop good intonationand correct hand position. It is importantto listen to the sound the bow draws out ofthe string and use the vibrato to color andcomplement it with the correct width andspeed. Vibrato should be applied on everynote, but playing without vibrato can beplanned for special musical or coloristicreasons. For beautiful legato, vibrato shouldnot be stopped between notes and shifts.

Many students press too hard withfingers of their left hand, especially whentrying t? project the louder passages. TheVIbrato IS not as free, and the tightness cancaus~ harm or an injury after prolongedplaying. I have students practice the sameloud passages in pianissimo, using minimalpressure with the fingers, but with full,relaxed vibrato. As the left hand getsaccustomed to being more relaxed, I havestudents gradually increase the weight withthe right until they get the volume needed.The left hand stays relaxed and needs onlya slight increase in finger pressure.

For resonance, I also advocate the useof open ~t~ings, harmonics, and playing infirst posrtion when musically appropriate.Crossing strings in the lower positions willalso project better musically than awkwardshifts to higher positions.

. I have discussed very briefly the basicIdeas of sound production. Beyond this,

there are many other possibilities toexplore. As Mr. Primrose once told me hehimself was always searching for ~ewsounds and colors on his viola. In our ownpersonal way, we can all undertake thischallenging Quest.

Yizhak Schotten is professor of viola at theUniversity of Michigan, where he was HostChairman of the 1987 International ViolaCongress. He is a former member of theBoston Symphony and principal of theCincinnati and Houston Symphonies. Also,his recordings have been honored by HighFidelity Magazine.•

HENRI VIEUXTEMPS' SOLOLITERATURE FOR VIOLA

by

David Kerr

Henri Vieuxtemps (1820-1881) is bestknown for his artistry as a violin virtuoso,as a teacher of and influence on ageneration of virtuosi (including EugeneYsaye), and as a composer of many elegantcontributions to the violin solo repertoire.He also, however, wrote two cello concertia "Duo Brillant" for violin, cello, andorchestra with piano, an overture with theBelgian national anthem for chorus andor.chestra, three string Quartets, a pianotrio, and five works that can bedocumented as having been composedspecifically for viola.' Four of these lastcompositions are for viola and piano theremaining piece for viola alone. '

Quite apart from the compositionsVieuxtemps is said to have been Quite fondof the viola--he "would sometimes executesolo compositions for viola and the solo forviola . . . from Meyerbeer's opera LesHuguenots, and from time to time he wouldplay the viola part in a quartet.:" Indeed,he was apparently one of the pioneers inthe introduction of Quartet playing to theg~nera! public. His earliest training wasWIth hIS father, and Vieuxtemps made hispublic debut at age six. At age eight hebecame a student of Charles de Beriot whotaught him for three years. In '1833

11

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Csaba ErdelyiProfessor of Music, Viola

Mimi ZweigAssociate Professor of Music, Viola

Abraham SkernickProfessor of Music, Viola

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Vieuxtemps toured Germany, where heheard a number of the great contemporaryviolinists, including Joseph Mayseder(1789-1863), Wilhelm Bernhard Molique(1802-1869), and Louis Spohr (1784-1859).He and his father spent the winter of 1833­34 in Vienna,

where he studied counterpoint withSilTIOn Sechter and entered a circleof musicians who had been close toBeethoven. He undertook to learnBeethoven's Violin Concerto, at thattime virtually forgotten, and afteronly two weeks of preparationperformed it with immense success(16 March 1834). The conductor,Eduard von Lannoy, director of theVienna Conservatory praised hisperformance as "original, novel, andyet classical.t'''

His tour continued with performances inLeipzig (where Schumann compared hisplaying with that of Paganini) and London,where he heard Paganini. In Paris duringthe winter of 1835-36, he studiedcomposition with Anton Reicha. It wasfrom that period that his Concerto in F­sharp minor (later published as his opus 19)dates."

Vieuxtemps in the U.S.A.Until a stroke forced his retirement in

1873, Vieuxtemps toured extensively in thecivilized western world. Nicholas Slonimskyrelates the following anecdote:

When Vieuxtemps played engage­ments in Mexico, the interest of theMexican public in violin virtuososwas slight. To boost financialreturns, and to attract greaterattention, his manager finally hitupon a happy scheme. He had full­length pictures of Vieuxtemps hungupside down. The natives, eagerwith curiosity , filled the hall- - theyexpected a real circus performance.But Vieuxtemps disappointed themby not standing on his head.However, there were fewcomplaints: the artist's agility withthe violin satisfied the most circus­minded among the audience."

During those years before the stroke, hemade three tours of the United States, and

had a five-year sojourn in Russia. Aftera short-lived improvement in his condition,he resumed teaching on a limited basis atthe Brussels Conservatory until he wasforced to resign in 1879.6 Vieuxtemps spentthe final two years of his life in Algeria,where apparently he was killed by a rockthrown by a drunk.

The Vieuxtemps' compositions for violademonstrate no appreciable difference instyle or approach than is evident in hisworks for violin. The clarity of textureand elegance of melodic line whichcharacterize his works for the violin arealso present in the viola pieces. As with theviolin pieces, the viola works lie quite wellfor those who have sufficient technique toplay them. One difference in Vieuxtemps'treatment of the two instruments is thathe did not write in the extremely highrange of the viola as he did for violin. Inthe five pieces under consideration in thisarticle, only rarely do any of them venturebeyond fifth position (in the "Elegy," Opus30 for viola and piano, there are two briefexcursions to a D flat above the treblestaff). However, some passages requireexceptional bow control in addition to thedemands on the left hand.

If (for lack of a better option) the opusnumbers are accepted as a fair guide tochronology of Vieuxtemps' viola works, thefirst composition he wrote was the afore­mentioned "Elegy," thought to have beeninitially published c. 1854 by Offenbach.It is written in F minor and is cast internary structure, with the middle sectionin A flat. It opens softly with a simplemelody in common meter; the second themeuses the opening rhythmic figure, butincludes shorter note values and someextended sixteenth-note triplet figurationnot found in the first theme. A briefcadenza leads into the middle section in Aflat. After an impassioned statement of thenew material, including an abundance ofsixteenth-note triplet figuration, there isa return to the opening tune, which isfollowed by a vigorous coda that requiresexcellent right- and left-hand technique.

His Sonata for ViolaThe Sonata in B flat, Opus 36, is

described as:

13

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expressive in its melodies [sic] and[as] correspond[ing] well to thepeculiarities of the timbre of theviola. The instrumental techniqueis very natural, and the virtuosodevices are more modest thatthose in [the] violin composi-tions."

It is written in three movements: 1)Maestoso: Allegro; 2) Barcarolla. Andantecon moto; and 3) Finale Scherzando.Allegretto. The first movement, in B flat,opens with a thirty-five measure Maestoso,which is partially restated just before thecoda. The allegro section, if the metronomemarking ofJ= 160 is Vieuxtemps', is a tourde force for the viola, regardless of thecomparatively low extent of the upperrange for the instrument. Vieuxtemps wrotethe second movement in the key of Gminor; it opens in 6/8 meter;, = 48, movesinto a 2/4 Allegretto tranquillo section, toan Animato in 6/8, followed by a variedreprise of the opening material, closingwith a coda, which recalls the secondsection. The finale, marked J = 116, andin the key of B flat, has some verydemanding passages involving the use ofchords and arpeggiated double-stops. Theentrance of the viola near the beginning ofthe movement is marked by materialreminiscent of that used by Vieuxtemps inthe scherzo of the Violin Concerto No.4,Opus 31, in D minor. Because clarity isextremely important in a successfulperformance of this composition, Irecommend that it be approached as asonata by Beethoven might be, rather thanas a sonata of Vieuxtemp's contemporaries.

According to Leonard Mogill, the"Etude" for viola and piano was found inan apparently undated manuscript in theBrussels Museum by Professor Peter Swing,of Swarthmore College. It is a veryeffective quasiperpetuum mobile typeconcert etude written predominantly in Cminor, though it closes in C major.Vieuxtemps apparently wished toaccentuate the differences in characterbetween the upper and lower registers ofthe viola b~ creating a dialogue betweenthem. At ~ = 104, it takes approximately4:20 to perform.

The last two works to be discussed wereboth published within three years ofVieuxtemps' death.

"Capriccio," for solo viola, was releasedas the final selection in a collection entitledSix Morceaux pour Violon seul, sui vis d'unCapriccio pour Alto seul, opus 55, no. 9 desOeuvres posthumes, by Brandus in 1883.This composition is anything but whimsicalin nature: it is in C minor, and it opens ina very restrained, if not dolorous manner.The tempo indication is "Lento, con moltaespressione." The rhapsodic character andtechnical requirements of the piece requirea high level of musical maturity forsuccessful performance.

An Unfinished WorkIf Vieuxtemps had completed the

unfinished sonata, originally published byJobert in 1884 as ALLEGRO ET SCHERZO/ pour PIANO et ALTO concertants /(Premier et deuxieme morceaux / d'uneSonata inacheveet." it would probably havebeen of mammoth proportions, and wouldhave required nearly Herculean strength toperform. Even as they are, the twomovements require great stamina becauseof their technical demands. The Allegro,in B flat, is approximately eleven minuteslong, and the performer is not given a fullmeasure of rest at any point in themovement. The second movement, in Fminor, is an extended scherzo with twotrios. In the approximately eleven and ahalf minutes required for performance, theviolist has a six-measure rest--threemeasures before each of the trios. Theavailable edition requires one of thefollowing: 1) a prodigious memory; 2) apage turner for the violist; or 3) a numberof page duplications and a substantialamount of hinge tape.

Because of his predilection for the flatkeys, and the technical and musicaldemands of the pieces, Vieuxtemps'literature for viola is suitable forperformance by very advanced players only.The stamina required for performance ofthe two sonatas puts them beyond the rangeof most immature players. Likewise, thetechnical difficulties, especially in thecoda, of the "Elegy" make it an unwisechoice for less experienced students.However, the "Capriccio," in spite of someof its difficulties, could, because of its

15

16 brevity, be a useful vehicle on an advancedstudent's recital, as could the "Etude."

FOOTNOTES1. Mention is made of a "Romance," Opus

40, No.1, in Zeyringer's Literatur furViola, and in Michael D. Williams,Music for Viola (Detroit: InformationCoordinators, Inc., 1979), but researchindicates that the piece was originallywritten for violin, and I have beenunable to locate a copy of thecomposition in a version for viola.

2. Lev Ginsburg, Vieuxtemps (NeptuneCity, NJ: Paganiniana Publications,1984), p, 97.

3. Boris Schwarz, "Henry Vieuxtemps,"The New Grove Dictionary of Music andMusicians, Stanley Sadie, gen. ed., 20vols. (London: Macmillan Publishers,Ltd., 1980), 19: 752.

4. Ibid.5. Nicolas Slonimsky, "Etude Musical

Miscellany," Etude 67 (January 1949):14.

6. Schwartz, "Viexutemps," New Grove, 19:753.

7. Ginsburg, Vieuxtemps, p. 97.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHYBachmann, Alberto. An Encyclopedia of the

Violin. New York and London: 1925;reprint ed., New York: Da Capo, Inc.,1966.

Ginsburg, Lev. Vieuxtemps. Neptune City,NJ: paganiniana Publications, 1984.

Riley, Maurice. The History of the Viola.Ann Arbor, Michigan: Maurice W.Riley, 1980.

Sadie, Stanley, gen. ed. The New GroveDictionary of Music and Musicians. 20vols. London: Macmillan PublishersLtd., 1980. Vol. 19: "HenryVieuxtemps," by Boris Schwartz.

Slonimsky, Nicolas. "Etude MusicalMiscellany." Etude 67 (January 1949):14,. 16.

Vieuxtemps, Henri. "Capriccio," Opusposthumous. Mainz: B·. Schotts Sohne,1973.

___. "Elegy," Opus 30. Winter­thur/Schweiz: Amadeus Verlag, 1976.

___. "Etude." New York: G. Schirmer,1975.

___. Sonata in B-flat, Opus 36.Adliswil, Switzerland: EditionKunzelmann, 1974.

. Unvollendete Sonate fur Viola---und Klavier. Winterthur/Schweiz:Amadeus Verlag, 1986.

Zeyringer, Franz. Literatur fur Viola,Hartberg, Austria: Verlag JuliusSchonwetter Jun., 1985.

David Kerr is Director of OrchestralActivities at Stephen F. Austin StateUnviersity in Nacogdoches, Texas. He hasstudied viola with David Dalton, Sally Peck,and Donald Mclnnes. He has a Doctor ofArts in Conducting from the University ofNorthern Colorado.•

A PRACTICAL APPROACHTO VIOLA TECHNIQUE

by

Darrel Barnes

During my twenty-seven years as aprofessional violist (twenty-one insymphony orchestras), I have learned avariety of approaches to the problemscreated by performing on this verydifficult instrument and have finallyarrived at an approach that is free from thekinds of stress which can create injury,while at the same time maximize thepossibilities for artistic expression.

A practical approach requires anunderstanding of three basic concepts. Thefirst is Ergo Dynamics: the relationshipbetween the player and the instrument.Simply stated, the viola must be in correctproportion to the bone length of eachindividual player (the specific formula forthis proportion will be dealt with in asubsequent article). This basic idea meansthat there is only a limited range withinwhich there are no detrimental effects tothe sound and eventually to the muscleand tendon tissues as well. This conceptwas overlooked by many musicians backin the sixties and early seventies whenplaying large violas was in vogue. Theresult there was an inordinate number oftendon and spinal related injuries.

Once the proper sized instrument hasbeen chosen, the performer must deal withthe next concept of Angular Physics, whichdictates how the body should relate to the

instrument. Therefore placing of the violabecomes critical in creating the angles thatwill minimize stress to the muscle tissue.I find that the best placement for the violais directly on the shoulder, with the headdropped to the left and touching the middleof the instrument as a counterbalance (theFlesch chinrest works well for thispositioning; also, no shoulder pad or spongeneed be used, only a small piece of chamoisto prevent slipping). Placed in this position,the viola requires minimal pronation androtation of the left arm, and the right armcan reach the tip of the bow much moreeasily, alleviating the stress on the elbowand wrist joints usually caused byoverreaching.

The last concept, linked directly to theprinciples of Angular Physics, is the ideathat the strongest tissue within a givenmuscle group should do the most work; theweaker tissue should be used only for finetuning (i.e., small angle adjustments) andsubtle nuances. For violists this meansusing all the soft tissue (muscles andtendons) that are directly involved inmovements of the upper arms andshoulders. For the right arm this meansusing the large muscles of the shoulder andupper body to move the bow at all speedsand for all articulations and bowstrokes,while the elbow and wrist are used forminor angle adjustments and the fingersfor nuances and colors of sound.

The Left HandThe left hand is pushed into playing

position by the muscle group at theshoulder which supports the hand for everyfinger combination and position on theinstrument. The fingers simply stop thestring with the minimum of pressurenecessary to make the pitch (this is theironly proper function). To achieve this levelof relaxation of the left hand while playing,it is orucial for the player to be aware ofthe angle at the armpit. If this angle is notopened sufficiently, it is impossible to havea relaxed left hand.

Violists tend to sustain a great manyinjuries, both physical and emotional. Onepossibility for diminishing physical stressis in the choice of a chair. The chairshould allow the body to assume rightangles at the hips and knees--a chairneither too high nor too low. The seat

should have forward tilt of about 5°. Inmost cases this can be achieved by placingwooden blocks under the rear legs of. thechair. This tilt takes the stress off of thelower back and removes the need to leanback in the chair.

Another way to reduce both physicaland emotional stress is through swimming,in particular the crawl and the backstroke.Swimming helps to maintain muscle toneand prevents excessive buildup of lacticacids in the muscles, while relaxing themind. I find that forty-five minutes to anhour of swimming twice a week works wellfor me. However, it is important that therebe an interval of one to two hours afterswimming before playing the viola.

One final word of caution: of necessity,the concepts outlined here are general innature, and the specifics will vary fromperson to person. However, with a clearunderstanding of the individual's require­ments and with sufficient practice toachieve proper execution of these concepts,one can enjoy a much more relaxed andconsiderably longer career as a violist.

Darrel Barnes is the Principal Violist of theIndianapolis Symphony Orchestra andAdjunct Professor of Viola and ChamberMusic at Butler University. He was formerlywith the Detroit Symphony and PhiladelphiaOrchestra before becoming Principal Violistof the St. Louis Symphony. His violateachers were William Preucil, NathanGordon and Joseph de Pasquale. Mr. Barnesis indebted to Mr. Ron Robinson, sportconsultant and trainer, for some ideasexpressed in this article.•

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ATBRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY

CLYN BARRUS is a graduate of the Curtis Institute, theVienna Academy, DAYIDDALTON stud ied at the Vienna Academy, the Munich Hochschule,and the University ofMichigan wberehe earned his doctorate in viola. Hewas and took degrees at the Eastman School and Indiana University where heprincipal of the Vienna Symphony and for thirteen years occupied that sarne earned his doctorate in viola under William Primrose. He collabor ated withposition in the Minnesota Orchestra. He has been heard frequently as a soloist his teacher in producing the Primrose memoi rs Walk on the North Side andand recording artist, and is now director of orchestras at BYU. also Playing the Viola. He is president of the American Viola Society.

The Primrose International Viola Archive, the largest repository ofmaterials related to the viola, is housed in the BYU library. BYU gradu ates find themselvesin professional orchestras and as teachers at institutes of higher learning. B.M., B.A ., and M.M. degrees in performance-pedagogy are offered to viola studentsatBYU.

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HEIDI CASTLEMAN

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Rosemary Glyde

Editor's Note: This is a fifth in a series ofarticles by the author on prominent violistsand those who have had influence in ourfield.

I first met and heard Heidi Castlemanin her master class at the Viola Congress atthe University of Michigan in 1987. I wasdrawn to her both as a teacher and as aperson, and my affection forher has grownwith subsequent meetings.

Professor of Viola at the ClevelandInstitute of Music, Heidi came to Aspen atthe invitation of the Aspen Music Festivaland School. In the space of one week, shegave four separate master classes on herapproach to music and the viola. She isgenerous both in her humanity and herknowledge. It was a special encounter forall involved.

Heidi is 5' 5" tall, although she seemstaller than she is. She has a saucy, Sassoon­like haircut, turned under, of sandy blondehair. Her blue eyes sparkle as she laughsfrom both mirth and mischief! As she givesher comments to students after they play,she has a marvelous idiosyncracy: she waitsfor a few seconds to ponder, and as shedoes so she rolls her eyes skyward for aninstant.' It is an endearing characteristic,and students wait for her to do it.

The four master sessions were heldduring the summer of 1989 on the musicschool campus. Nestled on the greenbetween the mountains, the building issimple, rustic, ample. Her first class wasentitled "Do I Really Need a License to PlayBachz" (referring to a statement byPrimrose). Heidi had just arrived in Aspenand trekked through rain and mountainmist to reach the classroom in time. It wasan auspicious beginning.

Her Master ClassesMy comments on the classes will be

brief. Heidi has detailed the classes in theAmerican String Teacher magazine (Winter1990. Vol. XL, No.1).

The titles of the four classes werepatterned after the one on Bach, "Tartini:The Art of Bowing, an Artist's Primer,""Choosing Fingerings," and finally, simply,"Performance Class." Each class hadlecture-demonstrations in addition tostudent performances.

Heidi first addressed the dance formsas found in the suites and analyzed themwith reference to cause and effect. Incomparing the modern and baroque bow,she said, "The stroked pop out with themodern bow. We must find a way to beless aware of the stroke and more award ofthe melodic configurations." The melodicline is her raison d'etre, and her clarity inferreting out line and technique to achieveline is a strong theme in her session. Heiditook each dance form and discussed it indetail. "The bowing conventions and danceswere assumed knowledge at the time," shestated, as was the performance of notation.

Thus, she explained her fascination withthe many different editions of Bachavailable. "Frustration is a wonderfulteacher. I looked at the many editions ofBach and the different conclusions thathave been drawn." She characteristicallyadded, "I am not an expert in baroquemusic. I am just curious at these manyeditorial differences. Knowledge can bea friendly ally to support the intuitivewithin us." After a detailed description ofthe earliest copies of the suites, sheexhorted us to "choose an edition that isminimally edited."

Of particular note was her comparisonof the French and Italian styles ofmovements. The French style, "based onmusic by Lully, his contemporaries andsuccessors, is courtly and polite, of musicaldecorum and good taste; every movementis of a definite mood." The seventeenthcentury was dominated by the French style.The eighteenth century, however, has amuch stronger Italian influence. TheItalian, "less sophisticated and mannered,imitates the vocal, is very virtuosic, direct,and unrestrained. Strings are well suitedto this style because of their similarity tothe voice." Where the French "alwaysrespect an underlying rhythmic pattern-­a gestalt--the Italians will take rhythm asa point of departure for figuration." Heidiemphasized the importance of being aware

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of these French and Italian elements in thesuites in order to bring out the appropriatecharacters.

NotationWhile discussing notation, "notes

inegales,' Heidi referred to the slightlengthening of the first note in a pair ofdiatonic eighths, and the shortening of thesecond. She discussed the assimilation ofdotted rhythms into the dance, and the"reprise d'archet," also known as the"retake," two successive down-bows. Shementioned the dance steps, the elan andrepos, movement and rest, and the qualitiesof the French sixteenth-note upbeat and theItalian eighth-note upbeat. Her sourcesincluded The Interpretation of Music,Thurston Dart; World History of the Dance,Kurt Sachs; and "17th Century DancePatterns," by Barbara Ann Garney Seafran(dissertation at the University of Michigan).Many students seemed to have beenenlightened by this class.

On August 3, violist Anrati Hemmings,winter student of Marcus Thompson andsummer student of Yizhak Schotten, openedthe class with the Prelude and Fugue in Cminor. He chose to do the original tuning(A down to G) for more resonance. Heidisuggested research into the differencebetween the subject material, the episodes,and the cadential material. "Listen to thebeginnings of slurs and strokes, and thatyou throw them off the way you mean to"she advised.

"The viola is different from the violinbecause you have to have hold of the stringbefore you let go." She suggested using thesame bowings for each statement of thesequence. "Sometimes the melisma were lessvocal than I would have liked. Sing thenotes; be award of intervals and feel gluein your voice. Keep the voice as the modelfor what you want."

Student Allison Heydt played the Cmajor Prelude, and Heidi mentioned theemphasis she gives to the bass, which is arecurrent theme in all her classes. "Thinkof the positioning of the bass line in thepieces. Exhale on the first C. Phrase to thebass more. Vibrate on the bass more.Crescendo to the bass, not diminuendo, fora longer line. Announce the sequencesmore clearly. Have the listeners hear the

bass notes so you can fulfill theirexpectation at the resolution."

Miss Heydt had taken the originalbowings, using the modern bow and Heidifelt the original bowings were not servingthe music. Heidi used her term,"articulation silence" (a bowing stop thatLillian Fuchs had referred to as a "lift").

SonatasOn August 5, Heidi coached the Brahms

E-flat Sonata. Throughout the session sherepeated some favorite musical concepts:"Bring out the bass, the line is beinggenerated from the bass. Generate froma very cello-like bass." She also emphasizedusing the bow with the "point tipped up forpinkie balance" for stronger sound (whatI refer to as circular motion before thestroke); she also mentioned that one shouldplay with the shape of the stick (raise theelbow at the tip for more leverage). Indiscussing sound, she spoke of looking fora "pleasingly irritating sound. As we shortenthe string, we have to come closer to thebridge for the same sonority." In regard tothe vibrato she counsels, "practice withoutvibrato, then add and make sure it is thereto ornament the bow stroke." Practice thephrasing without the bow. In stringcrossings, "the elbow leads. The inside ofthe wrist leads on the up bow." She alsointroduced the concept of "endless bow" toget the feeling of bowing beyond the endsof the bow into the air. So many of Heidi'spersonal "truisms" are instinctively andmusically on the mark; she presents herideas clearly, showing sensitivity to thestudents.

The last sessions dealt with choosingfingerings, or, as Heidi called them, "theviolist's vocal chords." She gave generalguidelines to follow for building accuracyand consistency:

--"The fingers are tactile sensors.Awareness of how the string buzzes underthe finger is very important. Visualizebefore you play how the finger is going tobe massaged."

--Articulation is "double-action,dropping and releasing. Keep your handrelaxed. If it's comfortable, one remembersthe fingering."

21

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--Intonation: "think of a pitch and aimfor a point, not just a general area."

--"The sequence between hearing,feeling, and playing is very important."

In regard to accuracy and consistency,Heidi stressed the importance of using anappropriate size of instrument. The handshould be relaxed and comfortable, andorganized in tetrachord patterns. Sheadvocates the use of extensions in thehigher positions, and contractions in thelower.

In "building a tactile vocabulary," sheemphasized six different areas: 1) specificintervals, (2) color, (3) legato, (4) openstrings, (5) fingering passagework, and (6)role of slides.

In regard to specific intervals, sheadvocated using different fingers forsuccessive intervals of one fifth:

2 ~ 3 2 1

--Play with the shape of the stick. Thebow arm should take the same shape.

- - Be clear on ballistic or sustainedstrokes. It is far too easy to fall into themiddle too often.

--Be aware of bow placement to helppassages speak clearly.

Heidi spoke a great deal on inflectedand uninflected sound, a definition thatwas interesting to discuss, since there aredifferent perceptions of the words.

In hearing the slow movement of theSchwanenreher, she said, "When you didn'tlike something, you came back withinyourself instead of listening to yourselffrom the back of the hall." This idea ofimagining oneself in a hall came up severaltimes in reference to creating sound andconcept.

"Think of how you listen to yourself ina hall. While practicing, think of a favoritehall and then listen to and imagine yourselfin that favorite hall."

23

Shortest stringlength.play close

to bridge

..#~~~~... eL­f • • ;V. cc.

~~g--

She demonstrated her own warm-upexercise: a drone of the chromatic scale (1)up the A string wounding the D string, (2)up the D string with the G string, and (3)up the G with the C string.

Finally Heidi made a wonderfulcomment about nervousness: "Being nervousis like any other feeling that comes over us,which doesn't mean we can't think orfunction well when it happens. Be sure

Regarding chords she said: "Find theshortest string length and determine thesounding point of that note. Then apply tothe rest of the chord":

Color constitutes "a phrase or a unit on thesame string. The choice of string is amusical choice." In legato playing, she findsit important not to change strings on asemitone. But, yes, shift on a semitone. Inlegato playing, "avoid open strings becauseof the nonvibrated sound. Open strings canbe used" for color and to facilitatepassagework. She advised shifting on strongbeats and executing sequential fingeringsfor sequential writing.

--Be aware of where the weight of thetip and the weight of the frog are [stringcrossings].

--The stick is the extension of the bow­arm, or, as Primrose said, "the secondelbow."

Tartini's OpusAfavorite pedagogical work of Heidi's

is The Art of Bowing by Tartini. Other ofher favorite works for the "vocabulary ofstrokes" are Sevcik, Ope 2, and the earlyetudes of Kreutzer. Her lecture on theTarti'ni featured copious details. A fewsalient points include these:

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that ninety per cent of your listening poweris on the piano."

Later Heidi and I met early onemorning at the Pour La France cafe onMain Street in Aspen. We talked incessantlyfor an hour, and then we were joined byher husband, Dr. David Klein. David grewup in Cleveland and is a urologist byprofession. However, his life is not limitedto medicine. He is the first chairman of theboard of Chamber Music America, and itwas through his work with CMA that hemet Heidi.

David is an amateur violinist whostudied with Joseph Knitzer and DonaldWeilerstein. Not only was he president ofthe Cleveland Opera for eight years, butalso he was notably "father" to theCleveland Quartet, for they literally startedby performing in his living room. A warmand enthusiastic man, he attended Heidi'ssessions at the school, and by his attitudehe revealed his devotion to Heidi.

Her BackgroundHeidi, nee Waldron, grew up in West

Nyack, New York, a town forty-fiveminutes away from New York City on thewest side of the Hudson River. Her familywas Quite scientifically and academicallyoriented. Her father's career was in systemsat Cyanamid International PharmaceuticalLaboratories. Her mother was devoted toher four daughters, Heidi being the third.The older sister, once a school teacher, isnow a dairy farmer with seven children.The second sister is the chairman of theundergraduate biology department at theUniversity of Pennsylvania. The youngestis a computer programmer. Two of thesisters attended Harvard. The overallemphasis in their home was clear thinking.At an early age they were not told what tothink but rather how to think. Their motherencouraged all of them to study aninstrument, therefore, Heidi started theviolin at age five. As she progressed intoher teenage years, her high school orchestrateacher, Dr. Edward Carney (LaurieCarney's--second violin, American StringQuartet--father) took a special interest inher. At fourteen she had no Question aboutwhat she wanted to do. "The magnetic pullof music came from an instinctive drive tobalance the rational with somethingintuitive and spiritual. As part of a dream,

music symbolized the whole wide world­-the promise of something out there thatI was going to explore."

Heidi first studied at Wellesley, then"majored in the New Haven Railroad" asshe studied with Dorothy Delay in Nyackand at Juilliard. Later she received aWoodrow Wilson fellowship in musicologyat the University of Pennsylvania, whereshe taught with Paul Doktor.

The reason behind her decision to teachwas Dorothy Delay. Heidi's first couple ofmonths with Miss Delay was an instructiveexperience. Miss Delay was a stronginfluence in Heidi's life, and as Questionsgrew, Heidi was made to feel "Yes, it'spossible, sugar." Her influence on Heidi layin the logic and accessiblity of her ideas,her love and appreciation of people, andthe clarity of her mind. "I think that theview she gave me, a positive view of what'spossible, has been consistent in how Iapproach students. The student is the star.My job is to challenge all students to befully themselves."

Heidi has taught at the PhiladelphiaAcademy of Music (her first graduate wasJeffrey Irvine), where she played in theNew York String Sextet. Then she movedto Rochester, where she taught at Eastman,in addition to traveling to the New EnglandConservatory.

In 1983 she became president ofChamber Music America. The time shedevoted to this position meant she had toleave the New England Conservatory. Sheremained at Eastman and later went to Riceand the University of Miami as acommuter. About four years ago she startedto teach at the Cleveland Institute of Music,in addition to Eastman. As of September1989, she will be teaching only at theCleveland Institute, the first time she hasnot commuted to teach, and therefore shehope to become more involved with herlocal community. She will also be atSarasota, Banff, and will be a guest artistwith the Hancock Chamber Players,Philadelphia. Her favorite project now isto help the role of chamber music in theelementary and secondary schools throughCMA. This project is a logical outgrowthof her work with her first husband, CharlesCastleman, with whom she founded the

25

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quartet program of the Great WoodsFestival in Norton, Massachusetts. This wasa summer program for high school andcollege-age string students based on thepremise that the string quartet is aninvaluable vehicle for training musicians,be they soloists, orchestral, or chambermusicians.

In her teaching, her main concernsinvolve the educational setting--a settingto create time and space for music. "Thereis a danger in our lives of beingoverscheduled, a dilemma that musicschools frequently have to address." She alsofeels it important to help students makethe transition to present-day expectations."A performer can't sit back practicing andplaying and not be involved in society. Myconcern is that someday there may be noaudience! The musician has to be active inpeople's lives." She also believes inmemorizing a balance of contemporary andstandard repertoire with entertaining piecesas well.

Having recently married, Davidexcitedly said that I should look insideHeidi's wedding band. Inside I foundengraved a small and perfect alto clef. Itwas a charming and poignant moment inour meeting. I was sad our meeting had toend, but looked forward to their friendshipand continued influence on many withintheir music circle.

Rosemary Glyde received her doctorate ofMusical Arts from the Juilliard Schoolunder Lillian Fuchs. She was violist with theManhattan String Quartet and has taughton the faculties of Manhattan School ofMusic, the Yellow Barn Festival, SewaneeSummer Festival, and as an assistant at theHartt School of Music. Last year she wasappointed to the faculty of the AspenFestival. She also serves as treasurer of theAmerican Viola Society.•

/

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SURVEY OF THE XVIIINTERNATIONAL VIOLA

CONGRESS

by

Ronn Andrusco

Editor's Note: The author, a professionalviolist in Toronto, volunteered to surveyparticipants at the Redlands ViolaCongress. He has provided an excellentservice to planners of the 1991 and futurecongresses. Portions of the results of thesurvey are printed here.

AbstractThe International Viola Congress has

been held during the odd numbered yearsin a location in North America beginningin 1975. The American Viola Society is asponsor of this event. During the 1989International Viola Congress held June 21­25 at the University of Redlands inRedlands, California, a survey of registrantsand participants who attended wasundertaken by the American Viola Societyto provide an opportunity for attendees toexpress their thoughts on the Congress andother activities. Of the approximate two­hundred participants in the congress,seven-one responded to the survey.

Executive Summary-48% of the respondents attended their first

Congress in Redlands-one of the respondents has attended all

Congresses held in North America-about one in six of the respondents knew

of the Congress from more than onesource

-82% of the respondents endorse the monthof June for the Congress

-58% of the respondents were satisfied withthe Congress format

-58% of the respondents stayed at campusaccommodation

-37% of the respondents are professionalmusicians

-14% of the respondents are students- 79% of the respondents belong to the

AVS/CVS-68% of the respondents are women-59% of the respondents came from

California, Utah, and New York

27

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Summary and ConclusionsThis study has provided a wealth of

information that was unavailable to theAmerican Viola Society until this time.Many of the respondents went to a greatlength to provide the AVS executive withconstructive opinion, views, and comments.The respondents believe in the AVS andwould like to see it flourish. This surveyprovided the means by which attendees hadan opportunity to express themselves inwriting.

Membership of the AVS/CVS requiressome review. Although seventeen states plusD.C. and three provinces were representedat the congress, what about the other thirty­one continental states and seven provinces?

Five categories of members exist,namely, professional musician, amateurmusician, teacher, students andinstrument/bow maker. The A VS/CYS mustensure that the organization has somethingto offer potential members and somethingto maintain their interests, once they area member.

There would appear to be potentialgrowth in all areas with students an obviouspriority because of early involvement anda potentially long lasting relationship withthe AVS/CVS. Teachers should be the mainsource of encouragement and source ofinformation.

Professional violists playing inorchestras are a well-defined group ofpotential members also. In Canada, theOrganization of Canadian SymphonyMusicians (OCSM) could possibly providethe window for distribution of literatureinformation, etc. '

Participants do not feel an obligationto join the AVS/CVS even after attendinga Congress, Students, previous non-memberattendees, and first time non-memberattendees should be targeted formemberships at the Congress in a persuasivemanner. The non-member registration feeat the congress became the member'sregistration fee in the A VS plus the one­year's dues. The non-member thenautomatically becomes a member for thatyear, and will hopefully continue.

It is not clear that the Journal is themain vehicle for the dissemination ofCongress activities. Is this a result oflimited Congress advertising, members notreading the Journal carefully andcompletely, or something else? Does theJournal require some review to see if it ismeeting its objectives?

Participants who have been to morethan one previous Congress obtaininformation from the Journal or otherpeople. Are these long time members andwho are the other people?

Distance is not a factor for attendancealthough the host state contribute~significantly to the total attendance.

The two to one ratio of womenrespondents to men respondents requiressome review. One could speculate thatwomen will complete questionnaires morereadily than men, or that this ratio is areflection of overall registration/partici­pation in the Congress. One would want tocompare Congress participation to thegeneral membership of the AVS to see ifthe ratio is similar.

Canadian participation was weak at theCongress. Should the CVS continue to bea separate organization?

.....

29

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100.0

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CumulativeFrequency Percent Percent

Frequency Distribution ofCurrent Position

======================================================

Total

Professional Musician 16 22.5 22.5Teacher 9 12.7 35.2Amateur Musician 11 15.5 50.7Instrument/Bow Maker 5 7.0 57.7Student 10 14.1 71.8Musician & Teacher 10 14.1 85.9Other Combinations 9 12.7 98.6Missing 1 1.4 100.0

~ Non -membe r

..................~........"...L.J..l..u..L...L...L.J..l.u..u..uE:::::jMembe r5 10 15 20 25 30

AVS/CVS Membershipand Congress Awareness

Source

Per Cent

Sketches of participants atRedlands Congress by ArcherAmes, 147-R Calle ojo Feliz,Santa Fe, NM 87501, artist andviolist.

Journal r------_.....J

Teacher~~~~~~

Other~~~~~ss::s::s:s~

Co 11 eague ~~~~~SSlComb ina t ion Journa1 ~~r-------I

In t e rna t iona 1 Mus i cn ~~s:sssssss

No ReturnCombination Non Jour

4020 30

Per Cent

10o

Congress Attendance Histor~

Number

Congresses~~~~~~~~~CongressCong resses~~~CongressesCongressesCongressesCongressesCongresses

Missing

ZeroOneTwoThreeFourFiveSixSeven

Accommodation Preference

Other

Per Cent

-............................""'-'--I-"""--I...L..L....L...L...I...I...w.....&....&.....L.J~ Responden to 10 20 30 40 50 60

Combination

Home (Local)

In-Campus Hous i ng~~~~~~~~~

Suggested Hotel~

Other Hotel

With Friends/

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~1I1I~21.0% Non-member

Vs MembershipAVS/C 1989 Congressof Registrants at

Member 79.0%

32.4% Male

Gender

u. S. A. 93. 0% c::::.====---========::J

7.0% Canada

Country of Origin of Respondents

~ Respondent

25

Per Cent

Age Groups

Under 25

25 to 34

35 to 44

45 tel 54

55" to 64

65 and Over

0

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37

From the Presidency

BOARD(Newly Elected to 4- Year Term From July, 1990-July, 1994)

We are pleased to announce the results of the election for new AYS officersand board members. All votes were tallied that had a postmark of 10 March 1990 orbefore. We thank those colleagues on the nominating committee who aided with timeand advice. Those elected are the following:

Louis KievmanWilliam MagersKathy PlummerWilliam PreucilMichael TreeEmanuel YardiRobert Vernon

Alan de YeritchHarold ColettaPamela GoldsmithRosemary Glyde (appointed to continue)David Dalton

OFFICERS(4-Year Term From July, 1990-July, 1994)

PRESIDENTVICE-PRESIDENTSECRETARYTREASURERPAST PRESIDENT

t /

(Retained to complete term of office until July, 1992)

Donald McInnesDwight PoundsThomas TattonKaren TuttleAnn Woodward

We congratulate those who have been elected to these positions. We areconfident that they represent strong leadership and direction for the Society in thecoming years. At the same time, we express appreciation to all those who had theirname placed in nomination. It was heartwarming to know that there are so manyexcellent violists and members of our Society who are willing to give of themselves insupport of the ideals of the AYS.

38

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Of InterestLILLE VIOLA CONGRESS

The program has been announcedfor the XVIII International ViolaCongress in Lille, France, May 31 toJune 3, 1990. Those interested inreceiving more information regardingthe congress, housing, etc. shouldcontact:

Bernard Goudfroy11 bis, Rue Neuve Saint Germain92100 BoulogneFranceTel. 33 120 74 17 31

The congress stands under the title "TheViola in French Music and the Franco­Belgian School."

May 31Lecture by Frederic Laine: "The Viola inFrance during the 19th Century"focusing on Chretien Urhan and CasimirNey.

Concert: Sonata for Viola and Piano byJacques Castiride performed by MarieTherese Chailley. Trio by MaurieDurufle for Flute, Viola, and Pianoperformed by Patrick Gallois, BernardGaudfroy, and Alain Raes. Work forElectric Viola by J.C. Dewaele.

Concert by the Brigham YoungUniversity Chamber Orchestra, ClynBarrus, director. Brandenburg ConcertoNo.6 by Bach with Nancy Call and JoelBelgique, soloists. Elizabethan L~rics byMerrill Bradshaw for Soprano, VIola,and Strings with Donna and DavidDalton, soloists. Variations for Viola andOrchestra by Alan Shulman, ClynBarrus, soloist. Suite from the "Three­Cornered Hat" by de Falla.

June 1Master class with Serge Collot: "TheFranco-Belgian Technique."

Concert: Trios for Flute, Viola, and Harpby Debussy and A. Louvier performed

by P. Gallois, P.R. Xuereb, and F.Pierre.

Lecture by Etienne Vatelot: "The Viola-­Past and Future."

Concert of works for solo viola, two, andthree violas by Henri Pousseur, TristanMurial and Eric Sprogis performed byJean S~lem, Garth Knox, and MichelMichalakakos.

Concert by the Trio a Cordes of Paris inworks by Milhaud and Roussel.

June 2 "A Day in Brussels"Concert by the viola class of the BrusselsConservatory in works by Vieuxtemps,Jongen, Legley, Poot, Longree, andMichel.

Lecture on the "Franco-Belgian Schoolof Violin and Viola of J. P. Muller."

Audio Lecture on the Bart6k Concerto,as performed by Primrose, and theMilhaud Concerto, as performed byMaurice Vieux.

Tour of the Brussels Musical InstrumentCollection and an exhibition by Belgianluthiers.

Concert by T. M. Gilissen and J. C.Vanden Eynden of works byVieuxtemps and the Piano Quintet byFranck.

June 3Seminar with French composers, S.Nigg, C. H. Joubert, and B. Joas, and ahearing and discussion of their works.

Other composers works to be heardduring the congress include A.Bancquart, E. Chausson, N. Bacri, J.Martinon, A. Lemeland, A. Jolivet, A.Honegger, B. Jolas, C. Koechlin, and P.D. Q. Bach.

Other performers will be J. F. Benatar,T. Coman, L. Verney, J. Dupouy, P.Lenert, J. B. Brunier, E. Cantor, O.Seube, S. Toutain, and B. Pasquier.

39

40 VIOLA ORCHESTRALVACANCIES

PrincipalSacramento Symphony

Tracy Alan DavisSacramento Symphony Association77 Cadillac DriveSacramento, CA 95825

Tulsa PhilharmonicPhilip Woachowski, PersonnelManager, The Tulsa PhilharmonicHarwelden 2210 S. MainTulsa, OK 74114

Associate PrincipalTulsa Philharmonic

Philip Woachowski, PersonnelManager, The Tulsa PhilharmonicHarwelden 2210 S. MainTulsa, OK 74114

Sacramento SymphonyTracy Alan DavisSacramento Symphony Association77 Cadillac DriveSacramento, CA 95825

Calgary Philharmonic OrchestraT. Rawlings, Personnel ManagerCalgary Philharmonic Society205-8 Avenue S.E.Calgary, AlbertaCanada T2G OK9

SectionSacramento Symphony

Tracy Alan DavisSacramento Symphony Association77 Cadillac DriveSacramento, CA 95825

About ViolistsTHE VIOLA TODAY

AROUND L.A.

During the October to Marchseason, in and around Los Angeles, thesolo violist has been the next thing to anendangered species. If research is

accurate, Milton Thomas's February 17threcital with pianist Brent McMunn atUSC was the only such effort at theprof;ssional level. Two violists haveappeared with chamber orchestras:Geraldine Walter, the principal violistwith the San Francisco Symphony,ventured south to appear with TheOrange Country Chamber Orchestra,Micah Levy, conductor, and violinistDiana Halprin, in the MozartConcertante. Miss Walter also played theTrauermusik by Hindemith on the sameprogram, which was presented twice intwo Orange County locations onNovember 5th and 6th. In February,Kim Kashkashian appeared with the LosAngeles Chamber Orchestra in Pasadena,playing the Trauermusik, and inDecember of last year, Richard Elegino,L.A. Philharmonic violist and localresident, played at the UCLA MozartConcertante with violinist David Stenskeand the American Youth Symphony;Mehli Mehta conducting.

This is not to give the impressionthat violists are denied opportunity orexposure here in Lotus-Land. There isan extraordinary amount of chambermusic presented in the course of themusical season in the Los Angeles area,so much that to keep accurate track of itall failing full-time attention, is, .hopeless. Professional chamber mUSICensembles, either touring or local, arepreserrted by various sponsors, oftenserving specific localities, such as"Chamber Music at the Taper" (theMusic Center, downtown), "LagunaBeach Chamber Music Society,""Fullerton Friends of Music:' thevenerable "Coleman Concerts" inPasadena, the Ambassador Auditoriumseries, also in Pasadena, the Music Guildconcerts at the Wilshire Ebell Theater, tomention a few .. Then there are thevarious colleges and universities, thelarger churches, and the several chambermusic series sponsored by the L.A.Philharmonic and the Orange CountyPhilharmonic Society.

The following is a list of stringquartets, (mostly) which have appearedthis year, up to March: Ames PianoQuartet, Ardetti, Arroyo Piano Quartet,Audubon, Bartok, Budapest String Trio,

Calvarola String Trio, ChapmanChamber Players, Emerson, Franciscan,Guarneri, Juilliard, Kronos, Lark, LyricPiano Quartet, Orford, Prague, Pro Arte,Quartetto Beethoven di Roma, Ridge,Shanghai, Stanford, Tokyo, andUnnamed (yes, "Unnamed," MichaelNowak, violist).

Special mention should be made ofsome stand-outs in this array or riches.The Juilliard Quartet is giving a five­concert presentation of the seventeenBeethoven Quartets, at AmbassadorAuditorium, scattered throughout theseason. The Chamber Music in HistoricSites series will sponsor no fewer thanfifty concerts by various groups atinteresting and unusual locations aroundthe city, e.g., the hundred-inch telescopeon Mr. Wilson, Rutabegorz restaurant inTustin. The Calvarola String Trio gavethe premier of Inventions for String' Trioand Tape by John Biggs at the SantaMonica Unitarian Community Church,Lynn Lusher Grant, violist.

--Thomas G. HallChapman College

THE NEW YORK SCENE

During March and April a numberof concerts took place in New York Citywhich were of interest to violists.

Violist Mimi Dye presented a recitalfeaturing works by Rebecca Clarke,Ernest Bloch and Paul Hindemith, allwritten in the year 1919. The concertwas given at the Church of theRedeemer in Manhatten.

Pinchas Zukerman, as violinist andviolist, and Marc Neikrug appeared inan all Schubert program in Avery FisherHall. 'Dhey performed Sonatinas in GMinor and A Minor, the "Arpegginoe"Sonata, and the Fantasy in C.

Yuri Bashmet, was soloist with theMoscow Philharmonic Orchestra, DimitriKitaenko, conducting, in Avery FisherHall. Mr. Bashmet performed the BartokConcerto.

The world premiere of MarioDavidovsky's Symphony Concertante for

String Quartet and Orchestra was givenby the Guarneri Quartet and thePhiladelphia Orchestra at the Academyof Music in Philadelphia with EricLeinsdorf conducting. On Tuesday,March 13th the Davidovsky wasrepeated by the same group in CarnegieHall, New York.

The Borodin Quartet gave its onlyNew York concert this season at AliceTully Hall. The compositions performedwere Mozart's Quartet in D Minor, K V421, Webern's Five Pieces, andShostakovich's Quartet No.5.

The Melos Quartet, which has notbeen heard in New York since 1978,appeared in Alice Tully Hall. TheQuartet performed the MendelssohnCapriccio for String Quartet, Ope 81,No.3, the Schumann Quartet in A, Opus41, No.3, and the Brahms Quartet No.2in A minor, Ope 51, No.2.

The Cleveland Quartet appeared inTully Hall playing Schubert'sQuartetsatz, Schoenberg's, Quartet No.4, Ope 37 and Beethoven's Quartet, Ope59, No.2.

All violists planning to perform in theNew York area in the future are invitedto send particulars for inclusion in JA VSto:

Robert Glazer, Musical Directorc/o New York String Symphony16 Moos LaneBergenfield, NJ 07621

IN MEMORIAM

We note with sadness the passing oftwo of our colleagues and members ofthe AVS in recent months. Both hadparticipated in international violacongresses, and in the case of NannieJamieson, she had to decline aninvitation to conduct a master class atRedlands because of a lingering illnesswhich contributed to her demise.

Nannie Jamieson, who was born in 1904,passed away on 18 January 1990. Herlong and varied career encompassedplaying, teaching, and organizing, and

41

THE AVS IN THE USSR

A message from President Dav id Dalton:

The American Viola Society has been invited through U.S. EXCHANGES, a priva te company withoffices in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, to und ertake a concert tour of the Soviet Union in 1990. U.S.EXCHANGES, whose director is Dr. Robert C. Eve rett, specializes in sponsoring tours and culturaland scientific exchanges between the United States and the USSR and the People' s Repu blic of China.This past spring, for instance, a group from the American Flute Association und ertook a reward ingtour to the Soviet Union und er the sponsorship of U.S. EXCHANGES where they enjoyed interac tionwith their Soviet counterparts.

I have received a response to my inquires about such a tour fr om Mr. A. Ko zachuk , First Deputyand Chairman of the Moscow Musical Society, who has relayed through Dr. Everett the word that hissociety would look favorabl y upon such a visit and make on-site arrangements as necessary. I haveproposed a format of master classes, lectures, viola ensemble concerts, and solo viola con certs-­where possibl e featuring rep ertoire by American composers--in three cities, includ ing visit s to theLeningrad, Moscow , and Ki ev conservatories. The tour is to tak e place in the USSR 19-30 Septem ber1990.

Cost is about $2,550.00 per person , based on double occupancy. Included is round trip airfa ref rom JFK in New York on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, transfers, porterage, progra ms listed , andthree meal s each day within the Soviet Union. There will possibly be a stopove r in Amsterda m enroute and in Vienna on the return from the USSR. If desired by the AVS group, a concert may bearranged in Vienna plu s a couple of da ys stay after which the group will disband and individua ls willhave the option to stay longer on their own in Europe before traveling to Amsterd am for returnhome .

There are still about a dozen openings that can accommodate as man y violists on what prom isesto be an exhilirating tou r. Please give notification immedi ately.

_ _ _ I wish to apply to go on this AVS tour to the USSR.

____ My partner will come.

As a violist I can offer the following to the tour:

Name _

Address- - - ---- - - - - - - - -

Telephone Number _

Send a copy of this form immediately to: David Dalton, AVS President, C-550 HFAC, BrighamYoung University, Provo, UT 84602, TEL 801.378.4953.

her remarkable musical and humanqualities enabled her to be at home andsuccessful in all those activities. She wasdevoted to her students and lavishedunlimited care and concern on them, andwas always ready to help her friends andcolleagues.

In the early 1930's, Jamieson went toBerlin to study with Carl Flesch, andwith his young colleague, the violinistand teacher Max Rostal. Later, Nanniemade it possible for Rostal to leave NaziGermany and settle in London. In 1939she became a member of the RobertMasters Piano Quartet. These and otheryoung musicians came to the notice ofYehudi Menuhin and became foundingmembers of his Festival Orchestra.

Nannie began her teaching career atthe Guildhall School of Music where shetaught to the end of her life. She guidedthe development of countless violaplayers of the European String TeachersAssociation, she became a driving forcein its activities throughout Europe.

Carolyn Kenneson served on the facultyof the Department of Music at theUniversity of Missouri-Columbia from1972 until her death in November 1989.Kenneson received her bachelor's andmaster's degrees from the University ofNorth Texas and University of Texas­Austin respectively. She pursued herdoctorate in music at the University ofTexas-Austin.

Among her honors were twocommendations from the NationalSociety of Arts and Letters andappearances as soloist at music festivalsat Banff and Purbeck and at the IXInternational Viola Congress in Toronto.

A memorial fund to assist stringstudents has been established in hername at the Department of Music, 140Fine Arts Center, University ofMissouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO65211.

New WorksSonata for Viola and Piano, Opus 12, byRobert Casadesus. International MusicCompany, Inc., 1989. $8.50.

Robert Casadesus's (1899-1972)musical reputation rests in this country,at least, almost solely on his pianisticabilities. However, in France he was alsoquite well-known as a composer. (As astudent at the Paris Conservatoire, hewon the Premier Prix in harmony at agefifteen.) He wrote six symphonies,several concerti, vocal music, andchamber music including a string trio,most of which are still apparently inmanuscript.

The Sonata is dedicated to his uncle,Henri Casadesus (an eminent violist, andcomposer of the viola concerti heascribed to J. C. Bach, and GeorgFrideric Handel). There is noinformation in the edition about the dateof the composition, but it wasundoubtedly composed prior to Henri'spassing in 1947; in all probability it waswritten in the thirties (perhaps earlier)because Robert's opus numbers appearto be chronological, rather thanaccording to date of publication, and theSonata for Two Pianos, Opus 36, waspublished in the early 1940's.

Stylistically the Viola Sonata seems tobe akin to the abstract intellectual idiomone might associate with Roussel, or anyof a number of other early 20th-centuryFrench composers. Though the upwardrange for the viola never exceeds A-flatabove the staff in the treble clef, andthe piece is written idiomatically forboth instruments, it is not a studentwork. There are difficult rhythms forboth players, ~nd the fast tempi i~ thesecond and third movements of thisthree movement work mitigate againstperformance by any but advancedplayers. Casadesus provides interestingtextural allusions in the secondmovement (marked "Vivo" and based on

43

44 a very catchy syncopated melody), inwhich he directs the piano to play "quasitrombone" and "quasi tromba," and theviola to play "quasi sassofono."

As with some of International's othereditions, there are some apparenteditorial errors, such as open allargandi,and some unworkable fingerings (untilone places the finger numbers over thecorrect notes). One might assume thatthe fingerings are those of HenriCasadesus, since, as mentioned above, itis dedicated to him. (For the reviewer'staste there is too much self-consciousavoidance of the fourth finger, butmany players will find these fingeringssuitable.) With a suggested time ofperformance of fifteen minutes, thiswork is a worthwhile addition to thepublished 20th-century sonata repertoirefor viola and piano.

--David KerrStephen F. Austin State University.

Haiku, a song cycle, for soprano, violaand harpsichord, by Marilyn J. Ziffrin.Text by Kathryn Martin, unpublished.Inquiries by the composer, P.O. Box 179,Bradford, NH 13221.

Last year the Primrose InternationalViola Archive was enriched by the giftof the score and a tape of Haiku, a songcycle by Marilyn Ziffrin. Theperformance is by Patricia McCarty,viola; D' Anna Fortunato, mezzo­soprano; and James David Christie,harpsichord. This is a wonderfully lyricpiece of chamber music, beautifullycrafted for the instruments and voice,which certainly deserves the widercirculation that publication wouldprovide.

The work is a setting of twelveEnglish language haiku by KathrynMartin; four poems in each of threesections, which only vaguely contrast inmood. The work ends with an Interludewhere the voice is textless, treated likeanother instrument, and Epilogue whichrecalls the text and setting of the firstpoem. The form of haiku is three lines,one of five syllables, one of sevensyllables and a closing line of fivesyllables. Rhyme is not a factor, but the

words should reflect the seasons or atleast refer to nature. In this case they arefeminine, in the best sense of the term,and romantic as well.

The three sections of the cyclecertainly reflect the three lines of thepoems, but the 5-7-5 relationship doesnot seem to be present in the music. Thecomposer's sense of proportion isprobably too strong to bend to thedictates of arbitrary form.

The harmonic vocabulary is atonal,but not harshly dissonant. Harmoniesoften grow out of melodic presentations,and often chords are constructed offourths or triads with one dissonantfactor present. The texture is sparse sothat harmonic and melodic content isdistinct and obvious. The meter of thepoetry has dictated the rhythms of themusic and set the length of phrases sothat the result is remarkably satisfyingprosody.

The performers on the tape areartists of the first rank, but the writingfor this unusual combinationdemonstrates a sensitivity that is at thesame time restrained and imaginative.The viola and the voice do not compete;they compliment. The harpsichord doesnot accompany; this is real chambermusic for equal participants. Thesoprano part calls for a singer who cansing accurate half and whole steps fromb to a", with a well developed sense ofsofter dynamics. The viola writing isidiomatic throughout, with some highpassages, but most of it is in the altoclef.

Haiku, a song cycle is a lovelyeighteen minutes that would add interestand contrast to traditional recitalprogramming. Marilyn Ziffrin has doneus a favor.

Three Inventions after J.S. Bach for TlVO

Violins or Violin and Viola by AllenBrings. Mira Music Associates: Wilton,Connecticut, 1982.

These very short pieces (37, 33, and48 measures) are exercises in dissonanttwentieth-century counterpoint. The

texture, though for only twoinstruments, is dense and unrelenting.Following the fast-slow-fast pattern,these pieces bear little obviousresemblance to the familiar Bach style,being completely atonal, filled withdynamics and other expression marks,and making use of extremes of tempo.The technique is counterpoint, but thestyle and spirit is far from baroque.

The last Invention makes use of agreat many "hairpin" crescendo­diminuendo marks, as many as four in atwo-four measure, marked 116 to thequarter-note. The intention here is notclear. In fact, little of the writing seemsto be idiomatic for strings. The violapart is a literal transposition of the violinII part into alto clef. The C-string liesfallow.

Caprices-Etudes, Opus 18, for TwoViolas, by Henri Wieniawski.International Music Company, NewYork, 1989.

International Music Companybrought out several new editions for theviolist last year, and we are grateful tothem for doing so. One of the moreinteresting items is this transcription ofWieniawski's opus 18, Eight Etudes­caprices, for violin with violinaccompaniment, of 1863. Thetranscription was done by ElinorHorvath, with editing by William Lincer.These are etudes in the Paganini­virtuoso style for the first viola, and thesecond truly functions as accompanistwith much more modest technicaldemands.

Without wishing to belabor theaesthetic questions that surface when19th century virtuoso music appears, thisedition is most expertly prepared, andMr. Lincer's solutions to the thornytechnical problems are worthconsidering, studying, and admiring.Few of us would argues this is great orprofound music, but at the very least it'sfun, and most certainly will get thekinks out of ones hands. Truth andhonesty require the statement that veryfew violists will develop the technique to

present these Caprices to the public, andprobably fewer would want to.

Concerto in D Major, Opus 1, for Violaand Piano, by C. Stamitz. (MiltonKatims, editor) International MusicCompany, New York City, 1989.

This new edition of the repertorystaple Stamitz Concerto is easily the mostpractical, stylistically apt, andthoughtfully edited one available. This isa performance edition, filled with theeditor's opinion as to the best way tosolve performance problems, so it's notan "urtext" by any means. But these arevery well informed opinions, and verytasteful. Bowing is straightforward anduncluttered. Ornaments are present, butnot excessive. The fingerings are modern(i.e. the fourth finger, 2nd and 4thposition are used, etc.), and oftenpresented with two suggestions as to thesolution of a problem. Also, they followto a logical conclusion, so that you arenot led into some fanciful path withouta suggestion as to how to leave it. Thefingerings and bowing are clear anduseful.

The cadenzas to the first and secondmovements are a welcome addition also.They are harmonically and stylisticallyconsistent with the composer's style.Perhaps the first movement cadenza is abit long, but this is easily fixed. Thereare no cadenzas written for the Rondo,which is a curious omission in an editionwhich is otherwise so fine.

There are niceties which deservemention. The Rondo makes use of dacapo in both the piano and viola parts sothat page-turning is at a minimum. Themeasures are numbered throughout.There is an optional cut indicated in thepiano part to shorten the first exposition.The paper is high-quality. Suggestedprice is just $7.00, a good investment,for sure.

New works should be submittedto the editor by composers andpublishers for possible reviewin JA VS and deposit in PIVA.

45

Order a gift membershipat the rate of $25.00

for three AVS Journalsand the annual Die Viola

o YES, I want to give a year's membership in the AVS to the individuals named below.

o In addition to gifts, o or in place of gifts,

please renew my own for 1990 at the regular rate of $25.00.

I enclose my payment totaling $___ for __ gifts or my renewal.

First Recipient's Name

Address

City

Gift Card to Read

Second Recipient's Name

Address

City

Gift Card to Read

State

State

Zip

Zip

Third Recipient's Name

Address

City

Gift Card to Read

Fourth Recipient's Name

Address

City

Gift Card to Read

State

State

Zip

Zip

We will send a card to you acknowledging your gift plus a letter to each recipient informing them of yourthoughtfulness. The gift membership will start with the annual Spring issue. Many thanks.

Rosemary GlydeTreasurer

P.O. Box 558, Green Hill RoadGolden's Bridge, N.Y. 10526

3 Sonatas for Viola and Piano by J.S.Bach (edited by Milton Katims and BelaSiki). International Music Company,New York, 1989.

This is a new edition of the 3Sonatas for Viola da Gamba and Clavierby J.S. Bach (BWV 1027, 1028, and1029). In a Preface, the editors state thatthis is the way they play the sonatas, andthat the dynamics and tempo marks andsuch are not original. That is a goodpoint of departure, as the addedperformance indications in this editionlook a bit like the Busoni editions of theBach keyboard works. This is not toquarrel with their validity, but it shouldbe accepted as the opinion of two artistswho are recreating music written fordifferent instruments about 270 yearsago. Certainly these Sonatas arerepertory and teaching regulars, and thispresentation of them is quite differentand an improvement from the previouslyavailable editions.

Aside from the carefully thought-outand practical fingerings, the mostwelcome aspect of this edition is the lackof arbitrary octave transposition fromthe original, in the viola part. Someeditions write the viola up an octave,presumably for greater brilliance, at theoddest places. This practice seems to beavoided as much as possible, preservinga more gamba-like spirit. Unless the keyof the Sonata is changed, there must beextensive octave transposition in the G­minor Sonata, because of rangelimitations. But this is the only placewhere Mr. Katims has done so.

The ornamentation found here is alsoan improvement from previousperformance editions. Great care hasbeen taken to keep the ornamentsconsistent between the piano and violaparts, and many of the ornaments whichare vague rhythmically have beennotated clearly.

The viola part of the G-minorSonata is presented so that three pagesopen out. The page-turn problems ofboth the first and last movements thenare solved for you without having toresort to the familiar and awkward"xeroxed" page. Timings of each

movement are given, the paper is heavy,and measures are numbered, the editingis artistic and responsible, the price is$12.00; it's a general improvement.

--Thomas G. HallChapman College

RecordingsWe note with pleasure the reissue of

an early recording of William Primrose,and the first release of two broadcasts.All recordings listed on CD.

BRAHMS: VIOLA SONATANO.2 IN E-FLAT,

OP. 120, NO. 2

William Primrose, viola,and Gerald Moore, piano

(recorded 16 September 1937)Archive Performances by

Biddulph Recordings.Biddulph Lab 011

Also contained are other Brahmssonatas for violin and cello, with JaschaHeifetz, and Emanuel Bay, and EmanuelFeuermann and Thea van der Pas, madein 1936 and 1934 respectively.

BERLIOZ: HAROLD IN ITALY

William Primrose, viola,and Arturo Toscanini and

the NBC Symphony (recorded1939)/Music & Arts. ATRA-614

BARTOK: CONCERTOFOR VIOLA

William Primrose, viola, andthe Orchestra National conductedby Ernest Bour (recorded 1950).

Mode Laser. Vogue/INA, 1987 Vogue.VG671 672 006.

47

Glyde Recitals Ltd.

announces the

First Annual

GLYDE VIOLA SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

Juried Competition

Thursday, May 24, 1990

Two $1,000 awards or four $500 awards

for study with Rosemary Glyde

Qualified candidates may call Glyde Recitals Ltd. (914­232-8159) for an audition appointment in New York, orsend a tape and brief resume to P.O. Box 558, GreenHill Road, Golden's Bridge, New York 10526.

Rosemary Glyde is on the faculty of the Mannes Collegeof Music and the Aspen Music School. She holds theDoctor of Musical Arts degree from the Juilliard Schoolof Music.

GOULD MORTON: CONCERTOFOR VIOLA AND ORCHESTRA

Robert Glazer, viola withLawrence Leighton Smith conducting

The Louisville OrchestralAlbanyRecords Troy 013-14 (available also

on Louisville LS-788)

"The concerto is superbly crafted andeloquently played by Robert Glazer."

BLOCH, ERNEST: SUITE(1919), CONCERTINO FOR

FLUTE, VIOLA, ANDPIANO (1950) ,SUITEHEBRAIQUE (1950);MEDITATION AND

PROCESSIONAL (1951);AND SUITE FOR VIOLAALONE (UNFINISHED)

Pierre-Henri Zuereb, viola, Jean­Louis Haqueneur, piano, and Andras

Adorjan, flute. ADDA 581106 (2 vols.)

CompetitionsInternational Viola

Competition

. The Walter W. NaumburgFoundation announces an InternationalViola Competition May 3-8, 1991honoring the memory of Paul Doktorand Sol Greitzer. This competition isopen to musicians of every nationality.The competitors may not be under 17years of age or more than 33 years ofage as of May 1, 1990. First prize willconsist of the following: cash award of$5,000, two fully subsidized recitals inAlice Tully Hall, orchestral and recitalappearances, a recording with MusicalHeritage Records, one week residency

by Quad-City Arts, Davenport, Iowa,and a commissioned work writtenspecifically for the artist. Second prizewill be a $2,500 award and third prizewill be $1,000. A cassette recordingscreening will be held in March, 1991,by a preliminary panel of judges. Livepreliminary auditions, semi-finals andfinals will be held May 3- 8, 1991. Thefinals to be held in Town Hall will beopen to the public. The judges mayithhold any or all awards. Applicationforms may be obtained by writing to:

The Walter W. Naumburg Foundation,Inc., 144 West 66th St., New York,NY 10023, (212) 874-1150

Please enclose a self-addressed stampedenvelope. Application forms and acassette recording of no less than 30minutes of satisfactory listenable qualitymust be received at the Naumburg .office no later than March 1, 1991.

WAMSO

Michael Strauss, a native of IowaCity, Iowa, became the first violist towin the first prize of the WAMSO(Women's Association of the MinnesotaOrchestra) Competition. The contesttook place November 18 and 19 and wasopen to all orchestral instrumentalistsunder age 25 in in a five-state area.Michael is a senior at the Curtis Instituteof Music where he studies with KarenTuttle. His teacher in Iowa was WilliamPreucil. The prize includes a $2250 cashaward and a solo appearance with theMinnesota Orchestra.

Graphics from Violine, Klangwerk­zug und Kunstgegenstand: Ein Leit­faden fur Spieler und Liebhaber vonStreichinstrumenten, Breitkopf &Hartel, Wiesbaden, 1985.

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