Connolly & Coviolaspace.com/avs/ks/site/JAVS/Viola V23 N2 Draft 2.pdf · 2nd Prize: Bartók’s Viola Concerto by Donald Maurice and Facsimile edition of the Bartók Viola Concerto

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Features:Adelaide Congress

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Alan Shulman’s Theme and Variations

Robertson & Sons ad

Journal of the American Viola SocietyA publication of the American Viola Society

Fall 2007

Volume 23 Number 2The Journal of the American Viola Societyis published in Spring and Fall, and as anonline-only issue in Summer. The AmericanViola Society was founded for the promotionof viola performance and research.© 2007, American Viola SocietyISSN 0898-5987

Editor: Matthew DaneAlternative Styles: Juliet White-SmithAt the Grassroots: Louise ZeitlinAVS Retrospective: Dwight PoundsFresh Faces: Lembi VeskimetsIn the Studio: Karen RitscherMeet the Section: Michael StraussModern Makers: Eric ChapmanNew Music: Ken Martinson

AVS National Board of Directors

OfficersHelen Callus, presidentJuliet White-Smith, presi-dent-electKenneth Martinson, sec-

retaryMichelle Sayles, treasurer

Board MembersClaudine Bigelow (2006)Matthew DaneKirsten Docter (2008)Susan Dubois (2007)Barbara Hamilton (2007)Nokuthula Ngwenyama (2007)Michael Palumbo (2008)Dwight Pounds (2008) Carol Rodland (2009)Kathryn Steely (2007)Lembi Veskimets (2008)Bernard Zaslav (2009)Louise Zeitlin (2009)

AVS General ManagerMadeleine Crouch

AVS National Office14070 Proton Road, Suite 100Dallas, TX 75244(972) 233-9107 ext. 204

REGULAR DEPARTMENTSFrom the Editor

From the President

Letter from 2008 Arizona Congress Host

Announcements

Violists “On the Move”

AVS Meeting Minutes

Alternative Styles: The World of the Baroque Viola

Sample Score: Roman - Assaggio #1 in C Minor

In the Studio: Barbara Westphal

Fresh Faces: Jonah Sirota

New Music Reviews: Concerti

Recording Reviews

At the Grassroots

FEATURESAdelaide Congress in Review

Portrait of Alan Shulman and his Theme and Variations

COVER ART

– Dr. Dwight Pounds is a frequent contributor to the JAVS as a writer andphotographer and has served on the AVS Executive Board for over 25 years invarious capacities. He was the third AVS Vice President, first IVS ExecutiveSecretary, and is author of The American Viola Society: A History andReference. He earned his doctorate from Indiana University where he studiedviola with William Primrose and Irvin Ilmer. Dr. Pounds is ProfessorEmeritus from Western Kentucky University.

NOTE: I did not seeany board memberchanges on outline

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VIOLA SOCIETY

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The David Dalton Viola Research Competition Guidelines

The Journal of the American Viola Society welcomes submissions for the David Dalton Viola ResearchCompetition for university and college student members of the American Viola Society.

Entries must be original contributions to the field of viola research and may address issues concerning viola lit-erature, history, performers, and pedagogues. Entries must not have been published in any other publication orbe summaries of other works. The body of the work should be 1500–3500 words in length and should includerelevant footnotes and bibliographic information. Entries may include short musical examples. Entries must besubmitted in hard copy along with the following entry form, as well as in electronic format for either PC orMac. Word or WordPerfect format is preferred. All entries must be postmarked by 15 May 2007.

The American Viola Society wishes to thank AVS past president Thomas Tatton and his wife, Polly, for under-writing first prize in the 2007 David Dalton Viola Research Competition.

Send entries to:AVS Office, 14070 Proton Road, Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75244.A panel of viola scholars will evaluate submissions and then select a maximum of three winning entries.

Prize categories:All winning entries will be featured in the Journal of the American Viola Society, with authors receiving a freeone-year subscription to the Journal and accompanying membership to the American Viola Society.In addition:1st Prize: $300, sponsored by Thomas and Polly Tatton2nd Prize: Bartók’s Viola Concerto by Donald Maurice and Facsimile edition of the Bartók Viola Concerto3rd Prize: An Anthology of British Viola Players by John White and Conversations with William Primrose

by David Dalton

David Dalton Viola Research Competition Entry FormPlease include the following information with your submission to the David Dalton Viola ResearchCompetition. Be sure to include address and telephone information where you may be reached during summer.

Name ________________________________________________________________________________

Current Address ________________________________________________________________________

Telephone ____________________________ Email address______________________________________________________________

Permanent Address ______________________________________________________________________

Telephone ____________________________ Email address______________________________________________________________

University/College ______________________________________________________________________

Academic Level: Fr / So / Jr / Sr / Grad

Topic ________________________________ Word Count ______________________________________

Current AVS member? Yes / No If you are not a current AVS member, please join AVS by including $21 student membership dues with yoursubmission, along with a membership enrollment form, which can be found in the current issue of JAVS.

VOLUME 23 NUMBER 2

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In this issue, you will find riveting arti-cles that focus on a wide variety of per-sonalities and issues that have to dowith our instrument. As always, read-ing about our annual Congresses are agreat place to start. In this issue, weinclude both a letter from 2008Congress Host Nancy Buck about theplans being laid, as well as a thoroughreview of the 2007 Congress inAdelaide, Australia. The Congressreview is written by a consortium com-prised of some of our most experi-enced Congress-goers and AVS/IVSpersonalities: Dwight Pounds, TomTatton, Carlos Maria Solare, AnnFrederking, and David Dalton, no less!The result is considered review withthe benefit of great context and organi-zational hindsight. We are also pleasedto present recording reviews written bySolare in this issue- his experiencedperspective in this area is a great featureto be able to offer in JAVS.

Other articles here focus on particu-lar people. 2007 Paula Krupiczewicz’sDalton Research Competition First

Prize winning article looks at oneof the past century’s more viola-friendly composers, Alan Shulman,and his Theme and Variations.Spencer Martin’s article on BarbaraWestphal gives a look into herteaching activities and philosophies,while Jonah Sirota is profiled inour “Fresh Faces” colum. Thisinterview also appears on the AVSwebsite, as Jonah is our new webTravel Writer.

In a change of pace “AlternativeStyles” goes back in time for thisissue, specifically to the world ofBaroque playing, and what canhold for the violist. Our samplescore goes with this as well, reprint-ing a transcription of a completesolo work by Swedish composerJohan Helmich Roman. KenMartinson focuses on recentConcerti in the New MusicReviews. Ken also compiled a list ofviolists who have recently beenoffered positions in US orchestrasand universities, appearing in theannouncements. Unlike the Unionpaper’s “On the Move” list, Ken hasgone to great lengths to make thislist as complete as possible. Thankyou Ken- we hope to make this aregular JAVS feature. Finally, wehave all sorts of interesting reportsin the Grassroots: viola campingadventure in Idaho, for example!

As you will see in theAnnouncements, this Journal isnow searching for a new editor,starting with the Summer 2008online issue. While I have greatly

enjoyed the experience of editing,meeting new people, and learningabout many new things, it hascome time for me to put my ener-gies into other projects. I have putmuch effort into continuing todevelop JAVS content by solicitingnew writers on specific article top-ics. I look forward to seeing theevolution of JAVS in the future!Details for applying for this positionare found in the Announcementssection. Furthermore, I would behappy to answer any questionspotential applicants might have viaemail: [email protected].

Sincerely,Matthew DaneJAVS Editor

The American Viola Societyseeks the next Editor forthe Journal of the AVS.Editor is chiefly responsiblefor soliciting/collecting arti-cles, working with the peer-review panel, deciding oncontent, and copy-editingfor three issues annually-two printed, and one online.The Editor is currently notresponsible for graphic lay-out or advertisements.Thisis a paid position.Applicantsshould submit, via email,both a letter of interest anda writing sample toMadeleine Crouch [email protected] January 15th, 2008.

FROM THE EDITOR


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VOLUME 23 NUMBER 2

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FROM THE PRESIDENT

You will notice in this issue of JAVSthat there is a fundraising letterincluded for you to read. This is avery important fundraising drive asthe AVS enters its 30th anniversaryyear! In preparation for this landmarkevent in our history, we have takensteps to review every aspect of thesociety to see if there are ways we canmove forward that are more financial-ly realistic and that will give the AVSa firmer long-range financial footing.Part of that review was to create anannual budget forecast - the first of itskind that should allow us to manageour accounts and be more efficientwith the limited amount of resourceswe have. It will also hopefully allowus to retain our general managementand with the generous support ofMadeleine Crouch and the IVS, weare working towards that financialplan over the next six months.

It has been some time since we haveasked our members to go that littlebit above and beyond by supporting

us with their much-needed dona-tions. While we re-evaluate our soci-ety to ensure a strong foundation forthe next 30 years, we ask that youtake this time to make a special TAXDEDUCTIBLE donation to theAVS to assist us in keeping the newprograms alive and supporting themuch beloved Journal, competi-tions, and congresses. With youradditional help, membership dollarscan go towards the supporting of allthose great programs and grants weprovide. If you value what the AVSis doing in our community pleasetake this time to make a donation tothe society. We need your help.

Like you, the AVS has been verybusy these past few months, gear-ing up for the new year and thewonderful events we have plannedto include the International ViolaCongress in Pheonix, Arizona(http://www.violacongress2008.com/); The Primrose InternationalCompetition and all of the BRATSDays and Viola Days we are help-ing to support all over the country.We have a very diverse membershipand with special thanks to ourboard and in particular our newSecretary, Ken Martinson, we wereable to start a number of new chap-ters all over the country as part ofour new initiative to have a chapterin every state. If you want to startone where you live just log ontothe web site and follow the instruc-tions to start your own chapter - it’svery easy to do!

I was very pleased recently to be a partof the rebirth of the Chicago ViolaSociety, now called the Great Lakes ViolaSociety. A number of former membersand new supporters came together inOctober at the Music Institute of Chicagoto restart the chapter. The Music Institutehas generously stepped in to supportthe chapter and they already have aworld class list of events (all informa-tion can be found on our web sitewww.AmericanViolaSociety.org) thatwill start the chapter off and runningin style!

We can also report that the InternationalViola Congress for 2010 has beenawarded to the University of Cincinnation behalf of the College-Conservatoryof Music with Professor of Viola,Catharine Carroll as host. The proposalthe school submitted was one of thebest we have ever seen at the AVS andwe feel sure it is an indication that thequality of the event will be remarkable.

The Viola Bank has received a numberof exciting donations and we hope tohave the program available for ourmembers starting January 1st 2008.

As always, it is my pleasure to serveyou as president and I hope to beable to serve my last year in office bybuilding the society to ensure itsfuture for us all.

Helen CallusAVS President


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Greetings from the GrandCanyon State of Arizona!

Mark your calendars now toattend the 36th InternationalViola Congress, to be held on thecampus of Arizona StateUniversity in Tempe, Arizona,from June 4-8, 2008. It will be afun-filled festival for viola enthu-siasts and professionals, with per-formances, presentations, play-ins,concerts, lectures, and master-classes given by violists from allover the world. The first day ofthe Congress celebrates Arizonaand starts off with a special daydevoted to viola resources andteaching in the schools (BRATSDay). Headed by the Arizonachapter of the American ViolaSociety, this particular day isdesigned to help viola teachersrecruit, work directly with, andreach out to large groups of violastudents in their communities.The evening concert will be arecital by Phoenix-based violistNokuthula Ngwenyama.Following that, the second day ofthe Congress is all about two, andmany of the recitals that day willhighlight duos and duets. The dayculminates with a pair of violistsperforming the evening concert:Misha Amory and Hsin-YunHuang. On Friday, June 6,Congress attendees will be treatedto an evening of concerto per-formances. Among the works to

be performed is Joan Tower’srecent viola concerto (performedby Paul Neubauer), with addition-al performances by KimKashkashian and Paul Coletti.The weekend promises a delec-table banquet dinner and the liveperformance of finalist competi-tors in the 2008 PrimroseInternational Viola Competition.The audience will have a chanceto vote for their favorite violist,and prizewinners will beannounced that evening. Sunday,June 8 will then come upon us alltoo quickly and the 36thInternational Viola Congress willofficially end. Throughout it all,you will have the opportunity tosee and observe many, many vio-lists, as old and new friendshipsare reunited and formed, and pickup on new ideas and concepts asthey are so freely shared in thename of the alto clef.

If you have not yet attended aViola Congress, I invite you toexperience your first in theSouthwest. With the GrandCanyon only a few hours northby car, and Phoenix being thefifth largest U.S. metropolitan city(home of Southwest Airlines andUS Airways), this is your oppor-tunity to see one of the greatwonders of the world, before orafter witnessing the wide rangeour instrument offers in perform-ance, pedagogy, and research.

Please go to this website,www.violacongress2008.com, forthe most updated information.Bookmark it, and check backoften, as it will be the officialsource of information for theCongress. See you in June!

– Nancy Buck, host chair, 36th International Viola Congress

2008 ARIZONA CONGRESSLETTER FROM 2008

ARIZONA CONGRESS HOST

VOLUME 23 NUMBER 2

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

VOLUME 23 NUMBER 2

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AVS Moves to Electronic VotingIn an effort to make our annual election process more efficient, andas a way to further trim operation costs, the AVS board has votedto hold the society’s next elections via electronic ballot. Electronicvoting will save a considerable amount of money that is spent inprinting and mailing costs, and will also make voting more conven-ient for you, the AVS constituency.

Please be sure that your email address is up todate with the AVS office by contactingMadeleine Crouch at [email protected].

– Michael Palumbo, ChairAVS Nominating Committee

JAVS Editor Vacancy, Starting Summer 2008The Board of the American Viola Society is seeking an Editor forthis publication, effective with the summer issue of 2008. Thoseinterested in the position should submit a letter of interest and awriting sample by January 15th to MadeleineCrouch at [email protected].

Dalton Research Competition Results andAnnouncementThe AVS Board is pleased toannounce that Paula Krupiczewiczis the first-prize winner of the 2007Dalton Competition- her article onAlan Shulman’s Theme and Variationsis found in this issue.Congratulations Paula!

The 2008 Competition’s guidelines and timetable will be similar topast year, with a postmark date of May 15, 2008. For more infor-mation, please see the announcement advertisement in this issue onpage 2 or the AVS Website. Any further questions should be direct-ed to JAVS Editor Matthew Dane.

JAVS WELCOMES

ARTICLES FROM ITS

READERS.

SUBMISSION DEADLINES ARE

DECEMBER 15 FOR

THE SPRING ISSUE,

APRIL 15 FOR THE

SUMMER ONLINE ISSUE, AND

AUGUST 15 FOR

THE FALL ISSUE.

SEND SUBMISSIONS

TO THE AVS

EDITORIAL OFFICE,

MATTHEW DANE,

[email protected]

OR TO

MADELEINE CROUCH, 14070

PROTON RD.,

SUITE 100

DALLAS,TX 75244.

By Andrew Duckles.


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Weaver’s Violin ßhope

Call for NominationsNominations are being solicited from the AVS mem-bership for the following awards, each of which isfollowed by its eligibility criteria.

1. THE AVS CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARDfor Distinguished Contributions to ViolaPerformance and/or Teaching

Criteria: The AVS Career Achievement Awardrequires a minimum of thirty years service to the violain Performance (Orchestral, Chamber, Solo and/orRecording) or in Teaching, usually to be given at thetime of announced retirement. The award will readDistinguished Performance or Teaching combined withany additional areas of distinguished service, includingComposition, Scholarship and/or Service to the AVS.

2. The MAURICE W. RILEY VIOLA AWARD forDistinguished Contributions to the Viola inTeaching, Scholarship, Composition,Philanthropy, or Service to the AVS

Criteria: Nominees for this award must demonstrate at least one of the following:

A minimum of ten years of Service to the AVS (can be waived)

Outstanding TeachingOutstanding Scholarship or CompositionPhilanthropyDistinguished Performance, if considered secondary

to the above.

3. AVS FOUNDERS AWARD for Performance,Scholarship, Composition, InstrumentBuilding, Philanthropy, or Service to the AVS

Criteria: This award is based upon evidence of distin-guished service to the viola and/or the AVS worthy ofacknowledgment. It shall be presented without referenceto age, years of service, or occupation. It may be present-ed to individuals, schools, businesses, or other organiza-tions at the discretion of the AVS. Multiple presentationsare permitted, although it is recommended that thisnumber not exceed five recipients in any one congress.

If you wish to submit names in nomination for anyof the above awards, please visit the AVS Websiteand click on 2008 Award Nominations.

Viola Comes Back To Its RootsA viola, hand crafted in Worcester,Massachusetts in 1932 by BurpeeE. DeLong recently returned toits maker’s roots in Nova Scotia,Canada. Burpee E. Delong, bornin Barss Corner, Nova Scotia in1880, was a fine carpenter bytrade. He was also a violinist andamateur photographer.

Burpee E. DeLong moved fromBarss Corner to Worcester in 1919and in 1932 crafted the viola forhis daughter Frances who became aprofessional musician. The instru-ment was later traded for servicesprovided to Frances by a foot doc-tor. Frances DeLong died in 2004and two additional stringedinstruments, believed to be craft-ed by her father, were donated toa university music department inSpokane, Washington.

Melanie Mader (great-niece ofBurpee E. DeLong) while surfingthe internet for DeLong familygenealogy, happened upon anadvertisement in the AmericanViola Society Newsletter for thesale of a 1932 viola with the labelreading Burpee E. Delong.Melanie contacted the seller

Martha Hughes of Gilbert, Arizonaand was told the instrument wasstill for sale if interested.

While visiting her aunt HazelDeLong-Zwicker in Mahone Bay,Nova Scotia, Melanie relayed thestory of her interesting internetfind. Upon hearing the viola wasfor sale, Hazel excitedly contactedMs. Hughes in hopes of purchasingthe instrument as her son BurpeeC. DeLong is the namesake of theviola’s crafter. Her hopes weremet, and the viola arrived in NovaScotia in late July, 2007.

Hazel DeLong-Zwicker is thrilledthat the viola returned “home” toits DeLong roots and it is current-ly displayed in her music room.

– Melanie Mader

In MemoriamDr. Donald Herbert Sandford,89, succumbed to an acute boutof pneumonia in June, 2007. Alongtime AVS member, Sandfordearned degrees from Wayne StateUniversity, and the University ofMichigan. He served 34 years as afaculty member at NorthwestMissouri State University inMaryville, where he taught musichistory and strings. During thistime he performed as principalviolist with the St. JosephSymphony Orchestra, with whomhe often soloed. He often playedrecitals with his pianist wife of 62years, Mary Jane. He is survivedby his wife, two daughters andtheir families.

VOLUME 23 NUMBER 2

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Burpee C DeLong, great grandnephew ofviola’s maker.

Heritage Insurance services

1/4 page


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Potter VIOLIN

Compiled by Ken Martinson

Akron Symphony Orchestra, Section - Amanda VernerAlabama Symphony Orchestra,Assistant Principal - Kenny Kim;

Section - Tyler HokansonAllentown Symphony, Principal - Kathleen OverfieldCanton Symphony Orchestra, Principal - Jonathan Kim;

Section (2) - Juliana Day, Rebekah Newman Colorado Springs Philharmonic,Associate Principal - Isaac White;

Section - Ekertina Dobrotvorskaia Dayton Philharmonic, Section - Dale Kim Duluth-Superior Symphony, Section (2) - Huldah Niles, Jennifer Farrian El Paso Symphony, Section - Jesus Hernandez Eugene Symphony,Assistant Principal - Yoichrio EtsukiFt. Collins Symphony, Principal - Ethan HechtHudson Valley Philharmonic, Section - Christopher JenkinsKalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Intermediate - Roman KosarevKansas City Symphony, Section (2) - Jennifer Richison, Joanne WojtowiczNew Haven Symphony, Section - Cesselin TodorovNorth Carolina Symphony,Assistant Principal - Christopher Fischer Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Principal - Royce McLarry Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra, Section (2) - J. J. Johnson, Joshua KellyPittsburgh Symphony, Section - Erina Laraby-GoldwasserSanta Rosa Symphony, Section - Alexander VolontsSouth Bend Symphony, Section - Adam DavidowitzSouthwest Florida Orchestra,Assistant Principal - Jean Phelan;

Section (2)- Shawn Sneider, Gail PichaTacoma Symphony, Section- Eva SheieWindsor Symphony, Principal- Joshua Greenlaw

New Academic Faculty AppointmentsMetropolitan State College of Denver – Matthew DaneUniversity of Alabama - Daniel SweaneyUniversity of Oklahoma - Joanna MendozaUniversity of West Virginia - Maggie Snyder

ORCHESTRAL VIOLAAUDITION RESULTS

VOLUME 23 NUMBER 2

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VOLUME 23 NUMBER 2

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Annual Board MeetingAVS National Office Headquarters, 13900 Proton Road,Suite 100, Dallas, TXFriday, June 15, 2007, 3:30-5:30pm, 7:00-9:00pmSaturday, June 16, 2007, 9:00am-1:00pm

Officers Present: Callus (President), White-Smith(President-Elect), Martinson (Secretary), Sayles (Treasurer)Board Members Present: Bigelow, Dubois (Saturdayonly), Ngwenyama, Palumbo, Steely, Veskimets, ZeitlinBoard Members unable to attend: Dane, Doctor,Hamilton, Pounds, Rodland, Zaslav, Benson (at-large),Kruse (advisory), Strauss (advisory), Temple (at-large).Guests present: Madeleine Crouch, General Manager

Meeting was called to order at 3:33 pm by Callus.I. Presidents Report (Callus)

A. Membership DrivesB. New Programs

1. BRATS- Callus unveiled the BRATSResource Notebook, a handbook to help aidin planning BRATS events for viola con-gresses and chapter meetings.

2. Viola Bank3. Membership Policy4. Orchestral Violist Services

C. Chapter DevelopmentD. AVS at ASTAE. Other business

1. Questionnaire for JAVS2. Recording Royalties for Gardner Viola

works recording3. Summer Music Programs4. IVS Questions/Comments for Adelaide5. Nomination of candidates for future elections

F. Sponsorship1. JAVS2. String Donations 3. Individual program support

II. Secretary’s Report (Martinson)A. E-mail minutes from internal discussion (2006-7)B. Membership reportC. Election results- New Board members elected

are as follows:1. Sheila Brown2. David Holland3. Nokuthula Ngwenyama (re-elected)4. Deborah Price

III. Treasurer’s Report (Sayles)A. Bank Account SwitchB. Executive Summary

1. Net Operating Income2. Total Net Worth3. Future Sustainability

C. Budget and Future PlanningIV. JAVS Editor’s Report (Dane- submitted by e-mail)

A. Financial SummaryB. Content/SubmissionsC. Dalton Competition D. Relationship with Website, E-newsletter

V. Committee ReportsA. Publications Committee (Dane- submitted by

e-mail)1. Current scope of AVS publications2. Expanding AVS Publication offerings

B. Technology Committee/AVS Website (Steely)1. AVS Website- Main templatechange2. New Items posted since 2006 Board Meetings3. Ongoing Projects- Summer 20074. Future Projects

C. Congress Committee (Callus)1. Twelve locations were targeted by the

Congress committee as possible hosts for the2010 International Viola Congress.

2. Of these twelve locations, four of these pro-duced proposals for consideration by theAVS board, the AVS Board membersreviewed each of these four proposals, dis-cussion about each proposal ensued.

3. Bigelow made a motion that the AVS Boardaccept the proposal bid from the Universityof Cincinnati as the 2010 InternationalViola Congress host. Steely seconded themotion. ACTION: The AVS Board voted infavor of accepting the bid proposal by theUniversity of Cincinnati to be the next hostfor the 2010 International Viola Congress.

Meeting adjourned at Friday, 9:02pm.

Meeting was called to order Saturday at 9:05am byPresident Callus.

D. Nominations Committee Report (Palumbo)E. By-laws Committee Report (Veskimets) -

Discussed making the AVS Constitution avail-able to all AVS board members, as well as hav-

2006 AVS BOARD MEETINGMINUTES AND REPORTS

ing it posted on the AVS website. Several pos-sible revisions of the AVS Constitution werediscussed:1. Article III: Membership, Section 2, Part B

a. Discussed the restriction on students pay-ing student membership price for a maxi-mum of 6 years, which would prevent astudent who becomes a member at age 12to retain that status through college years.

b. Proposal: Remove “:(1) they shall be eligi-ble for student membership for a periodno longer than six years; (2)”.

c. ACTION: The AVS board approved thischange to be put the AVS membershipfor ratification.

2. Article IV: Officers, Section 1, Parts A and Ba. Discussed the oversight in clarifying the pre-

requisites for President and President-Electin regards to previous service to the AVS.

b. Proposal: Move the final sentence of PartA, the description of the President to bethe final sentence of Part B, the descrip-tion of the President-Elect “A member iseligible for election to the office of AVSPresident[-Elect] upon having completed

three years experience as an officer orBoard member within the last nine yearsas of the date assuming office.”


3. Article IV: Officers, Section 1, Part Ea. Discussed making an allowance for the

Secretary to step down from the responsi-bility of administering the election process(as what happened in last year’s election),and having the election be administeredby the Nominations Committee Chair.

b. Proposal: Change the last sentence to read“The Secretary shall also administer bymail elections and balloting, except in thecase when he/she is running for re-elec-tion, in which case the Chair of theNominations Committee shall administerby mail elections and balloting.”


F. Chapters Committee Report (Zeitlin)1. Chapters reporting to Chapter Committee


16

2. Chapters not heard back from yet3. Student Chapter- University of Northern Colorado4. 50-State Push

G. Membership Committee Report (Zeitlin)H. Awards Committee Report (Pounds- submit-

ted by e-mail)1. Honorary Membership for Donald Maurice2. Publishing Nominations Form in JAVS3. Nominations for Congress XXXVI

a. Congress Dedicationb. Maurice Riley Awardc. Honorary Membershipd. Founders Award

I. Fundraising Committee Report (Hamilton-submitted by e-mail)

J. Education (ad hoc) Committee Report (White-Smith)

K. Viola Bank (ad hoc) Committee Report(White-Smith)

L. Gardner (ad hoc) Committee Report (Kruse)-no report.

M. Dalton (ad hoc) Committee Report (Pounds)-included in Dane’s JAVS report.

N. Primrose Competition Committee Report(Ngwenyama)

1. Overall outlook2. Permanent home for competition3. International Standing- possible entry into

WFIMC4. Future Growth and Goals5. Repertoire

Meeting adjourned at 1:16 pm.

Respectfully submitted,Kenneth Martinson, Secretary to the American Viola Society

VOLUME 23 NUMBER 2

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University of FL

VOLUME 23 NUMBER 2

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Compiled by Dwight Pounds

with contributions byDavid Dalton, Tom Tatton,Carlos María Solare, and AnnFrederking

Unless otherwise noted, all pho-tographs by Neil Shepherd

International Viola CongressXXXV convened 29 June-3 July2007 at the Elder Conservatorium,University of Adelaide, Adelaide,SA, Australia. The program wasinternational indeed, with presen-ters not only from Australia andNew Zealand, but with Austria,Germany, Finland, Canada, China,South Africa, Switzerland, theUnited Kingdom, and the UnitedStates well represented in the 38featured programs over five days.These included seven lectures, two“seminars,” one panel discussion,and one “workshop” interspersedbetween recitals and concerts. Avery efficient schedule of eventshad been established by our hostsand was followed strictly. Socialoccasions were welcome and lively-our hosts had scheduled breakswhere people could meet overmorning or afternoon tea and pas-tries and talk shop or visit exhibits.Other social events included a civicreception hosted by the Lord

Mayor of Adelaide at theAdelaide Town Hall andthe congress dinner. In thefollowing pages you willread the accounts of andreactions to the congressfrom five contributors,themselves representingfour countries. Threerecitals for viola and per-cussion ((Deborah Lander,Roger Benedict (both ofAustralia) and KathrynLockwood (USA)) per-haps were unique to thiscongress, as were two pre-sentations ((LouiseLansdown (South Africa)and David Hume (UK,Australia) on the restora-tion of historic instru-ments. The congress includ-ed six world and threeAustralian premiers. You willnotice repeated comments regard-ing problems inherent in doublebooking. The pianists-DavidBrunell (USA), Larissa Schneider(Australia), En-Chi Ho (USA),Benjamin Martin (Australia),Michael Ierace (Australia), andLeigh Harrold (Australia)-wereintegral to the success of the con-gress, particularly BenjaminMartin who not only contributedas a composer ((Serenade (2005),performed with Paul McMillan on

Day 3)) but very adeptly manageda variety of styles in the threedemanding programs for which hecollaborated. Then there wasRichard Haynes, an Australianclarinetist performing with violistWilliam Lane (Day 3), who verysubtly but deliberately played theopening two phrases of theBrahms E-flat, Op. 120, as part ofhis warm-up while the delegateswere shuffling around and visitingprior to the next recital. No oneseemed to react in the slightest,but one has to acknowledge what-

INTERNATIONAL VIOLA CONGRESS XXXV

ADELAIDE, SA,AUSTRALIA,29 JUNE-3 JULY 2007

Photo by Dwight Pounds.

ever combination of nerve, effrontery, or prankishhumor that would prompt a clarinetist to quote acouple of phrases of the Opus 120 in a room of vio-lists, even inattentive ones. His statement was verybrief and very subtle, but I took notice…it was alsovery legitimate.

Day One: Friday, 29 June 2007– Dwight Pounds (USA)

Congress host Keith Crellin opened the congress inthe Elder Conservatorium Recital Hall and personallyescorted delegates on a very helpful walking tour ofthe facilities set aside for recitals, lectures, master class-es, and panels. The acoustics were excellent and theroom itself was quite interesting architecturally.

Showing Gothic and Tudor touches, the rafters andceiling of the very vertical recital chamber were rich innatural wood though sparsely ornamented, and withtall, slender windows. Its arched ceiling, which easilysuggested an upside-down sailing ship with deckplanking removed, caused one to suspect that it hadbeen designed by a master boat-builder-turned-archi-tect. Two smaller recital halls were more than ade-quate for our purposes and were within very reason-able walking times of the central facility.

The opening programs of Congress XXXV featuredtwo concurrent lectures: an updated version of DavidDalton’s The Art of Primrose and Serious Games andBest Tips by Lila Brown. Dalton’s subject appears to betimeless and both those who are largely uninformedabout the great violist’s career and those who cannotget enough information still approach David follow-ing his lectures for additional information and discus-sion. Lila Brown, who has worked in Germany formany years, presented a series of mental games andexercises designed for the improvement of intonationand technique. Even experienced players and teacherswho volunteered to assist with Brown’s presentationsometimes required a second or third attempt to suc-cessfully complete the challenges. She performed arecital for solo viola (Day 5). Jürg Dähler(Switzerland), principal violist of the Musikkollegiumin Winterthur, opened the performance portion of thecongress with solid readings of Schumann’s Märchenbilder,Bloch’s Suite for Viola and Piano (1919), and HansUlrich Lehmann’s The Viola in all moods and senses forsolo viola. Dähler was guest soloist two days later in theworld premiere of Charles Bodman Rae’s Concerto forViola and Orchestra (Day 3).

Prior to the evening’s public concert, Mr. MichaelHarbison, The Lord Mayor of Adelaide, hosted avery-well attended civic reception for the delegates inthe Queen Adelaide room at the Adelaide Town Hall.The chain of office surrounding the Lord Mayor’s col-lar and various coats-of-arms of European royalty onthe walls lent a touch of the old world that settled thiscontinent to an already elegant occasion.

Deborah Lander (Australia) and Jutta Puchhammer-Sédillot (Canada), strong players both musically and


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Australian viola duo Deborah Lander and Daryl Pratt.

Viola Viva, viola ensemble from Wellington, NZ.

technically, were featured soloists in the evening pro-gram, as was VIOLA VIVA, a viola ensemble fromNew Zealand. Lander is by no means intimidated bythe unconventional-she teamed with percussionist-composer Daryl Pratt (USA/Australia) to present hisShadow Play for viola and vibraphone, setting theproverbial stage for two additional recitals combiningviola with percussion. Fresh from hosting CongressXXXIV last summer in Montreal, Jutta Puchhammer(in my opinion, one of the best-kept secrets amongtruly outstanding violists) began her first of threeAdelaide congress appearances with Alan Belkin’sSonata for viola. New Zealand’s VIOLA VIVA-nineplayers from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestraand augmented by Anna Dawson, Donald Maurice,and Craig Utting-portrayed once again the warmthand beauty of violas in ensemble with Mr. Utting’sCollages, York Bowen’s Fantasie Quartet for four violasand Brett Dean’s Testament.

Day Two: Saturday, 30 June 2007– David Dalton (USA)

The campus of the University of Adelaide reflects thearchitectural metamorphoses it has undergone, typicalof many university sites of venerability that don’tchoose to consciously adhere to a particular style. Twomid-morning events were held simultaneously, one inthe neo-Tudor Elder Hall; the other in another venue,housed in a modern utilitarian building. Elder Hallhas a lovely ambiance as well as acoustics, but unlessone was seated close to the stage, some of RogerBenedict’s valuable instruction in his master class waslost. (The hall was finely suited to the evening concertsthat sometimes featured larger ensembles.) After takingmuch of his training in the UK, Benedict has servedsince 2002 as principal violist of the SydneySymphony. About a five-minute brisk walk away, JuttaPuchammer-Sédillot, the Montreal Congress’s hostess,offered a workshop on “Mental Visualization of move-ment in playing,” an intriguing subject. Reports wereenthusiastic, and my regret was that I only saw the lastquarter of her presentation, wanting to become betteracquainted with Benedict’s approach, while at thesame time wishing I were at Jutta’s workshop. Hence,the dilemma imposed on congress participants whendouble-scheduling is imposed.Later in a morning recital, the fine violist, Sheila

Browne, one of several American participants, playeda single work with piano, the concerto ApproachingNorthern Darkness by Kenneth Jacobs. This is a workof Brucknerian length that presumed much from thislistener’s attention span. The afternoon concert intro-duced to me-and I suspect others in the audience-theartistry of violists Peter Barber (New Zealand),Timothy Deighton (USA), and Mark Neumann(Canada). The program consisted of four modernworks, two premieres.

Following, we were fascinated by a program of thenotable violist, Hartmut Lindemann, who in recentyears has divided time between Australia and hisnative Germany-and he didn’t play a note. Instead, heheld our attention with his commentary and recordedmusical examples exemplifying “Expressive devices ofthe great string players of the Shellac era.”Mechanical means, i.e., portamenti and vibrato, andwell as more subtle means, such as fantasy and charm,were contrasted in the playing of such musical indi-vidualists as Joachim, Sarasate, Elman, Kreisler, andThibaud. Lindemann gave his views as to why suchplayers were distinctive as contrasted with the more“homogenized” character of today’s string artists.

Attendees were presented the rarely heard quintet forstrings by Anton Bruckner. The Australian violist andcomposer, Brett Dean, formerly of the BerlinPhilharmonic, served as the other violist to theAustralian String Quartet. It was a personal pleasure tohear the solemn and noble slow movement played soexpressively. A late afternoon seminar given by HengChing Fang (UK) on Tertis’s interpretive aestheticsdemonstrated in the Arnold Bax sonata written for thegreat violist, was most informative. (For any who havehad difficulty recently in purchasing the Bax, it isavailable in a new “Centenary Edition,” ChappellMusic, Ltd., Sole Selling Agent: Studio Music Co.)

I should mention that two other programs took placeduring the second day: A lecture recital by Dr. DianePhoenix-Neal (USA) on music by Georges Migot,and a seminar by Robyn Brookfield (Australia) aboutthe 2007 Viola Syllabus of the Australian MusicExaminations. I chose other events competing in thesame time slot.

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Addendum to Day 2 by Dwight Pounds Violist Diane Phoenix-Neal and violinist JoanGriffing (both USA) presented a lecture recitalon the viola music of a relatively unknownFrench composer, Georges Migot-specifically aviolin-viola duo. This composer apparently wasquite popular in the 1920s and 30s but is virtu-ally unknown today. Ms. Phoenix-Neal’s goodcommand of French made it obvious that shewas well prepared for this type research and thesubject was worthy of her efforts. Migot, con-sidered a “group of one,” was influenced musi-cally both by Debussy and the much olderFrench melodic tradition and by his love ofnature. The Suite for Violin and Viola (1957)was an excellent example of his distinct and per-sonal compositional style which featured dis-tinctive bird calls and “the ebb and flow of thetwo intertwining voices.” The very tonal Suiteitself came nicely to the ear and-if not necessari-ly profound-nevertheless was one of the finest“new” (in the sense of hitherto unknown) piecesof music presented at the congress and certainlyaroused curiosity about Migot’s other violacompositions which include a solo sonata.

One of the greatest challenges for a congress host is toprogram, and instruct presenters in such a way, thattime constraints are observed. Keith Crellin, the con-gress host did admirably in this regard. His wife,Ruth, and a group of mostly student assistantsadministered a smooth flow of events.

Addendum to Day 2 by Carlos María Solare:The evening concert featured Canadian, StevenDann accompanied by Ben Martin. This concertbrought a great revelation in the shape of Pierre deBréville’s Sonata for viola and piano. Bréville was a stu-dent of César Franck, and it shows more often thanhe might care, but the piece is a beautiful addition toour repertoire, being much better suited to the violathan any adaptation of the Franck Sonata will ever be(it also has a secod subject to kill for!). Both playersdid the piece full justice. Dann finished his program,which also included short pieces by Christos Hatzisand Toru Takemitsu, with another Romantic rarity:Julius Röntgen’s Sonata in C minor.

Day Three: Sunday 1 July 2007– Thomas Tatton (USA)

Day three - July 1 - began with a brisk walk underovercast skies to the beautiful burgundy drapedHartley Concert Room where some thirty viola stu-dents, amateurs, and professionals gathered for the8:30 a.m. Congress Viola Ensemble rehearsal. Theresat Lawrence Jacks, a portly, bristle faced, fatherlygentleman, reputed to be “… one of Australia’s most

experienced violists.” Asked why the congress ensem-ble was important Mr. Jacks responded “All come tohear great artists perform new and familiar repertoire.This ensemble is an opportunity for the attendees tobe active participants and an integral part of this 35thInternational Viola Congress.” They worked on a


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Australian violist William Lane

Percussionist/Composer Daryl Pratt adjusting equipment whileRoger Benedict introduces.

Bizet Minuetto for four violas arr. by R.A. Cohen, theBartók Duet # 28 “Sadness” published by Boosey &Hawkes, Mobile Matilda arr. by Graham Powing andHandel’s Arrival of the Queen of Sheba published byComus Editions. As one would expect the ensemblesounded rich and full with Mr. Jacks quietly but firm-ly sharing his observations on the sound regardingphrase, line and tone. Smiles and positive acknowl-edgement came from all, well knowing their part inthe success of the entire congress adventure.

Time between events gave me opportunity for a quickstop at the “Trade Fair” (exhibits). In an adequatelyspaced room there where some eight or nine makers,dealers and music stores. “A little cold in the room”remarked one vendor but noted that it was Sunday -the temperature was probably set by computer andhad not yet been adjusted.

The bane of our congresses - double booking - wasthe order of the 10:00 am sessions.Louise Lansdown, a doctoral candidate from the

University of Manchester, spoke in the Schultz build-ing lecture hall about Cecil Aronowitz (1916-1978.)She shared wonderful photographs, rare recordingsand an enormous amount of insightful informationon this less than fully appreciated pioneer of ourinstrument. Of great interest was the viola played byCecil Aronowitz which Ms. Lansdown graciouslyshared with her audience. The label reads “DavidTecchler - 1732” but Charles Beare (renowned Britishdealer) and others believe the instrument is Frenchmade circa 1750. Back in the Hartley Concert Roomat the same time, Deborah Lander, who holds a PHDfrom the University of Newcastle in Australia (sheperformed wonderfully at our opening concert)presided over a Master Class. She heard three studentseach allotted twenty minutes. Ms. Lander’s formulawas simple: make positive comments to put the stu-dent at ease and then offer one or two observationsthat the student could try, remember and then putinto practice. Her style was warm and supportive andher cogent comments wonderfully directed to the stu-dent with the audience included.

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For the weekend (with the small cafeteria closed) theCongress hosted tea and cookies/sandwiches at the11:00 am and 4:00 pm hours. This was a wonderful45-minute opportunity to mingle and chat. Seeing thelikes of Dr. David Dalton and Jutta Puchhammer-Sédillot chatting with budding, youthful studentsseemed to me the quintessential essence of our interna-tional congresses.

The 11:45 am recital was in the Hartley ConcertRoom. Paul McMillan, a large, muscular, red-headedhome town violist with a broad smile and a soft voicefilled the seats with friends, admirers and those thatwould soon become same. The Hindemith Sonata(1939) was predictably strong and forceful. IntimateDecisions by Brett Dean (in attendance) showed a moresensitive McMillan. Something about this pieceworked. The final selection Serenade by BenjaminMartin, who presided at the 1930s vintage Steinwaybaby grand piano, belied the verbal and writtendescriptions but was an intriguing piece nonetheless.

After lunch luthiers gathered in the Hartley for the tra-ditional play-in. Jutta Puchhammer-Sédillot, PaulMcMillan, Steven Dann and Donald Maurice eachplayed a different viola and a different piece (asopposed to the usual marathon experienced at othercongresses, in which one and the same excerpt is playedon each instrument). This is a wonderful way to enticethe audience to try the instruments at the exhibits, butnot an effective way to compare them.

The 3:00 pm concert, in Elder Hall, gave RogerBenedict opportunity to share his ample techniqueand sumptuous tone. The several brief movements ofthe Hans Werner Henze Serenade for solo viola werewonderfully played. The Sonata for viola and percus-sion by Australia’s pre-eminent composer PeterSculthorpe was replete with outstanding counterpointand wonderful colors - percussion and viola is trulyan exciting combination. Naturale, for viola, tape andpercussion by Luciano Berio uses the actual taping ofa Sicilian folk singer. The extended sections withoutviola vibrato, the nasal, almost harsh taped vocal sec-tions evoked a near eastern or Moorish quality notunlike an Islamic call to prayer.


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The 5:00 pm concert organized by Australian violistWilliam Lane featured members of Grenzenlos(without borders), a multi-national group of musi-cians dedicated to the avant-garde. Other membersincluded Richard Haynes, clarinets, Dianna Gaetjens,horn and Eugene Ughetti, percussion. These musi-cians are on a mission - a mission to explore the lim-its of musical tone and technique. The musical selec-tions were changed from the booklet. The tamestpiece on the program was the Berio Sequenza VI. Itwas some twenty-five minutes into the programbefore I recognized a traditional viola tone. It was anextremely rare note in the 90-minute performancethat Lionel Tertis or William Primrose would havedescribed as having a beautiful tone! That, my read-ers, is precisely the point of our congresses.Eventually some of these sounds and techniques willfind their way into the viola lexicon and become anormal part of the musical vocabulary by youthfulviolists and composers, perhaps not yet born.

The evening’s full orchestra concert was remarkable- not so much for the pieces or the performers,although they played wonderfully, but for theorchestra that Keith Crellin (congress organizer)conducted. The cohesive ensemble was put togetherfor the congress yet they played with sensitivity,colorful shape and line and a balance one wouldexpect in a standing professional orchestra. First onthe program was Elegy by Peter Sculthorpe withUK/Australian violist Francis Kefford. This selec-tion is not nearly as tightly constructed as theSculthorpe Sonata we heard at the 3:00 pm recital.Though the violist played with excellent tone andwith technique equal to the task, the music mean-dered and lingered much too long. The premiereperformance of the Concerto for Viola and Orchestraby Charles Bodman Rae added four wind players.The violist, Jürg Dähler, was again excellent butthe music wandered and seemed much longer thanthe 28 minutes announced in the program notes.The Mozart Sinfonia Concertante K. 364 bright-ened the evening with wonderful sense of line, sen-sitive phrases and outstanding balance. The tightensemble from violinist Terence Tam and violistTobias Lea brought the evening and the day to asparkling conclusion.

Day Four: Monday, 2 July 2007– Carlos Maria Solare (Argentina, Germany)

Being less interested in instrument-making mattersthan I should perhaps be, I decided not to start Day 4with David Hume’s report on “The repair and restora-tion of an Amati viola,” but rather with Meng-ChunChi’s lecture recital, in which she introduced her tran-scription of Fauré’s Violin Sonata in A Major, Op. 13.This being one of my favorite pieces of music in any

genre, I was looking forward to it, and very muchwished the transcription to be a success. However, inspite of all the work Ms. Chin has put into it (and ofher mentor Michael Tree’s collaboration), the tran-scription can at best be considered a mixed success.Too many compromises had to be made in the voice

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David Hume during Amati lecture. Photo by Dwight Pounds.

German viola virtuoso Hartmut Lindemann.

leading, jumping an octave down whenever the linegets too near to the “eternal snow” region. Ms. Chinwas certainly conscious of the problem, to which shehas given a lot of thought. The piece badly misses thatE string, though, the melodic line having to shinethrough a piano part that can be quite thick. Theslow movement, which needed the least intervention,worked best, while the Scherzo sounded most akward.The first and last movements were - to my ears -much too compromised by the “compression” of thesolo line. I left the session wondering about the alter-native possibiltiy of researching the original repertoirefrom the fin de siècle period. Only two days earlier,the Sonata by Pierre de Bréville had proved a revela-tion. Surely there must be other original viola litera-ture written for the likes of Théophile Laforge andMaurice Vieux?

Dwight Pounds, commenting in my absence onDavid Hume’s repair and restoration of an Amativiola, writes:

It was said of British Prime Minister and part-time painter Winston Churchill that he had theconfidence to alter a Rubens. Perhaps somethingsimilar could be attributed to British luthierDavid Hume, an (at least partically) self-taughtluthier, who gave an intriguing and detailedaccount of how he had purchased the Amati anddecided to restore it himself. This, the proceduresselected for its restoration, the major problemsencounered, and the solutions employed werepresented in fascinating detail, including some-thing so simple as filling a worm-hole with acompound purchased at a local hardware store.Mr. Hume’s Powerpoint presentation was wellorganized and detailed, despite technical difficul-ties that required some time to resolve. Was therestoration successful? To the delight of the dele-gates, Mr. Hume remained a good half-hour fol-lowing his lecture and invited anyone so inclinedto come forward, play the instrument, and decidefor themselves. I heard no complaints standingthere in line with several others, waiting my turnand enjoying every note. Playing a superb Amativiola with a Sartori bow was absolutely heady-adelightful and rare experience.

There followed a Round Table on that old subjectthat is always new and, like the poor, will certainlyalways be with us: namely the usefulness, necessity orotherwise of using a shoulder rest. Tim Deighton andJutta Puchhammer led the pro-faction, with StevenDann and Hartmut Lindemann argumenting againstit. As could have been anticipated, both parties agreedto disagree and went their separate ways with no oneon or off stage having switched allegiances.

Of the two masterclasses on offer after lunch, Idropped into Tobias Lea’s, who worked on orchestralexcerpts (he is, of course, principal viola of the ViennaPhil). It was in a way reassuring to see that - as thesaying goes - “water is a pint a pound, the worldaround”;be it the Vienna Phil or the Southern NorthDakota Symphony, they all look for the same basicsof rhythmic exactitude, intonation, and tonal quality.

An afternoon recital brought a reacquaintance withKathryn Lockwood, whom I remembered from aPrimrose Competition way back in 1993. With herpartner, Yousif Sheronick, she presented a fascinatingprogram for viola and percussion. The composershaving drawn their inspiration mostly from non-Western music, we were treated to a colorful feast ofWorld Music, with percussion instruments from theMiddle and Far East as well as from South America.The highlight was for me Zhao Jiping’s Summer in theHigh Grassland, in which the viola plays at being aMogolian Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle).

The IVS Annual General Meeting was - as is usuallythe case - attended only by the hardest of the hardcore. Since minutes are being printed elsewhere, I willgo on to report that the traditional Banquet, held inAyers House, did proud to South Australian cuisine.Even host Keith Crellin and his wife Ruth, the weightmostly off their shoulders by now, were able to sitback and enjoy a convivial evening.

The day wasn’t over yet, however: The evening con-cert brought a deliciously old-fashioned recital byHartmut Lindemann and Ben Martin. Lindemann,a long-time resident of Australia, has been based inhis native Germany for over ten years now.Practicing what he had preached in his presentation


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two days before (see Day 2), Lindemann pulled outall stops for a program that included the sonatas byArnold Bax and Charles Villiers Stanford. The latter,originally for clarinet, was played in the transcrip-tion by the English violist, H. Waldo Warner(Primrose’s predecessor in the London StringQuartet). This heady stuff was leavened withmorsels by Pugnani-Kreisler, Bach-Tertis, Sarasate-Zimbalist and Vieuxtemps, with a Debussy tran-scription added as an envoi. The whole evening wasa jaw-dropping demonstration of playing in theGrand Manner, and in my opinion the high pointof the week.

Day Five: Tuesday, 3 July 2007– Ann Frederking (Canada)

The final day of the Congress XXXV began, as theyalways do, with a sizeable group of violists rehears-ing ensemble music. This time, however, it was onthe stage of Elder Hall in preparation for their con-cert in the afternoon. And since I would hear themlater, I opted not to attend the rehearsal, but ratherto visit the University computer lab for the last dayof free Internet.

At 10:00 am, we once again had to make a choice.Dr. Mark Smith from Australia presented a lecture on“Bach’s violas of cello pitch.” And at the same time,Adelaide- born-and-raised Tobias Lea filled in for

Elizabeth Morgan who was unable to be present for alecture on Sevcík. I chose to attend Lea’s presentation.

Lea is now one of the solo violists of the ViennaPhilharmonic and he talked about his education, hiscareer, and dealing with performance nervousness. Itwas really two lectures in one and the part about howhe made the switch to viola and began his orchestralcareer in the Vienna State Opera (as a sub with norehearsal), shed a fascinating light on a system that isquite different from what most of us know in NorthAmerica. After a stint as Principal Violist in Milan, hewas able to return to Vienna in a similar role - onewhich he has held for 14 years.

Now he also makes a career of helping people toovercome nervousness and prepare for auditions.This was the focus of the second part of the talk, buttime didn’t permit him to develop it as much asmany would have liked. But a few points were made: • Increase the level of security by practicing a lot and

knowing everything 130% so that when you lose40% due to nerves in an audition, you will stillplay at 90%.

• Practice phrasing, musicality and EVERYTHINGso that it’s automatic.

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Mark Smith with an illustration used in his lecture, The ViolaPomposa. Collage by Dwight Pounds.

Neil Shepherd in rare moment of not taking photographs.Photo by Dwight Pounds.

• Work out what your individual problems are. Itmay be necessary to play several auditions.Examine yourself under pressure and play for peo-ple you respect.

• Practice getting oneself into the anxiety-producingexperiences.

• Practice relaxation -deep breathing or whateverworks. Slow down vibrato and practice breathingbefore playing.

Addendum to Day 5 by Carlos María Solare:Mark Smith, who has made a thorough study ofthe mysteries surrounding the viola pomposaand the violoncello piccolo, shared some of hisfindings with an attentive audience. Curiously,he didn’t seem to want people to actually see theviola pomposa that was briefly played at thebeginning of the lecture and then put away. Ifound Mr. Smith’s lecture fascinating, even if itwas delivered in a dry-as-dust manner. I wasvery grateful for a detailed handout, whichincluded a long bibliography on the subject.

After morning tea, Lila Brown’s solo viola recital inElder Hall which featured old and new repertoireintermingled in an interesting way. Included wereSigns, Games, and Messages by Kurtag and Ligeti’sSonata for solo viola, interspersed with Bach’sAndante from the second solo violin sonata andGigue from the third partita. Brown teaches inDüsseldorf, Germany, and is also the artistic directorof the “Music From Salem” chamber music festival.

At 2:00 pm, we were finally treated to the concert ofthe ca. 35-participant Congress Viola Ensemble.Following daily rehearsals under the able direction ofLawrence Jacks, they were in good form and present-ed arrangements by the Absolute Zero Quartet, twoBartók Duos, and Michael Dennison’s Queen ofSheba arrangement. It was great fun to hear them.

This was followed by a recital with violist DeborahLander (Australia) and David Brunell (USA) onpiano. This delightful program included the worldpremiere public performance of a piece commis-sioned for the wedding of Ms. Lander’s sister andwhich contained many personalized references. Two

pieces I particularly liked were Ibert’s Aria and EricCoates’ Souvenir (written for Tertis and now pub-lished in original form by Weinberger). Several otherpieces by Dillon, Giampieri and Groh rounded outthe program.

After afternoon tea, we once again had to decidebetween two offerings. I chose to hear a recital by apromising young Australian violist, Yilin Zhu.Included on her short program were Andrew Ford’sSwansong and Hindemith’s Sonata, Op. 11/5. I wasparticular impressed with her musical presentationof the Hindemith.

I asked Tom Tatton to attend and report on the con-current event, a presentation for viola and live elec-tronics by Max Savikangas from Finland, knowingthat he wanted to support Max with his attendance.These are his thoughts.

Have we completely abandoned the notion ofmusic as the aural expression of an idea, story,mood, feeling, emotion, color or texture? Are weso liberal that a simple definition of music asorganized sound will suffice and no furtherexplanation is necessary?

The bar was set high at our previous CongressXXXV concerts and again at the final concert.Performer(s) and composer met on stage in amarriage of superb technical accomplishmentand sublime inspiration where music made wasthe prism for listeners to experience the per-formers’ understanding of the composers’ story.There was a real possibility of failure or successfor the entire adventure and thus a heightenedawareness that something beautiful and uniquewas happening.

Art music has (or should have) high aspirationswith a goal to touch the soul, stir the emotions,move the body or tap the toe, to dance, pray, cryor conjure up a picture, story or feeling. What weheard from Mr. Savikangas was not art music.

Now, one might contrast my receptive responseto Mr. Lane’s concert (review of day three) and


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my rejection of Mr. Savikangas’. I believe that Mr.Lane was attempting to expand the violist’s palette- a legitimate goal at our viola congress. On thecontrary, although Mr. Savikangas is a bright andengaging young man, I find no redeeming quali-ties in his performance, only hurtful pain. I do notbelieve we should collectively acquiesce; we shouldexpect, especially at our congresses, that the musicpresented be of the highest order. I therefore donot consider the performance in question to be alegitimate part of Congress XXXV.

The day and the Congress concluded with an eveningconcert of chamber music involving the viola.Included on the program were Debussy’s Sonata forviola, flute and harp, performed by Tobias Lea, flutistGeoffrey Collins, and harpist Suzanne Handel; MaxBruch’s Eight Pieces for viola, clarinet, and piano,with Caroline Henbest, clarinetist Peter Handsworth,and pianist Leigh Harold; and Mozart’s Quintet in Cmajor, with Steven Dann and Timothy Deighton, vio-linists Terrence Tam and Graeme Norris, and cellistJanis Laurs. The program was enjoyable, but I felt theBruch performance suffered acoustically and evenvisually because the violist stood to the right of thestage with f-holes and viola tone directed away fromthe audience and toward the piano. Surely the balancewould have been improved had the violist stood tothe left of the piano and the clarinet to the right. Thisarrangement would not have affected the clarinet’ssound at all and improved that of the viola.

This concert (as with several others during the Congress)was recorded by the A(ustralian)BC for broadcast onABC Classic FM http://www.abc.net.au/classic/audio/ Ido not know whether the performances are archived andavailable through Internet, but it may be worth a look.

Once again, we had come to the end of a memorablefive days of music-making for the viola. It was time tosay farewell to new and old friends, except for a rela-tively small group that participated in a tour the nextday to the wine region of McLaren Vale. Next year wemeet in early June in Tempe, Arizona. Be sure to savethe date and plan for it now!

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By Paula Krupiczewicz,

Winner of 2007 Dalton

Research Competition

The viola repertoire is not asextensive as that for violinists andcellists. Lionel Tertis and WilliamPrimrose, forerunners in promot-ing the viola as a solo instrument,had many new works composedfor them during the early twenti-eth century. In addition, VadimBorisovsky, William Primrose, andEmanuel Vardi aided in expandingthe literature by transcribing shortviolin compositions for perform-ance. It cannot be said that theviola’s repertoire is minimal, butmany works are still widelyunknown. Twentieth century com-posers found a new voice in theviola, providing works thatdemonstrated the instrumentscharacteristics and capabilities.Alan Shulman (1915-2002) wasone of these composers who wasattracted to the unique tonal quali-ties of the viola. Shulman is lesserknown than some of his contem-poraries, however his contributionsto building a reputation for theviola as a solo instrument are sig-nificant. His composition, theTheme and Variations for viola andpiano, with its subsequent versionsfor full orchestra and strings andharp, is a work of gaining popular-ity that exemplifies the instru-ment’s range and tonal characteris-tics. This research will provide abiographical sketch of Alan

Shulman and his significant contri-butions to the viola repertoire. Itwill conclude with a comparativeanalysis, showing the subtleties oftextures and colors found in eachof the three orchestrations of hismost successful work, the Themeand Variations (1940).

Shulman was a graduate of TheJuilliard School, studying both celloand composition. An active per-former, composer, and arranger inclassical and commercial music,1 heplayed with the National BroadcastingCompany (NBC) SymphonyOrchestra under Arturo Toscaninifrom the orchestra’s conception in1937 to its disbandment in 1954,taking leave to serve in the U.S.Maritime Service during WorldWar II. During his time with theSymphony, he and his violinistbrother Sylvan co-founded theStuyvesant String Quartet, whichbecame known for its performancesand recordings of contemporaryworks including Ernest Bloch’s FirstQuartet and Dmitri Shostakovich’sPiano Quintet.2 The quartet thenformed a group called the “NewFriends of Rhythm,” playing jazz,original compositions, and jazzyarrangements of classical melodiesby adding a guitar, double bass,and harp. They were affectionatelycalled “Toscanini’s Hep Cats”around NBC, selling over 20,000records in the first ten months oftheir existence.3

Shulman was an avid chamber

musician. In addition to perform-ances with the Stuyvesant Quartetand the New Friends of Rhythm,he performed with the KreinerQuartet, the Philharmonia Trio, theVardi Trio, and the Haydn Quartet.After the disbandment of the NBCOrchestra in 1954, Shulmanhelped found the Symphony of theAir, which performed until 1963.He was a founding member of theVioloncello Society of New York in1956, serving as President from1967-1972. He held teaching posi-tions at Sarah Lawrence College,Julliard, SUNY-Purchase, JohnsonState College (VT), and theUniversity of Maine.

PORTRAIT OF ALAN SHULMANAND HIS THEME AND VARIATIONS

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Used with permission of Jay Shulman.

Shulman began composing at theage of ten, first composing simplecharts for the family piano trio toplay, which included his brotherSylvan and sister Violet, a pianist.Growing up in Baltimore,Maryland, he was exposed tonumerous musical events: the largetheatre orchestras that accompa-nied silent films, evening bandconcerts, and performances of theBaltimore Symphony.4 Shulmanconsidered himself to have“sponge-ability,” the ability to“soak up” the various musicalstyles to which he was exposed,whether it was classical or jazz,incorporating many of these ele-ments into his compositions.5

Shulman’s compositional outputincludes works for full orchestra,

string orchestra, chamber ensem-bles, documentary films, andworks for piano, violin, viola, andcello. His first complete composi-tion, incidental music for HansChristian Anderson’s ChineseNightingale, was completed in1934; a critic for Variety describedthe music as possessing “humor,mood, and taste.”6 His principalcompositions include the Themeand Variations for viola and piano(1940) and A Laurentian Overturefor full orchestra (1951). Anothercomposition worth noting is theConcerto for Cello and Orchestra(1949), dedicated to the People ofIsrael and premiered by LeonardRose. These works embody manyof the characteristics of Shulman’scompositions, including a strongHebraic feel; others incorporate

elements of classical, jazz, and pop-ular song. He knew the greatAmerican composers Jerome Kern,George Gershwin, and Cole Porterand was further influenced by thesounds of Igor Stravinsky, MauriceRavel, Ernest Bloch, and PaulHindemith, to name a few.7

Composing during the height ofthe radio era, Shulman’s music wasintended for the radio listeningaudience, setting himself apartfrom the serial and minimalistcomposers. He describes his musi-cal style as follows:

In my youth, I was tremendouslytaken by French Impressionists.Subsequently, I have been influ-enced by many national schools. Ifeel that the fewer notes I put intoa score, the better I like it. I do not


32

approve of the school that camou-flages a paucity of musical ideasunder a barrage of orchestration. Ialso feel that there is too much“intellectual” music being writtentoday. That doesn’t mean that oneshould necessarily “write down” toan audience; it means that the layperson (who represents the majori-ty of music lovers) wants an auralsatisfaction, which will arouse hisemotions; he must have somethingto grasp and retain - namely, atune.8

Before 1940, Shulman had writtenseveral string orchestra pieces, butmost of his compositional activitiesup to 1940 consisted of writingand/or arranging works for theNew Friends of Rhythm, which firstformed to perform a satiric versionof Tchaikovsky’s Andante Cantabileat a musician’s party in 1938.9They subsequently recorded andrenamed their musical rendition“Drosky Drag.” The group wassuch a hit that they added other“reinterpreted” classics to theirrepertoire including “Bach BayBlues” (Bach’s “Little” OrganFugue in G minor), “Shoot theSchubert to me Hubert” (balletmusic from Rosamunde), “RiffinRaff” (Joachim Raff ’s Cavantina),and the “Barber’s Hitch” (Overtureto the Marriage of Figaro).10

The NBC Orchestra’s rosterincluded many great instrumental-ists: violinists Oscar Shumsky, JosefGingold, and Mischa Mischakoff;cellists Frank Miller and HarveyShapiro; and violists WilliamPrimrose, Carlton Cooley, DavidDawson, Nathan Gordon, Milton

Katims, Louis Keivman, TiborSerly and Emanuel Vardi, to namea few.11 The presence of these fineviolists apparently inspiredShulman to compose for the viola,which ultimately resulted in a totalof six works: Homage to ErikSatie (1938), A Piece in PopularStyle (1940), Theme and Variations(1940), Suite for Solo Viola (1953),Variations (1984), and TwoEpisodes for Viola Quartet 1. Night,2. Ancora (1976).

During the early twentieth century,the viola was struggling to becomeknown as a solo instrument andviolists were “hungry for reper-toire.”12 William Primrose, VadimBorisovsky, and Emanuel Vardibegan transcribing short violinpieces to showcase the instrument’ssoloist capabilities during perform-ance. For instance, Vardi per-formed and recorded all 24Paganini Caprices on the viola andPrimrose is credited for manyarrangements for viola and pianoincluding Tchaikovsky’s None butthe Lonely Heart and Borodin’sNocturne: Andante from StringQuartet No. 2. Borisovsky is credit-ed for compiling a catalogue ofviola repertoire, Literaturverzeichnisfür Bratsche und Viola d’amour(1937), and to his contribution of253 transcriptions to the literature.

The twentieth century was a turn-ing point for spotlighting the violaas a solo instrument. WilliamWalton’s Viola Concerto (1928-9,rev. 1936-7, 1961), written forTertis (though he didn’t premiereit), Paul Hindemith’s DerSchwanendreher (1935, rev. 1936),

and Bartók’s Viola Concerto (1945,published 1950), commissioned byPrimrose to expand the viola reper-toire and for the advancement oftechnique, were the main orchestralworks composed for viola duringthe century. All of these workswere heavily orchestrated, leavingviolists fighting for their voice to beheard. Shulman was very sensitiveto this problem, believing that thefull orchestra was too heavy for anyviola soloist, and therefore preferredto use a chamber orchestra or windoctet.13 While Shulman did scorethe Theme and Variations for fullorchestra, his use of the group ishighly selective throughout; hisorchestration utilizes differences intonal color more than it creates bal-ance problems for the soloist.

As Shulman began sketching theTheme and Variations, violistEmanuel Vardi learned of thework. Vardi liked what he saw,telling Shulman that when he fin-ished it, he would play it on hisupcoming recital.14 The viola andpiano version was completed onNovember 13, 1940, and EmanuelVardi premiered the work on his1941 debut recital in New YorkCity’s Town Hall with VivianRivkin.15 Toscanini was in atten-dance and told Shulman uponhearing the piece, “Semplice, mabene” (simple, but good).16 Vardiwrote, “[the Theme and Variations]was the hit of the concert.Toscanini was there and loved it.”17

Shortly after the premiere, EmanuelVardi took the work to Dr. FrankBlack (1894-1968), the generalmusic director of the NBC radio

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network and guest conductor for the orchestra.18 Black,an accomplished pianist, played through the work withVardi and asked that Shulman orchestrate it.19 Shulmanrecalls from this event:

When [the Theme and Variations] was subsequentlyorchestrated, [NBC violist] Manny Vardi went toFrank Black and said “look, this man, our col-league, has written this piece, and I’d like to playit.” So we had an audition, and Black said “finish itup” - it was only half-finished at the time - he said“finish it up and we’ll put it on.”20

The Theme and Variations, subsequently re-scored forviola and full orchestra, was completed in the earlymonths of 1941 and first performed on a new radioseries featuring young composers called “NewAmerican Music.” The inaugural broadcast of the fullorchestra version was presented on March 11, 1941with Vardi as soloist and Black conducting. Thisevening boasted two broadcast performances; the first,a short wave broadcast to South America and the sec-

ond, a network broadcast to the domestic public.Apparently, there was a lot of response from the lis-teners, resulting in additional broadcasts of the workin front of a live studio audience on April 1, 1941and February 3, 1942, both again with Vardi assoloist. Vardi’s performance remains definitive and thework’s success is due in large part to his championingof the work.21 Some 66 years after he premiered thework, Vardi, at 91, still shows as much enthusiasm andgratitude towards this work, one that he describes as “agreat piece of music.”

When Milton Preves, the principal violist of theChicago Symphony Orchestra, heard Vardi’s 1942broadcast and was impressed with the work.22 He senta letter to Shulman who, in turn, sent Preves thescore. Preves performed the work with the ChicagoSymphony Orchestra, in December 1943. Shulmanprocured a leave from his military duties and traveledby train to Chicago to meet Preves and attend theperformance.23 Felix Borowski’s review for the ChicagoSun states:

“this artist [Preves] was given music to interpretwhich was more immediately effective than any inwhich, up to now, has been heard. Alan Shulmanwrote gratefully and, on occasions, brilliantly forthe instrument. He knew its strongest points andmade a great show with them; but he knew theorchestra as well, and caused it to be more than amere background.”24

In 1954, Joseph de Pasquale, then the principal violistof the Boston Symphony, approached Shulman, sug-gesting that he make a string arrangement of theTheme and Variations. In Boston, there was a smallchamber ensemble called the Zimbler Sinfonietta,which de Pasquale thought was the perfect outlet forthis orchestration. After several conversations,Shulman suggested to de Pasquale that a harp beincluded in the orchestration, which de Pasqualeliked.25 Shulman, in turn, re-orchestrated the Themeand Variations for viola, strings, and harp. The firstperformance took place at Jordan Hall in Boston onNovember 10, 1954.26 The Boston Globe review ofthis performance states,


34

Mr. Shulman’s idiom is decided-ly conservative, and there ismuch in the seven variations,chorale and postlude that bringsback certain Frenchmen of thelate 19th Century. The use ofthe harp is both unusual andeffective.27

The review from the Boston Heralddescribes the work as follows:

…a conventional work but onemore deeply felt and more trulymusical in its essence and itsurgency. Based on a fine themeof a Warlockian character, itsseven variations are now glowingin lyric, now warmly elegiac,again lively and vivacious, allculminating in a very movingpostlude. Mr. Shulman shows amarvelously sympathetic attitudeto the strings and obviouslyknows all their mysteries.28

In short, the Theme and Variationswas highly regarded among violistsand music critics. Violists of themid-twentieth century, includingEmanuel Vardi, Joseph de Pasquale,Milton Katims, Nathan Gordon,Karen Tuttle, and Walter Trampler,many who knew Shulman person-ally, embraced the Theme andVariations, accepting it as part ofthe repertoire. Performances con-tinued around the world, includ-ing ones by Louis Kievman, DavidDawson, and Carlton Cooley, andfour additional performances byMilton Preves and the ChicagoSymphony Orchestra. WilliamPrimrose toured North and SouthAmerica with it from 1944 to1946. It is highly conceivable that

if Primrose had recorded this work- which he promised Shulmantwice but never did - it would bemore popular today because ofPrimrose’s extensive performanceand recording career.

After the original version for violaand piano was completed, the sub-sequent orchestral version wasscored for pairs of flutes, oboes,clarinets, bassoons, four horns, apair of trumpets, three trombones,tympani, percussion, harp, andstrings. The published viola/pianoversion incorrectly suggests that itis a reduction of an earlier orches-tration. When it was printed, theidea of the publisherChappell/Warner - and probablyShulman’s as well - was that theywanted it to be considered anorchestral piece that one wouldlearn from the piano part.29 Theprinted edition was made availablefor sale in the 1950s, nearly tenyears after the premiere, and this iswhy it reads as it does today.

Although the Theme and Variationswas held in high regard in themid-twentieth century, many vio-lists today are relatively unfamiliarwith the work. Violist LynneRichburg of the New CenturyChamber Orchestra in SanFrancisco was introduced to thiswork in its original version forviola and piano, not realizing thatit had been orchestrated. In 1987,she entered the Primrose ViolaCompetition and chose this workfrom the repertoire list. She wonfirst place and subsequently per-formed the work, with Shulmanpresent, at the 1987 Viola

Congress in Ann Arbor.

Ms. Richburg has performed thework in all three of its versions. Inher experience, each variation hasits own unique qualities dependingon the supporting instrumenta-tion. When she performed the fullorchestra version she remembers allof the really interesting colors thatwere explored in some of the fastervariations with the inclusion of thewinds and brass, colors that cannotbe produced on the piano. Whenasked what her favorite versionwas, Ms. Richburg stated she likedthe version for strings and harp,believing this orchestration is just“beautiful,” because it is more inti-mate when performed with thesmaller ensemble.30

Before comparing the orchestra-tions, it will be helpful to give abrief overview of the work. Thepiece begins with a simple, lyricaltheme that is developed in sevendistinct variations. The variationsfeature, in turn, characteristics of awaltz, stately rhythms, a lightgrazioso, a siciliana, a spiritedvivace, a soulful reminiscence ofthe past, and a thrilling chase. Thefinale opens with a Bach-likechorale that flows directly to thecadenza, concluding with a tran-quil postlude that ends peacefullyand in question.

The versatility of the Theme andVariations is accomplished throughits textures, musical colors, andorchestral settings, as can be foundin the comparison of the threeorchestrations. Few pieces havethree orchestrations written by the

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original composer, and this authoris unaware of any other piece inthe viola repertoire having somany. Differences amongst thethree orchestral settings, althoughsubtle, occur throughout the work,while the solo viola part is leftessentially intact. One of the moreobvious changes is in the openingof variation VII. In the originalversion as well as in the strings andharp version, the variation beginswith a single eighth note. (SeeExample 1.) In the full orchestraversion, the tuba and timpani playtwo eighth notes. (See Example 2.)The latter version is a more secureway of starting the variation fortempo with an ensemble because itsets up the tempo immediately forthe orchestra.

The other obvious differenceoccurs at the very end of the work.The original version concludeswith the solo viola supported byopen fifths in the piano. See exam-

ple 3. This is also present in thestrings and harp version with theaddition of a simple motive in theharp, also in fifths, which enterswhimsically. See example 4. Thefull orchestra version yields themost obvious change with this ver-sion ending with only the violasolo holding F#. In his manu-script, Shulman originally scored apart similar to the original versionfor tuba, and low strings.Shulman, however, later removedthese parts. Toscanini, whoreceived a score from Shulman,heard the performance and askedShulman afterward, “What hap-pened to the tuba at the end? Ididn’t hear it.” Shulman replied,“Maestro, the texture was to thick,so I made it tacit.”31

The majority of other changesoccur in the use of differentorchestral colors and textures,something that cannot be fullyexpressed on the piano. For

instance, in variation IV, AllaSiciliana, of the strings and harpedition, the string orchestra isplaying with mutes, con sordino. Inaddition, Shulman instructs thefirst violins to play ponticello inthe second half of the variation,producing a glassy sound, whichadds a mysterioso feel to the varia-tion. See Example 5.

Variation VI, the most passionateand soulful variation, has the mostsignificant textural changes. Theseoccur in the animando middle sec-tion with the addition of overlap-ping rhythmic patterns in theorchestra’s voices. The basic struc-tural outline is taken from thepiano version but expanded upon.See example 6.

The full orchestra score includessextuplets, syncopations, and six-teenth notes, while the strings andharp version employs tremelo, syn-copations, sixteenth notes, and


36

Example 1 Example 3. Postlude, final bars of viola and piano version.

Example 4. Postlude, final bars of viola, strings, and harp version.Example 2

triplet figures. In example ¬7 and8, the right hand of the piano is inthe harp and the left hand is nowin the cello in both orchestrations.

There is only one change in thesolo viola part from the originalversion. In Variation VII, Allegro

ritmico, of both orchestrations,Shulman removed the viola pizzi-cato from the score in the secondhalf. In the version for full orches-tra, the low strings, cello and bass,and the horns cover the part.While in the strings and harp ver-sion, the harp and low strings

share this role, providing theorchestra with their own tutti. SeeExample 9.

Although many of the differencesamongst the three versions aresubtle, each musical texture andcolor takes the music to anotheremotional level. Violists today cancompare each of the three settingson recording, which yield only

five to date. The earliestcommercial recordingdates from 1989 withYizhak Schotten perform-ing the string orchestraversion with the GreatLake Chamber Orchestra.Emanuel Vardi’s 1941premiere performancewith the NBC Orchestrais available in a re-mas-tered version, as well asother more recent record-ings in the original ver-sion by Joseph dePasquale, Cathy Basrak,and Robert Glazer. Theserecordings are valuableresources to study andcompare, enabling musi-cians to expand theirknowledge of the workand understand all theintricacies of each of theorchestral settings.

The Theme and Variationsremains a hidden treasure

in the viola repertoire, being dis-covered by many young musicianswho are looking for somethingbesides a dense Romantic sonata ora lengthy concerto. Pedagoguessuch as Emanuel Vardi, Joseph dePasquale, Karen Tuttle, Yizhak

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Example 5. Variation IV of viola, strings, and harp version.

Insert Example 6.

Example 7. Variation VII, reduction of full orchestra version.

Schotten, Masao Kawasaki, andCatharine Carroll are passingdown this work to the next gen-erations of violists. With itsthree versions available to theperformer, the Theme andVariations can be performed suc-cessfully in a solo recital or onthe concert stage. It is throughthis research that the society ofviolists can learn more aboutAlan Shulman as a composer andhis work the Theme andVariations in its three orchestra-tions. The Theme and Variationsis a particularly successful exam-ple of his compositional outputthat accomplishes his goal forpleasing the audience and notjust for critical acclaim.

– Paula Krupiczewicz is a candidatefor the Doctor of Musical Arts degreein Viola Performance at theUniversity of Southern Mississippi inHattiesburg, MS. She holds a Masterof Music from the University ofAkron and a Bachelor of Music fromWestern Michigan University. Paulahas been a long-standing member ofthe American Viola Society,American Federation of Musicians -Local 56, and is a member of theTheta Chi Chapter of Pi KappaLambda National Music HonorSociety. “I would like to publiclythank Dr. Hsiaopei Lee, Dr.Christopher Goertzen, and Dr.Edward Hafer for their guidanceand assistance in preparing thisarticle and for their support, and

everyone else that has helped me,in the completion of my disserta-tion titled: A Historical andPedagogical Guide to AlanShulman’s Theme and Variations(1940) for Viola and Piano with anIntroduction to Variations (1984)for Viola, Strings, and Harp.”

BibliographyBorowski, Felix. “AmericanComposers Featured bySymphony.” Chicago Sun, 17December 1943.

Campbell, Margaret. “Affinity forStrings.” Strad xcix (November1988), 891-5.

__________. “Shulman, Alan.”The New Grove Dictionary of Musicand Musicians (Accessed 10December 2006),http://www.grovemusic.com.

de Pasquale, Joseph. Interview byauthor, 20 January 2007,Philadelphia, PA. Tape Recording.

Dinger, Gregory. “Alan Shulman:Fifty Years in the MusicProfession.” Woodstock Times, 31October 1985, 38-39.

Durgin, Cyrus. “Music: Berger,Shulman Pieces Played bySinfonietta.” Boston Globe. 11 November 1954.

Elie, Rudolph. “Music: ZimblerSinfonietta.” The Boston Herald. 11 November 1954.Ewan, David. “Shulman, Alan.”American Composers: A BiographicalDictionary. New York: G.P.Putnam’s Sons, 1982.


38

Example 8. Variation VII, reduction of strings and harp version.

Example 9. Opening of Variation VII for viola and piano.

Meyer, Donald Carl. The NBCSymphony Orchestra. Ph.D diss.,University of California-Davis, 1994.

Modi, Sorab. “Black, Frank (J.).”The New Grove Dictionary ofAmerican Music, Vol. 1. Edited byH. Wiley Hitchcock and StanleySadie. New York: MacmillanPress, 1986.

Preves, Milton. Personal letter toAlan Shulman, 6 March 1943,Glenview, IL. Manuscript.

Richburg, Lynne. Interview byauthor, 7 February 2007,Sacramento, CA. Tape Recording. “Rhythm’s New Friends.” TimeXXXV, No. 24 (10 June 1940),45-46.

Shulman, Alan. “Writing for Viola,Not Against It.” Journal of theAmerican Viola Society 4 no. 1(1988), 7-11.

Jay Shulman. Interview by author,12 December 2006, Claverack,NY. Tape Recording.

__________. Interview by author,11 January 2007, San Francisco,CA. Tape Recording.

Vardi, Emanuel. Interview byauthor, 4 February 2007, PortTownsend, WA. Tape Recording.

Shulman Endnotes1Gregory Dinger, “Alan Shulman:Fifty Years in the Music Profession,”Woodstock Times, 31 October1985, 38.

2Margaret Campbell, “Shulman,Alan,” The New Grove Dictionaryof Music and Musicians (Accessed10 December 2006)http://www.grovemusic.com.

3“Rhythm’s New Friends.” TimeMagazine Vol. 35, No. 24 (10 June1940), 46.

4Margaret Campbell, “Affinity forStrings,” Strad 99 (November1988), 891.

5Dinger, 38.

6David Ewen, “Shulman, Alan,”American Composers: A BiographicalDictionary, New York: G.P.Putnams (1982), 599.7Alan Shulman, “Writing for theViola, Not Against It,” Journal of the

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Geoffrey Ovington

American Viola Society Vol. 4 No. 1 (1988), 9.

8Ewen, 600.

9Jay Shulman, interview by author, 11 January 2007,San Francisco, CA, tape recording.

10Campbell, “Affinity for Strings,” 893.

11Donald C. Meyer, “The NBC Symphony Orchestra,”(Ph.D diss., University of California-Davis, 1994), 470.

12Jay Shulman, interview by author, 11 January 2007.

13Alan Shulman, “Writing for the Viola, Not Against It,” 7.

14Jay Shulman, “The Music of Alan Shulman,” TheMusic of Alan Shulman: The NBC Symphony Orchestra,Bridge 9119, 2002, Compact Disc.

15Ewen, 599.

16Meyer, 190.

17Jay Shulman, “The Music of Alan Shulman,”Compact Disc.

18Modi, Sorab, “Black, Frank (J.),” The New GroveDictionary of American Music Vol. 1, Edited by H.Wiley Hitchcock and Stanley Sadie (New York:Macmillan Press, 1986), 224.

19Emanuel Vardi, Interview with author, 4 February2007, Port Townsend, WA, tape recording.

20Meyer, 191.

21Jay Shulman, “The Music of Alan Shulman,”Compact Disc.

22Milton Preves, personal letter to Alan Shulman, 6March 1943, manuscript.


24Felix Borowski, “American Composers Featured bySymphony,” Chicago Sun 17 December 1943.

25Joseph de Pasquale, interview with author, 20January 2007, Philadelphia, PA, tape recording.

26Jay Shulman, e-mail correspondence with author, 1March 2007.

27Cyrus Durgin, “Music: Berger, Shulman Pieces Playedby Sinfonietta,” Boston Globe, 11 November 1954.

28Rudolph Elie, “Music: Zimber Sinfonietta,” TheBoston Herald, 11 November 1954.


30Lynne Richburg, interview by author, 7 February2007, Sacramento, CA, tape recording.

31Meyer, 191.


40

History of the Viola

1/4 page

ALTERNATIVE STYLESFAREWELL, MY “MODERN” FRIEND:

HELLO MY “OLD” PALBy Christine Rutledge

For years I have been more-than-interested in Baroqueperformance practice, especially Bach. Let’s just saymy interest borders on fanaticism! (Ask my studentsand anyone who knows me.) This kind of enthusiasmcoming from a violist might seem a bit odd, especiallyto the well-seasoned Baroque crowd -- because I donot play violin, Baroque or otherwise. "Why," theymight ask, "would you want to perform on an instru-ment for which virtually no solo repertoire exists?"Perhaps because it is my innate nature as violist tochampion the underdog, this challenge spurs me onwith even more ferocity.

Unfortunately violists in the Baroque era sufferedfrom discrimination, too. In Quantz’s 18th-centurytreatise On Playing the Flute, this is pretty obvious:

The viola is commonly regarded as of little importancein the musical establishment. The reason may well bethat it is often played by persons who are either stillbeginners in the ensemble or have no particular giftswith which to distinguish themselves on the violin, orthat the instrument yields all too few advantages to itsplayers, so that able people are not easily persuaded totake it up. I maintain, however, that if the entireaccompaniment is to be without defect, the violistmust be just as able as the second violinist.

Ouch! But there had to be at least a fair number of vio-lists who were strong players and even soloists. Any vio-list who has played J. S. Bach’s Brandenburg ConcertoNo. 6 or any of the viola parts in his cantatas and otherworks knows that these parts are not for the faint ofheart. And if you do some digging you will find anumber of works by lesser-known Baroque composers(especially German) that are chock-full of fantastic andchallenging parts. It was also very common during theBaroque era (as well as other eras) to transcribe works

for other instruments, either by the composer or theperformer. J. S. Bach did so many times (for instancetranscribing the fifth cello suite for the lute). I have ahunch that violists of the time played many cello, vio-lin, and even flute and oboe parts, but simply readthem in their original versions. (Musicians of that timewere much more facile in this area.). Or they changedthe parts for their personal use only, and these tran-scriptions were never published or saved.

Last year, my curiosity about viola repertoire and vio-lists in the Baroque era came to a peak. After teaching

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Paul Hart Baroque viola.

for over 15 years without a break, Ifinally mustered up the courage totake a sabbatical semester. Theplan was to put my beloved mod-ern viola in its case for a long“nap” and totally immerse myselfon Baroque viola. I knew that if Iever wanted to become a seriousBaroque violist that this wasabsolutely necessary; the two tech-niques are that different. Whenplaying the Baroque instrument Ihave to make sure that I mentallyand physically make the switch, orelse things get a bit “thorny,” to saythe least. It is sort of like convincingyourself that you are reading thesame music but playing the bassoon(or saxophone, or flute, etc.).

The plan for the six-monthodyssey was to travel around theUS and Europe playing, teaching,observing, and generally absorbingas much of the early music cultureas I could. During that time I alsoplanned on completing and pub-lishing several transcriptions forviola of Baroque masterpieces thatwere written for other instruments.

My primary goal was to create edi-tions that closely adhered to man-uscripts and/or the best scholarlysources possible. As violists know,many of the editions available tous have been so over-edited andmarked that it is hard to recognizeany semblance of the originalsources. Furthermore, trudgingthrough the process of finding reli-able sources and then marking upyour own part is not only a pain,but makes for a very fine mess toread. I was convinced that vio-lists, like violinists and cellists,were hungry to understandauthentic performance practicesand to have good parts availablethat are specifically for viola. So,the path was set; now to takethose first steps.

My Burgess viola, who has beenmy good and faithful friend forso many years, was temporarilyretired. And my Paul HartBaroque viola was now enlistedas my partner in my new jour-neys. The first stop was a lec-ture/recital at an arts and

humanities symposium inHonolulu, Hawaii. (Strongly rec-ommended as the start to any sab-batical!) Then to Colorado, whereI presented recitals and classes onperiod practices. The last leg of myjourney was a five-week trip toEurope. Based in London, I trav-eled around Europe and the UKhearing concerts, meeting musi-cians, and conducting research forsome of my transcription projects.Other than having a thoroughlydelightful travel experience, itbecame apparent the differences inthe musical cultures of the US andEurope, especially in period per-formance. The most obvious dif-ference was the fact that almost allschools of music have period per-formance curricula as the normand offered degree specializationsin that area. The other obvious dif-ference was the enormous wealthof period performance ensemblesand concerts around Europe, andnot just in large metropolitanareas.


42

After the traveling was finished Ihunkered down to the grueling taskof putting all of these great ideas andinformation I had gathered duringmy travels into performance editions.The centerpiece of my project (andgoal many years in the making) wasto create a performance edition of theBach Cello Suites in a “workbook”format; that is, an edition into whichthe performer could easily insert theirown interpretative markings. Whatthe Bach edition ended up being wasa 3-volume set: Volume I was editedand marked using the AnnaMagdalena Bach manuscript copy asmy guide; Volume II was a facsimilecopy of her manuscript copy; andVolume III was a completelyunmarked copy. I also included apreface that gives the violist an exten-sive list of resources to explore regard-ing Bach and performance practicesof the time.

After a presentation on Bach inter-pretation at the Montreal ViolaCongress two summers ago an audi-ence member asked, “Why anotherBach edition?” My somewhat face-tious first response was “Well, per-haps we don’t!” But in truth I hadalways felt the need to have a morein-depth edition for viola that wasclosely based on the AnnaMagdalena Bach copy, which is con-sidered by many musicologists to bethe most reliable source. Also, itwould be great to have a “clean”part, like the cellists have in theBärenreiter editions.

With that project finished andprinted, I moved on to the otherworks I felt needed to available toviolists in accurate, clean, scholarly-based editions: Telemann’s 12

Fantasias for solo violin; Biber’sPassacaglia for solo violin; SwedishBaroque composer Johan HelmichRoman’s 6 Assaggi for solo violin(to which I was first introduced atthe Rekyjavík Viola Congress);Pisendel’s Sonata for solo violin;and J. S. Bach’s Partita for soloflauto traverso. I felt that this wasat least a good start in adding tothe published repertoire for bothmodern and Baroque viola. Otherworks keep coming to my atten-tion, so the project will be on-going; so much so that I even start-ed my own “in-house” publishingcompany to distribute these tran-scriptions. [See Roman’s FirstAssagio as the Sample Score onpage 51.]

Today I am sitting at my computerin my office typing up this article.It is my fourth day back at theUniversity after my leave period hasended, and I have been back toplaying modern viola since the endof July. I missed modern viola afterall of those months. (What’s lifewithout Brahms and Hindemith?)The transition back to moderntechnique has not been the easiest.Playing modern viola involves somuch “equipment” and the instru-ment and bow are just so darnedheavy. But these differences arenecessary in order to play musicwritten after the 18th century.And the modern viola is so won-derfully loud and rich (and thestrings stay in tune for more thanten minutes!). The modern instru-ment is just a vastly different beastfrom its Baroque counterpart.

The Baroque viola is very light. Ithas a small tailpiece, no tuners, no

chinrest, no shoulder pad, and asmall bass bar and endblocks. Thewoods used for the fittings are alsolighter than ebony. The bow islighter and more flexible, there isno “grip,” and the hair is looser and“spongier.” There is also no setposition of the bow hand on thestick - each player has their own“sweet spot.” The strings are for themost part gut (the C and G stringsare typically wound with silver),and respond much differently thanmodern strings. They are strungwith less tension, and the touchwith the bow is more intimate andgentle. Overall, Baroque techniqueis more flexible and gentler, whichwas a wonderful break for me (andmy body).

Much of what I did on myBaroque instrument has had atremendous influence on my mod-ern technique as well as my inter-pretation of music from all eras andgenres. I learned that techniquedoes not have to be so rigid andregimented. Players need to ques-tion more often their reasons forplaying and interpreting in givenways. They should be much moreaware of period practices and tech-niques and not walk blindly into apiece, operating on instinct alone,or just following their teacher’sinstructions. Why does the bowhave to always be held so close tothe frog? (When the Tourte-designbow was first introduced manymusicians still held the stick muchhigher up.) Should we depend somuch on the use of shoulder padsand chinrests? (Not that I advocatetheir elimination, just simply ask-ing why and how we use them.)Why do we always play soft pas-

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The Primrose International Viola Archiveannounces a generous gift

by Peter Bartókof several hundred copies of the

Facsimile of the Autograph Draft of the Viola Concertoby Bela Bartók

• Hardback in black, 12 by 16 inches, 84 pages including photo page.• Preface by Peter Bartók & Commentary by László Somfai (Text in English, Hungarian,German, Japanese, and Spanish).

• Fair transcription of the draft with notes prepared by Nelson Dellamaggiore.

Any donor, past or future, contributing $150 or moreto the Primrose Endowment will receive this handsome

book as a gift from Brigham Young University.

Send your donation to:Primrose Account

BYU Development OfficeC-389 ASB

Brigham Young UniversityProvo, UT 84602

sages at the tip? Why do shortnotes have to be bounced or stac-cato? What do the markings inthe music really mean? How areornaments different in theBaroque era than in subsequentones? These are just some of themany questions that I was forcedto confront in my own playingwhen returning to the moderninstrument.

Overall, this experience- otherthan being the life-saving time offthat I desperately needed- was oneof the greatest events in my life. Iloved the challenge of learning anew instrument and of stretching

my physical and brain powers to awhole new level. Opening up mymind to new ideas and thoughtswas liberating and inspiring. Ihave found that the two styles ofplaying are not that separate afterall, and can coexist happily. I alsoenjoyed working on the new edi-tions (especially the challengesand nuances of the Sibelius(r)software program). After havingthese ideas rattling around in myhead for so long, to finally havethe printed parts in my handsgives me great satisfaction.

I look forward to passing on myexperiences and inspiration to my

students, who have sometimeslooked at me a bit cross-eyedwhen I got into one of my long-winded proselytizing sessions onBach and Baroque interpretation(and rightly so, I might add).Maybe now I will make a bitmore sense! And perhaps Baroqueviolists will have a bit more to doas soloists and not just ensembleplayers.

-Christine Rutledge teaches at theUniversity of Iowa and is a formermember of the AVS NationalBoard.

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Heifetz

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SAMPLE SCORE:


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By Spencer Martin

During the summer of 2006 I had the opportunity towork with Barbara Westphal in a variety of venues.In addition to having lessons with her myself, I wasable to observe her teaching at the Musikhochschulein Lübeck and at the Oberstdorfer Musiksommer, amusic festival in the Bavarian village of Oberstdorf.

BiographyBarbara Westphal has taught viola at theMusikhochschule in Lübeck since 1989. Her teachershave included Fances Mason and Broadus Erle as wellas additional studies with Siegfried Führlinger andMichael Tree. A former member of the Delos Quartet,winner of the 1981 String Quartet Competition inColmar, France, Ms. Westphal also won both theMunich International Competition and the Busch Prizeas a solo artist in 1983.

Ms. Westphal is a highly sought-after teacher whosestudents are engaged with top orchestras in Germanyand abroad, and several of her students have wonawards at international competitions. Ms. Westphalregularly presents master classes in Europe, the UnitedStates, and Asia, and adjudicates at major competi-tions such as the Munich International Competitionand the Geneva International Music Competition.

TeachingIn addition to maintaining a busy performing career,Barbara Westphal teaches 14 viola students at theMusikhochschule in Lübeck. Each student receives aweekly 90-minute lesson, and the level of the studentsin her studio is very advanced. When I commentedon her heavy teaching load, Ms. Westphal confessedthat she is teaching two more students than wouldconstitute a full teaching load. “I have a hard timesaying no to a talented student.” I asked her how shefinds time to practice. “I get up early.” She tries topractice for two hours before she begins teaching each

day. “As long as I play concerts and demonstrate inlessons in such a way that it helps my students, I needto be in shape myself.”

In observing Ms. Westphal’s teaching in Lübeck, I wasimpressed by her straightforward approach and by herattention to detail. When asked about the structure oflessons, Ms. Westphal responded that she feels mostcomfortable when she has at least 90 minutes to spendwith each student, and that she paces the lessonaccordingly. As I observed a number of lessons, itbecame clear that Barbara Westphal is a teacher whobuilds a technical foundation as well as provides artis-tic guidance for her students. To assist her in her teach-ing of technique, she calls upon many etudes from therepertoire. She does not require students to go throughcomplete volumes of etudes, but assigns specific etudesand exercises for particular technical reasons.

It was also enlightening to watch Ms. Westphal teachviolists who were not her regular students in master

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IN THE STUDIOBARBARA WESTPHAL

Westphal working with Karoline Wehse.

classes at the Oberstdorfer Musiksommer, a music fes-tival that is held each year in the picturesque Bavarianmountainside village of Oberstdorf. At the beginningof the first master class, Ms. Westphal commented tothe entire class that she is not a teacher who will justaddress musical matters, but who will attend to coretechnical matters as well. She explained that it wasnot her intent to contradict the student’s primaryteacher, and that in most cases, she was probably say-ing the same thing in another way. She continued toexplain that when she was suggesting something dif-ferent from the student’s primary teacher, then it wasthe student’s responsibility to consider the optionsand then make a choice.

After spending a substantial amount of time observ-ing her teaching, I was compelled to ask Ms.Westphal about her teaching philosophy. The follow-ing comes from several interviews that I conductedwith her:

Barbara Westphal believes that a nurturing environ-ment is necessary for someone to blossom, and aimsto create an atmosphere where students feel accepted.She advises her pupils that four years is very littletime, and that jobs are hard to get, so it is important

to work with great motivation. She adds, “But there isno way that anyone will learn better or faster by tak-ing themselves too seriously.” She does not believe incomparing students with each other, and tries tomotivate without pressuring them too much. “It isimportant that we try to see each individual as a spe-cial person that we can all learn from.” She adds, “Ihave learned so much from my students over the years.”

Ms. Westphal strives to help her students realize theirindividual potential and to help them grow artistically.She tries not to superimpose her own ideas, but givesthem the chance to develop in their own unique way.While she has strong musical convictions, she does notwant her students simply to copy her. “I try to makethe students think for themselves by asking a lot ofquestions. Independence is a great gift, and I try tohelp them be as self-sufficient as possible.” She admitsthat sometimes this process takes longer, but believesthat the students learn much more by discoveringthings on their own. “For me this is more than just ateaching philosophy, but really something political. Inmy opinion, the world needs independently thinkingpeople who are capable of forming their own opinionsand who know why they think what they do.”

I observed one of Ms. Westphal’s weekly studio semi-nars in Lübeck, and noticed that her students basicallyrun the class. She explained that she prefers that theclass operate in this way. Since the students will berequired to comment, they will listen in a more specif-ic way in order to provide suggestions after their peersperform. “I do not want them to just say that theywere wonderful; of course that is welcome if it is true,but the constructive part is the most important.” Shehas observed that some teachers will lavish praise uponstudents in master classes even when the affirmation isunwarranted. “There is no need to say, ‘That was real-ly awful,’ but on the other hand, I think that there is away of addressing each student honestly.” She choosesher comments carefully so that even when a studentmay not have played very well, she offers the studentconstructive criticism. “I think that giving undeservedpraise damages my credibility as a teacher. I want mystudents to trust me, and I think they will not trustme unless they can count on my honesty.”


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Westphal and author.

While she works diligently to provide sincerefeedback to her students, she does not want herstudents caught in the trap of constantly seekingher approval. “After concerts, I have noticedthat some of my students will come up to mewith a demeanor that shows that they are long-ing for me to say, ‘You did really great!’ I havetalked to those people and said, ‘Do not waitfor my approval, because you know if youplayed as well as you could right now or if youdid not quite reach up to what you might havebeen able to do. Then again, if you did not playas well as you had hoped you would, the worldis still standing; tomorrow is another day.’ Thisis a dangerous game: for students to wait for ateacher’s approval.”

She admits that the biggest reward for her as ateacher is to see her students flourish. “Once ina while, I have had very touching expressions ofgratitude when people graduate. Some willwrite a letter; others will say something thatshows that they believe that they came to theright teacher at this stage of their development.”Ms. Westphal has had the opportunity to per-form with former students who have sincebecome colleagues. “To be on completely equalfooting with a former student, like with [VolkerJacobsen of ] the Artemis Quartet is really some-thing special. At first I thought, ‘How am Igoing to feel?’ I was nervous about it, but it feltnothing but wonderful!”

RecordingMs. Westphal has created a notable discographyof important viola literature. I first becameacquainted with her playing from her completerecording of the Bach Suites. I asked her aboutthe recording process.

“My relationship to recording is not altogetherwithout its problems. My first recordings werewith my quartet years ago, still before CDs evencame out. We recorded some Czech music,Dvorák and Suk, and it was beautiful music. Itturned out that for a variety of reasons we didthe editing ourselves. That was horrible because

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everybody just wanted to have theplaces fixed where they made amistake. The recording is fine, andI am not embarrassed by it, butafter that experience I never want-ed to make another recording. Ifelt so awful about this wholeprocess. Later I thought that if Iam going to do it again, the way Iwant to do it is to have maybe acouple of run-throughs, almostlike a concert, and then just getthe parts that went badly, a coupleof notes here and there. There hasto be a sense of performance aboutit, otherwise it can sound sterilevery quickly. I think that the moresophisticated that this process hasbecome the more tempting it is topatch together a recording. I thinkit has spoiled our ears very much.Spoiled not in the good sense, butit has actually ruined our ears andour expectations too. In a concertperformers are human beings, theyare not computers, and they domake mistakes. I think that peoplehave expectations that cannot belived up to anymore. I also believethat they lose their sensitivity forwhat happens in a concert only-magic you will never find on adisc. So I think that a little editinggoes a long way. I do not believe inmaking tons of recordings.However, if I find music that Ithink would otherwise not beheard so much, or that I feel I havesomething very personal to saywith a well known work, then itdoes interest me-but only underthe condition that the process bevery finite. I would give myselfmaybe two days, with six hourseach day, because you cannot con-centrate longer anyway. After that

it is diminishing returns and itdoes not get any better.”

When I asked her how she record-ed the Bach Suites, she responded,“I did the entire recording in twosessions and I had time inbetween, but that had partially todo with difficult personal circum-stances. You might not normallydo that unless you have playedthem before extensively.”

ResponseIn addition to being one of thegreatest contemporary violists andpedagogues, Barbara Westphal isan extremely kind and generousperson. She was especially welcom-ing to me, a person previouslyunknown to her, who spent nearlyone month observing her teaching.I also witnessed her benevolencetowards her students, both in herteaching and her interactions withthem outside of lessons.

After observing Barbara Westphalteach a number of students, itbecame evident that she really doeslive and teach by her own philoso-phy. I witnessed her teach severalstudents who were playing thesame repertoire, employing diversebowings and fingerings for differ-ing yet valid musical and technicalresults. I also observed her uncan-ny ability to communicate withstudents at a variety of levels. Herwork with each violist was com-pelling, and each student seemedto leave the lesson with clearlydefined objectives. Her honest anddirect approach bears no hint ofpretentiousness, and her studentsrespect her greatly for it.

This experience has caused me tothink about the goals and philoso-phy of my own teaching. I am verythankful to Barbara Westphal forher time and for making this proj-ect possible.

DiscographyBach: Six Cello Suites, BWV1007-1012. Bridge 9094 A/B

Reger: Sonatas for Viola andPiano, with Jeffrey Swann, piano.Bridge 9075

Viola Sonatas by Clarke,Vieuxtemps, Enesco, with JeffreySwann, piano. Bridge 9109

Brahms: Sonatas for Viola andPiano, with Ursula Oppens, piano.Bridge 9021

Beethoven and Mozart: StringTrios - Da Salò Trio, with AniKavafian, Barbara Westphal,Gutave Rivinius. Helicon KL5138

By Matthew Dane

JAVS and the AVS website arepleased to welcome Jonah Sirota asour new online Travelogue writer.Jonah is the violist of the ChiaraString Quartet, ensemble-in-resi-dence at the University ofNebraska and recently chosen asBlodgett visiting artists-in-resi-dence at Harvard University for2008. As a soloist, he has won sev-eral solo competitions, including3rd prize in Naumburg last year,performed concertos with severalorchestras, and commissionedmany new solo works along theway. It is his life experience inchamber music however that tellshis story best. The interview focus-es on the two most significantaspects of chamber music inJonah’s life: his deep-rooted con-nection with Greenwood MusicCamp, and the evolution of theChiara String Quartet culminatingin their most recent performancefocus, “Chamber Music in AnyChamber.” Greenwood is a cham-ber music camp in Cummington,Massachusetts of long tradition,with two summer sessions ofapproximately fifty campers each: atwo-week “kiddie camp” for ages8-13, and a five-week “big camp”for ages 14-18. Jonah’s experienceas camper, counselor, and facultyare all as a part of the latter.

MD: When did you first attendGreenwood, and what were your

first impressions?JS: I attended Greenwood thesummer of 1990, the first of foursummers. I had visited the summerbefore and had been totallyimpressed by all of these peopleseeming to have such an intenseand fun time with music. Iremember hearing a concert andthen seeing people up at the mainhouse afterwards gathered arounda piano, singing Beatles songs andother things- but doing it reallywell, with the pianist actually play-ing the real harmonies. I shouldhave probably been the mostimpressed by the concert- but Ithink the fact that the concert wasreally great, plus the fact thateveryone seemed to let the spirit oftheir performances permeate theirentire lives together, was amazingand new to me.

MD: What did you immediatelylearn from being there?JS: Before my first year there, Ihad hardly played any chambermusic. Every piece I played was arevelation. I didn’t even knowenough to know what pieces I wassupposed to want to play! Thefirst week I played 4th violin inthe slow movement of theMendelssohn Octet. Not a badway to start! I will always remem-ber that experience--eight of uscrowded into a small practicecabin and trying to create somesemblance of balance (I think acounselor in the group kept

reminding us that the melodyrarely belonged to most of us!).Every moment of that movementmade me want to cry. I still feelthat way about it.

MD: What inspiration has lastedlonger and become part of yourmusical beliefs?JS: It’s amazing how much ofwhat first seemed important atGreenwood has stayed importanton further reflection. The ideathat a group can become some-thing more than the sum of itsparts; more specifically the ideathat in chamber music, interac-tions themselves are more impor-tant than any one voice. I believe

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FRESH FACES: JONAH SIROTA

Photo by Anthony Hawley.

that strongly. Also the idea that putting great energyinto something you care about deeply can make youhappy. This is a good lesson for an adolescent tolearn. I feel very lucky to have figured this out asearly as I did. Greenwood was, and continues to be,hard to get admitted to- but once there, there wasvery little competition. You can’t have a real cham-ber music experience and stay in competition withthose around you.

MD: Are there specific moments/situations/per-formances from this time that you consider pivotalto your musical life?JS: I was assigned the slow movement of Op 132Beethoven my last summer as a camper. We per-formed it twice and also in a masterclass for JoelKrosnick. That piece made me decide to pursue amusic career. It was like “Knowing that music likethis exists, how can I not play it?” Also, I started asa violinist at Greenwood. It was John Ziarko, acoach and viola teacher at the camp, who recom-mended that I try the viola, and then was my firstteacher. He also assigned me that Op 132. So I owehim, and Greenwood, a debt for finding the viola atall, and then finding a reason to need to play it.

MD: How has your relationship with the campdeveloped over time?JS: I went through the obligatory withdrawal aftermy time as a student, and felt that MY experience asa camper was somehow special, and that these newcampers just didn’t understand... Then I was a coun-selor for a year at the end of college. That was a dif-ferent view. I came back as an alumnus to play someinformal recitals once my quartet got going. I wasalways amazed at how certain core things about theplace stayed very constant, even as my own relation-ship with it was subtly changing. At first, I wasupset that I wasn’t experiencing everything for thefirst time anymore. Then I started realizing how spe-cial it was that the place still provided those experi-ences for new generations every year. The constancyof that I really attribute to the incredible leadershipof Deb Sherr (only the second camp director inGreenwood’s 75 year history) and the great idealismof the camp’s founders, Bunny and Dwight Little.


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MD: How does teaching atGreenwood inspire you?JS: It recharges me. The kidsknock rust off of their chambermusic chops during the first weekof camp, and then from there onout they are surging into oftenunexplored depths of awarenesswith incredible repertoire. I findthat they create the standard ofintegrity and feeling which Ispend the rest of my year seekingto recreate. When I ask studentsthere to do something in themusic, they make it a life-or-deathgoal. They are dream students,and really understand the point ofchamber music.

MD: Talk about the ChiaraQuartet’s beginnings.JS: I joined the Chiara Quartet acouple of years after they formedat the Musicorda Festival. I hadalready started my undergraddegree at Rice, and gotten toknow cellist Greg Beaver there.

Also, I had known one of theviolinists, Rebecca Fischer, prac-tically my whole life as her par-ents were close friends with myown. The summer after my fresh-man year in college, I went withthe group (which then consistedof Greg, Rebecca, and violinistRachel Noyes) to a couple of fes-tivals. We loved working togeth-er, and even though we werespread throughout the country(Rebecca in NYC atColumbia/Juilliard, and Rachelat the Cleveland Institute) weknew that we wanted to try tocontinue working together. Myfirst summer with the group wasreally fun. We were all just sohappy to find people who caredso much about quartet playing. Ithink that made us feel verylucky and motivated us to try tokeep the group going. We audi-tioned during the next year forthe Aspen quartet program andwere really flabbergasted whenwe were accepted!

MD: Since the quartet startedforming when you were all fairlyyoung, how did its developmentfit in with your own individualdevelopment?JS: Honestly, between Greenwoodand the quartet, there was neververy long that chamber musicwasn’t at or near the center of myfocus. The solo stuff, a greatorchestral training at Rice, thesewere very important and useful-but I think I tried to approachthem all with a chamber musicsensibility. Chiara took some timeoff later on, but I chose to goother chamber music festivals(Yellow Barn, Norfolk, andMarlboro) during those times.

MD: Your quartet was chosen forThe Juilliard School’s LisaArnhold Residency. What sorts ofopportunities and responsibilitiesdid the quartet have in this posi-tion?JS: At Juilliard we got to workclosely with the Juilliard Quartet,who really have been our mostimportant mentors. We alsoserved as teaching assistants forthe chamber music performanceclass run by Earl Carlyss. The resi-dency also included a major AliceTully Hall recital each year. It wasa really important, great experi-ence for us.

MD: What have been the quartet’smost influential experiences sinceleaving Juilliard? What are yourcurrent interests as a group, andwhat is the idea behind “ChamberMusic in Any Chamber”? JS: The quartet has been throughseveral stages. When we finished

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Chiara Quartet. Photo by Anthony Hawley.

our individual Juilliard degrees,we started playing with Julie Yoon,whom we met at Juilliard, andright out of school we got a CMArural residency grant to live inGrand Forks, North Dakota fortwo years. This was a great chanceto just hunker down and learn toplay as a professional quartet,learn rep, etc. At the same time,outreach was an important part ofthe residency, and we loved learn-ing how to bring Brahms (orBerg) to audiences of many differ-ent types (school kids, mall-goers,nursing home residents, beetfarmers, etc). After our time there,we moved back to New York (forthe quartet’s residency in Juilliard),won the Astral Artistic Servicesaudition, won first prize inFischoff, and started to build a

real concretizing career.It was more recently that we start-ed to feel that these two sides ofour career- the formal “concert”side and the “outreach” side- wereartificially separate. We startedfeeling that all concerts shouldreach out to the audience, and that“outreach” was sometimes used tomean getting “underserved” peopleeducated about a “high” art tradi-tion, something which kind ofassumed the audience’s ignorance.We started wondering whetherthere could be a better approach,one that would let people experi-ence a concert wherever they wereat, without condescension. Whileit is true that quartet music is adeep pool of aesthetic experiences,we began to think the goal shouldbe inviting newcomers to jump in,

rather than trying to give them apassing sprinkle. That’s how ourclub performances, “ChamberMusic in Any Chamber,” got start-ed. These are real concerts, just ina different format and setting, andthe experience we get out of it hasbeen edifying- we believe that theaudience’s experience is, as well!Generally we also play a lot of newpieces, because our experience ofplaying quartets is that it is a liv-ing, breathing tradition, and weenjoy sharing that. Our perform-ances in “non-traditional” venueshave also influenced our concerthall dates, by how we talk to theaudience, and by inviting audi-ence-members on stage at inter-mission to chat with us about themusic.


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This column features three new violaconcertos written in the past five years.

La Llorona: Tone Poem for Violaand Orchestra (2007)

I. SlumberII. AwakeningIII. FlightIV. Danza de las ChullpasV. Canto de la LunaVI. FlightVII. Coda

Difficulty: Level 5Duration: 20 minutesPremiere: Wayne Brooks withHouston Symphony Orchestra

By Gabriela Lena Frank (b. 1972)

This piece was fascinating to listento from beginning to end. At timesin the piece I almost felt like Icould be listening to the BartokViola Concerto No. 2, which isactually a huge compliment, not acritique for lack of originality, sincemany great composers in theiryouth relied heavily on strongmodels as a basis for their works(the most famous example in mymind being Beethoven’s SymphonyNo. 1 which could be dubbed asMozart’s Symphony No. 42 becauseof its strong reliance on the MozartSymphony No. 41 “Jupiter”). Thechromatic language and the rhyth-mic material also were pleasantreminders of Bartok’s style, as wellas the opening of the two “Flight”movements, which reminded meof the Bartok Violin Concerto.

This work is comprised of sevenmovements, all played withoutpause (another similarity to theBartok Viola Concerto). The wholework treats the viola solo not so“concerto-like”, but as a vehicle fortelling the story, and it happens tobe somewhat virtuosic at times, verysimilar to the treatment of the violaline in the two works by GiyaKancheli (Styx and Vom Windebeweint) I reviewed for this sum-mer’s online issue (see <www.ameri-canviolasociety.org>, go to onlineissues of JAVS). Frank very success-fully writes this work from an“Impressionist’s” mode of operation,and she includes a program guidefor what is happening in each of themovements which is as follows:

Dedicated to my old friend, WayneBrooks, “La Llorona: Tone Poem forViola and Orchestra” is inspired by themany existing myths in Latin Americaregarding a female spirit known as “LaLlorona”, or “crying woman”.Somewhat similar to female ghosts fromother cultures (such as the “Rusalka”from Russia or the “Kuchisake-onna”from Japan), the llorona generallycomes about as the result of a violentdeath: drowning, suicide, childbirth,and murder at the hands of a lover arecommon causes. The riverbanks are typ-ically the places where one mightencounter the llorona, for these are fre-quently the sites of the tragedies thattook away her human life.

This programmatic work is a por-trait of the internal shift that hap-pens as the llorona accepts her new

existence. It consists of seven continu-ous movements:

I. Slumber: It is just minutes afterthe llorona has lost here human lifeand crossed over into the new realm.Not fully conscious, she is still in thefog of a supernatural sleep.II. Awakening: After the quietorchestral tutti which builds, the soloviola’s entrance signals that thellorona has sprung to new life.III. Flight: The llorona denies thisnew reality and tries to escape, liter-ally. Irrationally, she runs here andthere, crying for what was.IV. Danza de las Chullpas: In thecourse of fleeing her fate, the lloronastumbles upon a scene of other spiritsnormally unseen to humans. Thechullpas are ancient spirits (hailingfrom Peruvian culture) in the formof skeletons hobbled over from hav-ing been bound into fetal positions asmummies.The llorona reluctantlybegins to realize that she indeed hascrossed over into another realm.V. Canto de la Luna: Revered inmany cultures, the moon is often afemale deity that communicates withhumans and spirits alike. Here, themoonlight sings to the llorona, askingher to find acceptance.VI. Flight: The llorona cannot findit in herself to accept, and tries onceagain to escape.VII. Coda: The llorona slowlyretreats into the shadows to join theother spirits unseen by the rest of us.It is the acknowledgement that tragi-cally, she simply can’t change what’snot hers to change.

– Gabriela Lena Frank

NEW MUSIC REVIEWS

I found the opening to be mystical, and effectivewith her orchestration, only using the lowest sound-ing instruments of the orchestra, beginning with cel-los and basses, and the low register of the harp, andlater adding the bass clarinet, and then the low regis-ters of the horns and clarinets. The orchestration ofthe whole work is clean in general, and always verytransparent when the solo viola is playing. She uses asomewhat large orchestra [2 Flutes (2nd with Piccolo),2 Oboes (2nd with English Horn), 2 Clarinets (2ndwith Bass Clarinet), 2 Bassoons, 2 Horns, 2 Trumpets,2 Trombones, Timpani, 3 Percussionists, Piano/Celeste,Harp and Strings], but it never overpowers the viola.In fact the whole scoring is remarkable impeccable.A highly recommended work in my opinion, and Ivery much look forward to the future output of thistalented young composer.

The score for this work is available at:G. Schirmer Inc./AMP257 Park Avenue South, 20th FloorNew York, NY 10010Tel: (212)254-2100Fax: (212)254-2013E-mail: [email protected]

Konzert pro Violu a Orchestr (2003-4)

I. Lento ma non troppoII. Allegro con spiritoIII. Lento ma non troppo. Allegro vivo

Difficulty: Level 6Duration: 28 minutesPremiere: Raphaël Oleg with Czech RadioSymphony Orchestra

By Jindrich Feld (1925-2007)

As I was researching some background informationon Feld, it was with great surprise when I discoveredthe large output of this composer; he is also wellknown in his home country of the Czech Republic,and is generally regarded as one of the CzechRepublic’s most important composers after Janacekand Martinu. At a young age, Feld studied violin and


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IVS Congress

viola with his father who was a renowned teacher atthe Prague Conservatory, and his intimate knowledgeof the viola shows immensely in this concerto.Although Feld has written a few other works for violapreviously in his life, is seems that he has chosen tojoin the ranks of many great composer who have forsome reason saved writing a major viola work the lastor one of the last works of their life (i.e. Bartok ViolaConcerto, Shostakovich Viola Sonata, Brahms ViolaSonatas). My belief is that these composers were look-ing to express themselves with a darker sonority toreflect possibly the reflections of the composer’s owndeath.

This work is written with dodecaphonic (12-tone)principles, which I suspected on my first listening andthen confirmed by analyzing the score and readingthe program notes from my recording of this work[Praga Digitals PRD/DSD 250 239] with RaphaëlOleg and the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra. Ihave to admit a bit of a prejudice against dodeca-phonic music (as I think history is proving that theseworks have generally less of a popular appeal), but lis-tened to it with as much of an open mind that Icould, and I did find myself enjoying several aspectsof the work, much on the same level as I enjoy theworks like the Henze Viola Sonata or the RoslavetsViola Sonatas, especially in some of the wonderful col-ors Feld creates with his orchestration. It is certainly acerebral work, and the performer will have to livewith it for a long time to fully comprehend it. It isalso extremely challenging, but by no meansunplayable as proved by the well done recording men-tioned here. He also seems to be abandoning the ideaof “12-tone = non-tonal” as the work is clearly in “D”with the sustained notes in the bass. The secondmovement features an extensive and attractive cadenzathat utilizes several virtuoso techniques like col legno,left hand pizzicato, and several natural harmonics.The ending of this movement was strikingly “verycute” as the whole movement is so incredibly chal-lenging and heavily involved, and he tosses the endingoff at the end with some “button-like” pizzicatos thatevaporate into the thin air.

I highly recommend that violists get to know thiswork, and it is certainly an appealing choice for the


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violist who is willing to undertake a major “avant-garde” project into their fingers. Other viola works byJindrich Feld include his Sonata for Viola and Piano(1955), Little Sonatina for Viola and Piano (1974), andhis Concert Music for Viola and Piano (1983).

The score for this work is available for rental at:Editio Bärenreiter Praha (American Contact)224 King StreetEnglewood, New Jersey 07631Tel: (201)569-2898Fax: (201)569-7023E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected](rental department)www.sheetmusic.cz

Concerto for Viola and Orchestra (2004)

I. Andante con moto: FlowingII. AdagioIII. Allegro vivace

Difficulty: Level 6Duration: 33 minutesPremiere: Jethro Marks with Ottawa SymphonyOrchestra

By Steven Gellman (b. 1947)

I very much enjoyed the convincing performance ofthis work I heard of the premiere with Jethro Marksand the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, a remarkablygood-sounding orchestra for a part-time group. AnnFrederking, long time secretary of the CanadianViola Society and former secretary of theInternational Viola Society as well as a member ofthis orchestra, made me aware of this work, and I amvery glad she did.

This new work was by no surprise well-received bythe audience (their enthusiastic applause was evidentin the recording provided to me by the CBC). Icouldn’t help but wonder if there might have beensome influence of the Bartok Viola Concerto, not inmaterial, but in the basic skeleton of the piece.Actually, I think this is a good strategy in writing a

viola concerto, as is seems that theBartok is becoming to most oftenplayed and celebrated concertoamong violists. The basic tempostructure seems to be the biggestinfluence. These three movementsare not performed attacca like theBartok, but the tempos are strik-ingly similar, as well as the basicfeel of the movements. The firstmovement, Andante con moto:Flowing has a similar flowing feellike the opening Moderato of theBartok. Both concertos haveAdagio second movements withsustained string chord accompani-ments (the Bartok is labeled Adagioreligioso, though we now know thatthe “religioso” was added by Serly).Both works also have a middle sec-tion that features a fast middle partwith “buzzing bees” in the accom-paniment. The last movements ofboth works are also marked asAllegro vivace, with fast, furious16th notes and an upward climb atthe very end of the work, endingin bravura fashion. There are alsosome swift downward chromaticpassages that are similar in contourto the downward chromatic pas-sage and the end of the Bartok firstmovement of the concerto. Withall of that being said, the work iscompletely original-sounding in itsvoice, and does not sound to melike Bartok at all, or any composerfor that matter, except in somehauntingly beautiful spots where Iam reminded slightly of Holst,especially The Planets.

The solo part features a large num-ber of idiomatic slides. The violawriting is often lyrical which islater juxtaposed with flashy virtu-osic material. The orchestration is

always good, transparent when thesoloist is playing, and very fullwhen it is not. Gellman uses a fullcompliment of winds and brass [2flutes (2nd with piccolo), 2 oboes(2nd with English Horn), 2Clarinets, Bass Clarinet, 2Bassoons, 2 Trumpets, 3 Horns, 2Trombones, Tuba] and a variety ofpercussion instruments. Thecounting shouldn’t be a problem inthis work, as it is mostly in 4/4meter with some 5/4, 6/4, 3/2, and7/8 mixed in. The form of thesemovements is basically through-composed, but there is some repe-tition and motivic material thatgives each movement some indi-viduality. The first movement con-tains two cadenzas, the first onebeing a short one with percussion,and the second one being moreextended. The second movement isstrikingly beautiful in the opening,and features an attractive Englishhorn solo that is later joined induet with a solo bassoon, allagainst the transparent sustainednotes in the strings. The thirdmovement features a fantastic tim-pani part with glissandos, and isone of the most interesting timpaniparts I have ever heard. The Holstinfluence is heard even stronger inthis movement, especially in thebrass writing. The solo part soundslike great fun to play, featuringsome very flashy octave glissandopassages and lots of fast 16th notes.There is a slow cadenza in the mid-dle of the last movement which islater broken up by the return ofthe fast material. The ending isflashy and concludes with a bigbang, which will certainly bringthe audience to their feet everytime.

The score for this concerto is avail-able free by loan through:Canadian Music Centre837 Davie StreetVancouver, BCCANADA V6Z 1B7Tel: (604)734-4622Fax: (604)734-4627E-mail: [email protected]

Key to the Difficulty level chart:1 Very Easy2 Somewhat Easy3 Intermediate4 Somewhat Difficult5 Difficult6 Very Difficult

Please send all viola scores forreview consideration to:

Kenneth Martinson, ViolaProfessorUniversity of Florida School of Music, 300B AUDP.O. Box 117900Gainesville, FL 32611-7900


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By Carlos Maria Solare

Bach: Suites 1-3; Three Chorals.Jean-Marc Apap, viola; QuatuorTerpsychordes. Zig ZagTerritoires ZZT051103.

Jean-Marc Apap was a name newto me, and after reading this CD’sliner notes I knew why: he comesfrom the Jazz and World Musicscenes, with which I can’t claimmore than a nodding acquaintanceat the best of times. Apap studiedat the Curtis Institute and is onthis showing an outstanding play-er, with lots of things to say. Hisconception of Bach’s music isunequivocally based on its rhyth-mic, dancing aspects. Courantesand Gigues breeze by, and eventhe slower Preludes andSarabandes gather a momentumthat gives them a sense ofinevitability. Not that anythingsounds forced of hurried: it is onemore side of Bach, the solemnThomaskantor for once relaxing athis local Leipzig pub. Apap hastaken good notice of period per-formance practice, and there arelots of resounding open strings,bariolage effects and embellish-ments. Some unexpected slurs andthe odd alternative reading sur-prise the listener (this one atleast), but this is an exhilaratingtraversal of the first three Suites.They are separated on the CD bya couple of the so-called “Leipzig”chorales, arranged for string quin-tet to beautiful effect.

Asturiana – Songs from Spainand Argentina. Music by Falla,Granados, Guastavino,Ginastera, Montsalvatge andLópez Buchardo. KimKashkashian, viola; RobertLevin, piano. ECM 1975.

There is a long tradition of tran-scribing for a string instrumentmusic intended for the humanvoice. August Wilhelmj, for exam-ple, arranged a number ofSchubert songs (the most famousone being Ave Maria) and ariasfrom Wagner’s operas for the vio-lin, and Leopold Auer’s Schumannsong transcriptions were champi-oned by his student Jascha Heifetz.The present arrangements by KimKashkashian and Robert Levinwere tried out by them in manyperformances, and work very well.The viola sometimes takes overmaterial from the piano, and effec-tive double stops are added, in thebest tradition of the old-timersmentioned above. Some songswork better than others: I wasmuch taken with Guastavino’s Larosa y el sauce (of which the com-poser once authorized a violin ver-sion) and Ginastera’s Triste (there isa cello version by Pierre Fournier).Falla’s Canciones populares are oftenperformed in Pawe Kochaƒski’sviolin arrangement, upon whichthe present one is based. All thesesongs are an inexhaustible treasuretrove of tunefulness on which bothplayers revel. Kashkashian’s breadthof tonal colouring is as amazing as

ever, an occasional “woodiness” oftone sounding perfectly appropri-ate for Falla’s Andalusian exhuber-ance. Granados’s Majas – alterna-tively sorrowful and coquettish –suit the viola’s voice better. Theonly problem I had listening tothis recording is that, havinggrown up in Argentina, I haveknown these songs since child-hood, and missed the words mostof the time! Kashkashian’s consis-tently expressive phrasing suggestsin a couple of places that she isn’tthinking of the songs’ text but seesthe melodic line abstractly (theevocatively illustrated bookletquotes Arnold Schönberg advocat-ing precisely this!). It would benice to think that violists, goadedon by this beautiful CD, might goon on explore, say, the viola sonatasby Torrandell or Guastavino.

Telemann: 12 Fantasias. PatriciaMcCarty, viola. Ashmont MusicAshmont 9306.

Telemann’s Fantasias for unaccom-panied violin are less ambitious intheir scope than Bach’s cello Suites,let alone his Sonatas and Partitas,but they show an equally keenmusical mind at work, with manymovements that recall parallel pas-sages in Bach’s sets (for examplethe Vivace of the D minorFantasia, with its echoes of theGigues in Bach’s Second and SixthSuites). On the other hand, fugalmovements betray Corelli’s influ-ence: Telemann was a master of all

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RECORDING REVIEWS

trades! For her recording on theviola, Patricia McCarty uses amodern set-up while playing in anhistorically aware way, with sparinguse of vibrato and clear articula-tion. She stays “authentically” inlow positions, but uses less openstrings than a period player would.McCarty’s stylish embellishmentsto the solo line are on the discreteside: more could have been madeof the dissonant potential of trills,and some triplet rhythms shouldhave been adjusted. However, onthe whole I find her interpretationvery convincing. The recording,made at the MeadowmountSchool of Music (where McCartyteaches), is warm and welcoming,the one annoying point being thelack of track numbers for the indi-vidual movements.

Hoffmeister: Viola Concertos inB flat and D; Twelve Etudes forsolo viola. Ashan Pillai, viola;Gulbenkian Orchestra; ChristopherHogwood, conductor.

This well-filled CD convenientlycontains all Hoffmeister’s composi-tions for solo viola. The D majorconcerto is of course extremelypopular, but this is only the thirdrecording known to me, and thefirst to use the original text, sinceAtar Arad (Telefunken LP, 1976)had to make do with the old cor-rupt edition, and HariolfSchlichtig (Tudor CD, 2002) useda completely rewritten orchestralscore by Franz Beyer. Pillai andHogwood have thankfully trustedHoffmeister – whom Beethovencalled his “brother in the art of

music” – to knowwhat he was doing(Pillai can even beheard playing alongin the tuttis, whichthe composer sure-ly expected, as theyare written into theviola part). Pillai’shandling of thesolo part betraysHogwood “period”influence, beingclearly articulated,almost “spoken”,with none of theall-purpose phras-ing one often hearsin this repertoire,and plenty of openstrings. The B flatconcerto proves aworthy companionof comparablequality and similar

technical requirements. Using vari-ously sonata, dance and variationform, Hoffmeister’s Etudes areagreeable showpieces for a playerof Pillai’s considerable talent. Hedoes an excellent job, his remark-ably sweet tone remaining so inthe face of every obstacle.

Viola Swirl. Music by Bunch,Coleman, Theofanidis, Gershwin(arr. Deborah Holden-Holloway)and Porter (arr. Bunch). CarolRodland, viola; Tatevik Mokatsian,piano. Crystal Records CD834.

Now in the faculty of the NewEngland Conservatory, CarolRodland is a multiple prize-win-ner in the US and the Isle ofMan. Her debut CD adventur-ously features three contemporarycompositions followed by virtuosotranscriptions of Americana byGershwin and Cole Porter.Rodland delves deep into KenjiBunch’s Suite, taking her timeover the jazzy Scherzo, and turn-ing the Lament into the work’semotional core. In Dan Coleman’satmospheric Summer, the violarhapsodizes at some length over aquasi-minimalist piano back-ground. Christopher Theofanidis’sunaccompanied Flow, My Tearswas written in 1997 in memoryof the composer JacobDruckman. It is a mesmerizingstudy in tonal colors, whichachieves an almost unbearableintensity in Rodland’s heartfeltperformance. In Rodland’s hands,Gershwin’s pieces (Fascinatin’Rhythm, Summertime and I GotRhythm) lack some of the insou-ciance of a Grapelli, Benedetti orHeifetz, but she is more attuned


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to the urbane music of ColePorter (From This Moment On,Begin the Beguine and AnythingGoes), and is helped by the wittyarrangements of Bunch, who ishimself a violist. Like DeborahHolden-Holloway’s Gershwintranscriptions, they are in the tra-dition of the “free arrangements”of Borisovsky or Primrose, andbring this highly enjoyable CD toits foot-tapping close.

Baroque Preludes, Dances andFugues. Scott Slapin, viola. EroicaClassical Recordings JDT3304.

Behind the above title hide our oldfriends, Bach’s Sonatas and Partitasfor unaccompanied violin andtheir less well-known cousin, thePartita for solo flute. They are allperformed on the viola, in a tourde force by Scott Slapin. Amazigly,this is Slapin’s second stab at thismusic. I am not familiar with hisfirst recording of some ten yearsago, but the present one is animpressive record of his long occu-pation with some of the greatestmusic ever written. The technicalhurdles in which this pieces aboudare even more treacherous on thebigger instrument, but Slapinemerges almost unscathed fromthe fugues and the Chaconne, evenif one can disagree with some ofhis solutions to the arpeggiato pas-sages. At some places (especially inthe dance movements), the rubatoand agogic get in the way of themusic’s flow, but never leading tomannerism. I like very much theway some movements segue intothe following ones, like theChaconne almost emerging fromthe preceding Gigue. Like Heifetz– and almost nobody else – Slapin

plays a trill in sixths at the halfclose before the A minor fugue. Hehas a welcome light touch for thethird Partita, which can potentiallysound heavy-footed a fifth lower.The flute Partita, a work of alighter character, is also played afifth lower, in D minor. That thereis room for it at all is due toSlapin’s fresh tempi and to theomission of some repeats. Therecording reproduces beautifullythe masculine tone of Slapin’sIizuka viola.

Recital on the Road: What WeDid On Our Summer Evacuation.Hindemith, Bruni, Paganini,Bach, Rolla. Scott Slapin, TanyaSolomon, violas. Eroica ClassicalRecordings JDT 3265.

The CD’s title is tobe taken literally:Slapin andSolomon (husbandand wife) fled hur-ricane Katrina andspent six monthson the road untilthey could get backto inspect theremains of theirhouse. This musicis – as Slapin writes– “what kept usgoing”. I don’tknow how onegoes about review-ing or even critisiz-ing a CD madeunder such condi-tions, but for whatit’s worth I mustsay that I enjoyedthe duos by Bruniand Rolla best.Slapin and

Solomon are a tried and truemusical partnership, and theirrepartee in these two agreeablepieces is admirable, with echoingphrases tossed back and forthbetween the players. InHindemith’s op. 25 Nr. 1, Slapinsurely breaks a speed record in the(in)famous fourth movement,which appropriately segues intothe finale. Here Slapin unfortu-nately perpetuates a misprint 11bars before the end (it should be atrill between D flat and E flat).More famous players have falleninto this particular trap, but sure-ly by now word should have gotaround! More’s the pity, becausethe performance as a whole isbeautifully shaped and passionate-ly played.

Dampits

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That off my chest, I can only admire Slapin’s digitalflexibility in Paganini’s murderous stretches (CapriceNr. 3) and his courage in tackling the Allemande fromBach’s 6th Suite in the original key. However, I am notcompletely convinced by the result in the latter case,since the permanent use of very high positions makesfor tonal tensions of the wrong kind (the piece is writ-ten for a five-stringed instrument, and Bach makes fulluse of it!).

The Last Rose of Summer. Viola pieces by Kreisler,Radulescu, Kugel, Ernst, Scriabin, Zemtsov,Rubinstein, Haendel. Mikhail Zemtsov, viola; IrinaShishkina, piano. Natural Acoustics NA5001CD.

More than a regular commercial recording, this CD isunashamedly a calling card for the soloist: no infor-mation is given on the music (some of which is quiteunknown), just a detailed listing of the soloist’sadmittedly impressive achievements. Zemtsov – a stu-dent of Michael Kugel – follows on his teacher’s foot-steps with a virtuoso recital, recorded live. To my ears,the Rubinstein Sonata is ruined by a recording thatconfines the all-important piano to an acoustic no-man’s land. Most of the other pieces are either unac-companied or have a simple piano background, andthey work well, in spite of the over-resonant acoustic.Michael Radulescu’s 10-minute, tri-partite rumina-tions and Evgueni Zemtsov’s (a relative? we are nottold) tuneful morsel are highly enjoyable. Kreisler’sScherzo-Caprice sounds quite heavy-footed (and mem-ories of a performance by Nobuko Imai tell me thatit’s not because it’s played on the viola). Kugel’sPrélude Ysaÿe finds Zemtsov in his element, as doesErnst’s Last Rose of Summer (in a transcription byKugel that avoids some of the piece’s cruellest stretch-es without sacrificing any of its brilliance). It’s hard tosee the point of the “Bonus Track”, the so-called“Handel” concerto, as “played by Dana Zemtsov (12years old)”: this is quite OK as far as it goes, but it’sbound to cause the promising young lady muchembarrassment in a few years’ time.


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Please send items of interest regardingviola activity at the grassroots to:Louise Zeitlin, AVS Secretary,[email protected].

Arizona

The Arizona Viola Society hasbecome an active chapter after yearsof dormancy. Last January we hadour first event, an evening of cham-ber music. We had a great turnout forour first event and enjoyed readingviola duos, quartets, and quartetswith piano. It was a great way to getviolists in Arizona together in aninformal way and announce thereemergence of our chapter.

In April the society hosted an eveningof reminiscing with William Magers,who is Professor Emeritus of Viola atArizona State University. Those inattendance were privileged to hear ofhis remarkable viola career and of hisgreat teaching successes throughoutthe years.

Events we have planned for this yearinclude an open member’s recital inDecember, 2007 and of course thisyear we are putting much of ourenergy into helping plan and run the2008 Viola Congress and BRATS daywith Professor Nancy Buck andArizona State University.

– Jacquelyn Schwandt, DMA

Idaho in two partsHello, happy violists!

I have just returned from the first everIdaho Viola Camp. It was ablast. It wasa blast. You can see some pictures athttp://picasaweb.google.com/boisevi-ola8/ViolaCamp

Idaho Viola Camp was a three-dayretreat/camping adventure. EachDay included large viola ensembleand smaller viola ensembles, scaleclass, and solo practice time. Whilewe were camping at a state park,classes were held at a church close tothe park. We were able to leave violasin the church overnight so as not toexpose them to undue temperaturechange, etc. Viola activities wentfrom 9-5 each day. We also went hik-ing and canoeing.

– Jen Drake(excerpted from Viola yahoolist posting)

We have no new board members.Our chapter is doing well and wehave plans to keep things going!

In February of 2006, Peter Slowik(Oberlin Conservatory) was here in

AT THE GRASSROOTSLocal Viola Societies Arizona Viola SocietyJacquelyn Schwandt, [email protected]

Central Texas Viola Society Ames Asbell, president [email protected]

Chicago Viola Society Michael Hall, [email protected]

Idaho Viola SocietyLinda Kline Lamar, [email protected]

Iowa Viola Society Christine Rutledge, [email protected]

Minnesota Viola SocietyJ. David Arnott, [email protected]

North Carolina Viola Society Scott Rawls, [email protected]

Northern California Viola Society Tom Heimberg, [email protected]

Ohio Viola Society Jeffrey Irvine, [email protected]

Oklahoma Viola SocietyMatthew Dane, [email protected]

Oregon Viola Society Adrienne Brown, president [email protected]

Palmetto Viola SocietyConstance Gee, [email protected]

The Philadelphia Viola SocietyDavid Yang, president [email protected]

Rocky Mountain Viola Society Margaret Miller, [email protected]

Southern California Viola Society Jennie Hansen, [email protected]

Utah Viola Society Claudine Bigelow, [email protected]

Viola Club of MD/DC & VA Louise Hildreth-Grasso, [email protected]

Virginia Viola Society Johanna Beaver, president

Seattle Viola Society LeeAnn Morgan, [email protected]

Last row: Joni Bosh, Katie Shields, StaceyRhoton, Monica Oechsner.Middle row: Martha Hughes, Dr.William Magers, Jackie SchwandtFront row: Sara Duce, Sally Taniguchi

Boise for several days. We kepthim busy almost 24 hours a day!He did master classes and taughtlessons at Boise State Universityand a local performing arts acade-my, performed a recital (music ofBach, Hovhaness, Lane, Gardner,Rolla, Hindemith, and Reger) andalso performed with the BoiseBaroque Orchestra.

In November of 2006, LennySchranze (The University ofMemphis) gave a master class,taught lessons and performed arecital at Boise State University(music of Stamitz and Brahms).

Best wishes,– Linda Kline Lamar

Minnesota

The Minnesota Viola Society hasbeen quite busy presenting recitalsand master classes! Dr. MichaelKimber was in town for ViolaDay‘07 and presented a marvelousarray of all things viola includingseveral of his own compositionsand a fascinating talk on tempera-ment. In June, our past-president,Renee Moore-Skerick presented arecital with Dominic Dousa whichincluded music of Schumann,Clarke, Brahms, and Dousa. Oneof the newest members of theMinnesota Orchestra, MatthewYoung, will be presenting a recitalin September. Our new president,Stella Anderson, hastaken over and is eager to continueour strong presence in the violaworld. The Minnesota ViolaSociety will be represented at thenext congress as well!

Respectfully submitted by– J. David Arnott, DMA

Ohio in two partsWhen I was a high school studentthe viola players in my hometownwere all very close friends. Weformed a club called the ViolaMonarchy and we printed upshirts that had crowns on the frontand our titles on the back. Therewas a King, a Queen, a Duchess, aPrincess, and many more… basi-cally every royal title that existed.There were also the “new bees”who had to wear yellow and blackstriped shirts for their first year inthe viola monarchy and carry theinstrument cases and music stands.Our “Monarchy” was much morethan a group of friends, we alsorehearsed weekly and gave regularperformances. These were my

favorite years as a young violist, Istill have my t-shirt and haveremained friends with many ofthose “royal” people.

In April the OVS held an event atLakewood High School for youngviola players in Ohio that mademe think back to this time in mylife. The event was called “ViolaRocks!” and it was a wonderfulopportunity to develop newfriendships and to inspire youngviolists. The afternoon started withmasterclasses led by board mem-bers of the OVS in which partici-pants could perform individuallyor play in a group. In the class Iled we started the afternoon byplaying a couple of games to get toknow each other, and then we hada sight-reading party. Some of themusic was pretty difficult and itwas a wonderful opportunity foreveryone to learn something new.

I really enjoyed how energeticeveryone was when we were play-ing, and they had so many ques-tions to ask me about playing theviola that we ran out of time andhad to finish talking while wewalked down the hallway.

A wonderful concert followed withperformances by Peter Slowik,Kirsten Docter, Lousie Zeitlin,Karen Ritscher, and LembiVeskimets. It was a rare treat tohear a performance given by thesewonderful musicians and veryexciting to hear so many pieces forviola. After a snack break the after-noon concluded with an orchestraof violas on the auditorium stagefor a group reading session of violaquartets.


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Renee Moore Skerik and Dominic Dousain recital.

MNVS president Stella Anderson withMichael Kimber after Kimber’s recital.

I am not sure if any viola kings orqueens emerged afterwards, butthe day was a huge success. I amlooking forward to “Viola Rocks!”this spring.

– Amber Smithson

On a chilly winter’s evening lastFebruary 23, 2007, Kirsten Docterpresented a thrilling recital for thegreater Cleveland audience thatwarmed the soul! The site of thisrecital was the beautiful and invit-ing chapel at St. Paul’s EpiscopalChurch in Cleveland Heights. Thisrecital was presented as a benefitfor the Ohio Viola Society’s annualviola competition.

Ms. Docter is a member of theaward-winning Cavani Quartetand a faculty member at theCleveland Institute of Music.With the quartet she presents con-certs all over the world. It was aspecial treat to hear her play as arecitalist. Ms. Docter presented avaried program that appealed to allages. The program opened withthe Marin Marais “Five OldFrench Dances”. She and harpsi-chordist Alex Bonus played withgreat stylistic flair that drew in theaudience and announced that greatthings were to come. A highlightof the program was the world pre-

miere of Greg D’Alessio’s “AltoRhapsody for Solo Viola”. The titleof the piece is derived fromBrahms’ “Alto Rhapsody.” Of thiswork, Mr. D’Alessio writes, “ ‘TheAlto Rhapsody’ is one of the highpoints of the literature for lowfemale voice. So it seemed like afine thing to appropriate it for asolo viola piece since the viola isthe alto voice in the string family.”Ms. Docter played this highly dif-ficult and rhapsodic work withamazing ease and flair. It is a piecethat others should consider learn-ing! The first half of the programconcluded with the Hindemith“Duet for Viola and Cello”. Theenergetic rendition of this piecewas played with Ms. Docter’s cel-list friend, Melissa Kraut.

Intermission for this concert waslonger than normal. There was anamazing buzz of conversation andexcitement amongst the membersof the audience while they waitedwith great anticipation for the sec-ond half of the program. The sec-ond half was played with pianistJames Howsmon and included theHaydn “Divertimento for Violaand Piano” and Brahms SonataOp. 120, #2 in E-flat major. Bothpieces were played with Ms.Docter’s characteristic security oftechnique and warmth of tone.The evening could not have been amore enjoyable one. If anyone hadwondered about venturing out onthe cold winter evening, theyreturned home with great satisfac-tion of having heard a spectacularevening of viola music!

– Louise Zeitlin

Southern California

This past season, the SouthernCalifornia Viola Society had a ban-ner year. We re-wrote our missionstatement, added many new facesto our board, and hosted sevenevents! And we have plans for lotsmore exciting activities this season.

Our wonderful Board of Directorsincludes Piotr Jandula, who hasreturned to the Board as our newSecretary, Andrew Duckles, the tal-ented cartoonist, as our VicePresident, and in addition we haveadded Brett Banducci, who is incharge of composer outreach, GinaColletti, who so brilliantly organ-ized our first ViolaFest for kids,Alma Fernandez, Karie Prescott,Nancy Roth, Daryl Silberman, andRachel Wirth. Our Treasurer,Jamie Griffes, our publisher, LoriIves, and former Secretary and

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(from left to right ) James Howsmon, Gregd’Alessio, Kirsten Docter, Alex Bonus,Melissa Kraut after Docter recital.

SCVS ViolaFest

LA Phil violist Mick Wetzel teaching atSCVS ViolaFest

guiding light, Mercede Shamlo,and are still providing the continu-ity and support they have givenSCVS for so many years. Past offi-cers and board members PamelaGoldsmith, Ray Tischer, TomMetzler and Dan Thomason giveus regular help and inspiration onour Advisory Board.

In 2006-2007 SCVS hosted sevenevents - two collegial concerts, twoviola ensemble reading parties, a full-day event ViolaFest for over 100young Southern California violists, aviola improvisation workshop withDanny Seidenberg, and a Primroseparty hosted by Pam Goldsmith.Most importantly, we had many won-derful gatherings of violists, of all agesand persuasions. The reading bashesare always great fun, and Brett’s com-poser outreach activities have gleanedus some new viola ensemble pieces tolook at this season, and possibly per-form on one of our concerts. In addi-tion we have plans to do some dedi-cated composer reading sessions.

We celebrated the viola makerMark Womack at our first formalconcert last season, by surprisinghim with a performance of MariaNewman’s Four Hymns for 9 vio-las, conducted by violist ScottHosfeld, with Maria herself as thebrilliant viola soloist, and per-formed completely on Womackviolas!!! What a sound! Mark hadtears in his eyes for about an hourafterwards. The concert also fea-tured the atmospheric “A Two-For-One Trio” by David Walther forflute, viola and harp, performed bythe Debussy Trio; Pam Goldsmithand Marlow Fisher performing astylish Stamitz Duo; and Victoria

Miskolczy’s powerful rendition ofBloch’s Suite Hebraique.

ViolaFest for kids was a day richand full to overflowing with musi-cal food for our young viola com-munity. Gina was a great organizerand inspiration to us all. Sponsorsof the event were SCVS, AVS,ASTA, Metzler Violin Shop,Lincoln Middle School and theSanta Monica School Districtmusic teachers. Thanks to gener-ous donations from the local com-munity of professional violists,scholarships were available for allwho needed them, and the MetzlerViolin Shop provided instrumentsfor several violinists who were try-ing out viola for the day.

ViolaFest’s activities includedrehearsals, performances and a widerange of classes. Classes in note-read-ing, switching from violin to viola,improvising, vibrato, shifting, left-hand speed, and Bach Suites werelead by area teachers and professionalviolists such as Patrick Rozales, KatieCavallero, Daryl Silberman,Josephine Liu, Mick Wetzel, PamelaGoldsmith, Karie Prescott, BrettBanducci and Kate Reddish.Showcased in the middle of the day,Paul Coletti taught a masterclass fea-turing three of the advanced violists.Then he was joined by Mick Wetzelof the Los Angeles Philharmonic inan inspiring recital, accompanied bya guest student quartet from theColburn Conservatory.

The festival culminated in a concertwith all the students performingonstage in massive viola ensemble,playing an arrangement in G ofPachelbel’s Canon, and the Santa

Monica High School Viola Sectionpremiering “Leave the Hills Alone,” anew work written by Bevan Mansonfor the occasion. All participantswore a ViolaFest t-shirt with artworkby Andrew Duckles. Plans for thisseason’s ViolaFest include a new pieceby composer Paul Chihara.

The Southern California ViolaSociety embraces a large geographi-cal area. We try to change venuesregularly, so that our far-flungmembership has an occasionalevent close to home. This season,Robert Becker will host an viola dayat Chapman College, in OrangeCounty, and plans are afoot for a“Viola-Cafe,” an open-mic night inWest Hollywood. Check our web-site for announcements of futureactivities, or send us your emailaddress and we’ll put you on ourmailing list. ([email protected]) If you are interested inprogramming any of the works wehave presented this year, please feelfree to contact us for informationon obtaining scores.

Even better still, why not drop inand join us? We always love toknow if any of our AVS brothersand sisters plan to be in town.Please let us know if you have anyconcerts in our area, so we can letour members know. The viola ener-gy in Southern California is high.Come by and say hello some time!

– Jennie HansenPresident, SCVS


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Ad Index

Aspen Music Festival & SchoolAVS History & Reference GuideBaldwin-Wallace CollegeBanff CentreBard College Conservatory of MusicBoston ConservatoryCalifornia Summer MusicCleveland Institute of Music Connolly & Co., Inc.Crystal RecordsDampits, Inc.David Dalton Competition adEastern Music FestivalEroica ClassicalGeoffrey OvingtonHeifetz International Music InstituteHeritage Insurance ServicesHistory of the Viola

IVS CongressMetropolitan State College of DenverNew York UniversityPotter Violin CompanyPrimrose International Viola ArchivePurchase College Conservatory of Music/ StateUniversity of NYRBP Music PublishersRobertson & SonsRoosevelt UniversitySan Francisco Conservatory of MusicSanctuary ClassicsStulberg CompetitionUniversity of FloridaUSC Thornton School of MusicVanderbilt UniversityWeaver’s Violin ShopYamaha Corp. of America

Documents

Connolly & Coviolaspace.com/avs/ks/site/JAVS/Viola V23 N2 Draft 2.pdf · 2nd Prize: Bartók’s Viola Concerto by Donald Maurice and Facsimile edition of the Bartók Viola Concerto