JOURNALofthe

AMERICAN VIOLA SOCIETYChapter of

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

THE AMERICAN VIOLA SOCIETYChapter of

INTERNATIONALE VIOLA-FORSCHUNGSGESELLSCHAFT

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HAROLD KLATZ, SECRETARY1024 Maple AvenueEvanston, IL 60202Violist in Chicago Symphony,Advertising for AVS Newsletter

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

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

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

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS

DAVID DALTONArchivist. InternationalPrimrose Viola Archives,tditor. A.V.S. NewsletterBrigham Young UniversityProvo, Utah 84602

ROBERT SLAUGHTER1105 North Riley RoadMuncie, IN 47304Ball State University

THOMAS TAn-ON2705 Rutledge WayStockton. CA 95207University of the Pacific

LOUIS KIEVMAN1343 Amalifi DrivePacific Palisades, CA 90272Private Teacher in theLos Angeles Area

DONALD MciNNESProfessor of ViolaSchool of MusicUniversity of MichiganAnn Arbor, M/48109

ROBERT OPPELT26305 Coolidge AvenueOak Park, MI 48237Private teacher in Detroit area

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

FRANCIS TURSI16 Coniston DriveRochester, NY 14610Eastman School of Music

MILTON KATIMS8001 Sand Point Way NE#C44Seattle, WA 98115

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

OFFICERS

MAURICE W. RILEY, PRESIDENT512 Roosevelt Blvd.Ypsilanti, MI 48197313 - 482-6288Emeritus Professor of Violin-ViolaEastern Michigan University

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

COORDINATOR WITH THECANADIAN VIOLA SOCIETY

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

DR. WILLIAM PRIMROSEdeceased

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

Advertising and classifieds office:60202

Harold Klatz, 1024 Maple Avenue, Evanston, IL

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

David Dalton, Editor

David Day, Assistant Editor

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ON THE TEACHING

TECHNIQUES OF THE VIOLA

by

SVEN REHER

Like so many of my colleagues who areteaching the viola, I too have givenmuch thought to the problem ofsuitable repertoire. Obviously, if onehas an exceptionally gifted youngster,it is best to proceed in the traditionalway. The basic techniques includingmajor and minor (melodic and harmonic)scales, graded studies, etudes andcaprices usually precede theintroduction to the standard repertoirefor the young violist, who has theambition to pursue a career as avirtuoso performer. The literatureavailable consists of music from theBaroque era, some from the nineteenthcentury, and finally the vast amountavailable from the twentieth century.

But, what is best for the ambitiousmature adult student who in his or heryouth has taken "music lessons" andnow wants to do something with music?Their goal is to make music withfriends, to play in communityorchestras, or musical theaterproductions just for the pleasure andsatisfaction involved. What type ofmusic should a teacher assign to anindividual with this ambition in mind?

I have always felt that the primarytask of a teacher is to make the bestmusician possible out of a student.Besides adequate technical facility, oneshould develop musical taste, abeautiful warm tone, and mostimportant, the sensitivity involved inlearning a string instrument. Then, oneshould introduce to the student musicwhich I consider basic to becoming agood orchestra musician, namely,chamber music.

Chamber Music

It has been most profitable for me toexpose the student to the gloriousmusic for the viola which is foundeverywhere in chamber music from theearly eighteenth century to the currentperiod. Why ask an individual toperform difficult concertos when allthat is needed is music that has apractical value, music' that can be usedthroughout life and which brings manyhours of pleasure and so much personalsatisfaction? The playing of chambermusic in the home, in my opinion, isthe finest activity of relaxation that amusically inclined individual can pursue.

But, how should a teacher impart to astudent this feeling and love forchamber music? Surely one cannotassign a movement from a Haydn stringquartet for the student to learn.Practicing the viola part alone can be avery deadly experience for theuninitiated. There has to be a moreeffective way to motivate the learner.The lure often comes when theinstructor gets involved, playing· thesame viola part with the student. Herehe can point out by example thejudicious choice of vibrato type to use,accuracy in length of notes, observationof correct dynamic indications, and howa phrase for the viola fits into thegroup as a whole. As a seasonedperformer, the teacher can make theselessons a wonderfully inspiring hour forboth the student and teacher. Oneshould always remember that "loud andfast" is not necessarily more beautifulthan "soft and slow".

These sessions, however, should not beconfined to the viola part alone. Theinstructor should play the second violinpart (on the violin), or even the firstviolin part, while the student tacklesthe viola score. Many students I havehad in my career have learned theirmusic and ensemble playing in this way.It has often given confidence to the

3

timid student. It also teaches thestudent to listen. Only when he playswith others does he become a realmUSICIan. The teacher's good taste,inspiration and thorough knowledge ofchamber music playing sets a standardfor the student to emulate.

Bach's Ensemble Music

It is remarkable how much musicalsense even two instruments alone canmake. One of the hallmarks of a goodcomposition is good voice leading, andwho exceeded Johann Sebastian Bach inthis technique of writing meaningfulmelodies? The harmonies of that timewere a by-product of good melodicwriting. Recently, I had theopportunity to prepare the three soloviolists for a performance of Bach'sThird Brandenburg Concerto. We hadgreat pleasure in listening to oneanother, marvelling at the fullness ofsound and interplay among the soloists.It was as if we were solving a jigsawpuzzle. We learned also how importantit was that entrances in ensembleplaying be accurate. And when it cameto joining the other musicians requiredin the performance, we were ready.The compositional technique of Bachmade us better musicians. Theexperience also made us realize thateveryone is fallible in "keeping thebeat."

Bach's Art 0/ the Fugue is alsoeffective in introducing students toensemble playing. Here they are ableto learn and distinguish between asubject and a countersubject, and tounderstand what is meant by imitation,augmentation, diminution, inversion,retrograde, canon, etc. Even theplaying of only two voices taxes theconcentration, patience and accuracy ofthe players. It teaches us never torely on musical instinct only. We beginto realize that rests are as importantas playing the notes. The activeinvolvement of the teacher is essential,because by example, he demonstrates

4

how beautiful sound is important at alltimes.

Often it is possible to play a strongbass line while the student plays thesolo part in a Baroque sonata. TheThree Sonatas for Viola da Gamba andHarpsichord are a good example. Thestrong bass line is characteristic ofBach's music and of other Baroquemusic. It gives the solo line directionand keeps the student aware thatsomething else is going on under thesolo line that could be distracting ifnot appreciated properly.

It is my firm conviction that a stringplayer can only claim to be a goodmusician when he has mastered andstudied the string quartets of Haydn,Mozart and, of course, the monumentalseventeen string quartets of Ludwig vanBeethoven. The good teacher shouldhelp a student by example to realizethe great value of becoming a goodquartet player. In this medium, onecan always hear how one sounds andfits into the ensemble. It certainlygives the student a sense of self-worthand confidence which is often notpossible for a member of the stringection in a symphony orchestra.

Sven Reher took his early training atthe Berlin Hochschule and later atUCLA. He has been a member of theLos Angeles Philharmonic and hastaught on faculties of UCLA andseveral colleges in southern California.He is a recording artist and has alsopublished original compositions throughUnion Musical Espanola and othercompanies.

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WEBER 'STATE'S COMPOSITION

COMPETITION

Introduction

by

Michael Palumbo

Sometimes a good idea is simply amatter of being in the right place atthe right time. In this case the goodidea was Maurice Gardner's latest opus,written for viola, and percussion,suitable for choreography, and titledQuadricinium. The right time and placewas the winter of 1984 at a musicaltheatre rehearsal which MicheleRusinko was choreographing and forwhich I was providing musical direction.

Our original conversation was innocuousenough, simply a discussion of thedifficulty of maintaining one'sprofessional performing edge when in aposition which placed more emphasis onteaching than performing. One thingled to another, and soon we weretentatively planning to do a jointrecital, and asking someone to write apiece of music which I would play whileMichele danced. The idea of aspecially written work also startedquite modestly. We would seek out anaspiring composer in the localcommunity and ask that person to writefor us, paying a small honorarium tocover expenses.

As to the matter of money, it wasdecided that we would each approachour respective deans and requestwhatever amount of money could bespared for such a project, hoping toget three or four hundred dollars tocarry off our "grandiose plans."However, to our delight, both deanswholeheartedly supported the proposal,and each promised one-thousand dollarswhich allowed our local project to

6

become national in scope. We appliedfor, and received, a six-hundred dollargrant from our college InstructionalDevelopment Committee to help withpublicity costs. This grant allowed thefull two-thousand dollars to be used forexpenses dealing with the actualcommissioning of a composition.

Planning the Event

Everything was then planned out anddue dates assigned, from advertisingcopy to the final deadline, September,1985, for scores to be received.Advertising began in February of 1985,with notices being placed in the MEJ,AST Journal, AVS Newsletter,International Musician, and otherperiodicals. In addition, letters weresent to over 400 colleges anduniversities across the country.Neither Michele nor I had ever doneanything like this before and had noidea what the response would be. Soonthe scores started coming in, faster andfaster, until I had 60 scores piled incabinets in my office. I sorted andplayed through the scores, graduallyselecting the 10 I felt were thestrongest works. Michele and I thenclosely scrutinized these scores, andthe final decision was made. MauriceGardner, resident in Florida, wasnotified of the prize, $1000.00 plustravel and expenses to the premierewhich took place in Ogden, Utah onJanuary 31, 1986.

Rehearsals began at once, with DonaldKeipp the percussionist and myself,violist. Maurice was kept in constanttouch regarding questions about thescore, and then the choreographer'stape was made. Michele set thechoreographing, and in January, theensemble made final changes in tempoto accommodate one or another of us,and did the rehearsal. on stage withlights. Finally the performance, whichjustified all the work. We performedQuadricinium at the end of a jointrecital and it was truly the climaxingpiece on the program. Maurice Gardner

proved again, as he has in the past,that it is possible to use establishedmodes of composition in writing newmusic, and make that music accessibleto all who listen.

Michael Palumbo is violist and directoror orchestral studies at Weber StateCollege in Ogden, Utah. He receivedhis Doctor of Arts degree from BallState University where he studied withRobert Slaughter.

Response

by

Maurice Gardner

A lifetime in the career of a composeralways contains a share of failures andrewards, adventures and challenges.The most exciting and challengingmusical adventure of all began when Icame across an announcement of theWeber State College CompositionCompetition in the American ViolaSociety Journal of April, 1985. Thecall was for an original work for soloviola with or without percussion andapproximately twenty minutes in lengthwith three or more contrastingmovements, suitable for an originalchoreographic work.

Ideas for a new work entitledQuadricinium started flowing. The violabecame the central protagonist figureand the percussion a musical foil. Thetitle "Visage" came to mind for thefirst movement. I could see the dancerexploring the facade of the violist.With some help from my computer, Iexplored various permutations of wordsending with "...age" and came up withtitles for three additional movements:"Montage", "Mirage" and "Badinage."These titles became, starting points for

the composition which fell into place,movement after movement.

Receiving word in September, 1985 thatI had won the competition's first prizewith a premiere performance plannedfor January 31st, 1986, I felt fulfilledand confident that I had made the rightmove when I decided to start composingseriously once more some ten yearsago.

Coming to Utah from sub-tropicalMiami temperature on the 30th ofJanuary, laden down with thermalunderwear, ski hat, slip-over sweaters,a lamb-wool lined outer coat, mufflerand rubbers, I was met at 'the SaltLake City airport by Dr. MichaelPalumbo who with great forethoughthad raised the outdoor temperature to awarm 45°! This was to be the first ofa series of courtesies, attentions andsupport that I received during myentire stay in Ogden.

I was chauffeured to the college forthe dress rehearsal. The recital hallwas a pleasant surprise excellentseating, good sight-lines and superbacoustics. The performers werethoroughly prepared and all wentsmoothly.

The entire visit brought a cornucopiaof surprises and delights. On goingoutdoors for a walk in the briskmorning air, I came face to face withthe hotel sign which continually flashedin large electric letters:WEBER***STATE***COLLEGE***WELCOMES***MAURICE***GARDNERGUEST***COMPOSER....

I usually come away from aperformance with some area that Iwould like to have had played just alittle differently. However, I must saythat the concert came up to my fullestexpectations and I could not have beenmore pleased.

I can never get over performing artistswho can take those little black dots on

7

the page of music and bring them somagnificently to life!

and this cantabile theme follows soonafter:

Robert Howes

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This more lyrical theme enters sixteenmeasures later, against an eighth-noteaccompaniment in the piano:

This passage ends on an f3, anunusually high note for nineteenthcentury viola music.

There is an extended passage ofdecidedly virtuoso character toward theend of part A, from which thesemeasures are taken:

Part B begins with this theme in theviola:

The second half of part B develops thislyrical theme. Elements of the themeappear in the piano part, worked intothe eighth-note accompaniment, and theviola weaves florid passage-workagainst it. The lyrical theme alsopredominates in the closing section ofpart B.

i , .1u,

by

The mUSICIans of the late nineteenthcentury thought the viola capable oftechnical virtuosity, but they preferredto write in a simpler more lyrical styleto bring out the special sonority of theviola. Nevertheless, some virtuosomusic was written for the viola duringthis period.

Such a virtuoso work was theConcertstiick of Leon Firket. Thiswork dates from the late 1870's whenFirket was a professor of violin andviola at the Royal Conservatory ofBrussels. Although the Concertstuckwas written in the late Romanticperiod, its style is more reminiscent ofWeber's instrumental works. Firketalso wrote a Romance for viola andpiano, published some ten years later, acopy of which I have not yet located.The Concertstiick is in a one movementA-B-A' form and is about twentyminutes in duration. The work beginswith a piano introduction of sixteenmeasures:

LEONFIRKET'S CONCERTSTUCK

The top line is the main theme of theentire work. After the introduction,the viola enters with this bravuratheme:

Part A' is highlighted by a thirtymeasure cadenza. The cadenza appearsto have been designed for a smallerhand. Most of the writing gives lineartreatment to various diminished seventhspellings. There is, however, thisinteresting chordal and arpeggial

8

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treatment of the C-sharp diminishedseventh:

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1''!'t9 i J JI 'id; .,. '. ,J __.!"... .;; IF

- ----Rapid scale-work in A major links thecadenza to a twelve measure codawhich ends the Concertstiics: in a blazeof D major.

I have so far encountered two copies ofthe Firket Concertstiick. Both were1920's reprints from the original 1878plates. The first page of the pianopart is headed a mon Ami et ancienProfessor Godefroid Henvaux. When didHenvaux live and where did he teach?Was Henvaux the viola teacher ofFirket? If Firket performed his ownConcertstuck, he must have been anaccomplished violist, and we can assumehe was prominent and influential, beinga professor at the BrusselsConservatory. Might he, therefore,have been an influence on the youngYsaye's attitude toward the viola, whoin turn influenced decisively the careerof the young William Primrose? Ifthere was a Belgian "school" of violaplaying centered around Firket, could ithave influenced the founding ofLaForge's school at the ParisConservatory?

These are tantalizing Questions forwhich no answers currently exist. Mybibliographic research into the lateromantic music for one viola has madeit clear that we must ask many moreQuestions. We need to revise ourassumptions regarding the status of theviola in the nineteenth century.

Robert Howes studied with NathanGordon at Wayne State University. Heis a member of the CincinnatiSymphony and principal of theCincinnati Chamber Orchestra. Heearned a Master of Music degree inconducting at Northwestern Universityand is presently producing abibliography on viola literature.

10

THE J.C. BACH-CASADESUS

CONCERTO IN CMINOR:

A SECOND-HANDED GEM

by

Rosemary Glyde

A fascinating letter was recentlybrought to my attention. Printed inthe London Times in March of 1935, itis a response from Fritz Kreisler to thecritic Ernest Newman concerning theauthorship of certain compositions.The seventh through ninth paragraphsare particularly telling:

Equally false is Mr. Newman'sassertion that I had adopted 'well­known' old names for mycompositions, the sly contentionbeing, obviously that I profited bytheir renown. The names Icarefully selected were, for themost part, strictly unknown. Whoever had heard a work byPugnani, Cartier, Francoeur,Porpora, Louis Couperin, PadreMartini, or Stamitz before Ibegan to compose in their names?They lived exclusively asparagraphs in musical referencebooks, and their work, whenexisting and authenticated, laymoldering in monasteries and oldlibraries.

Their names were no more thanempty shells, dusty, old forgottencloaks, which I borrowed to hidmy identity, when at the outset ofmy career, I saw the necessity ofenlarging the snug repertoire ofviolinists (as far as smaller pieceswere concerned)" and yet realisedthe possibility for a beginner togain recognition simultaneously asa violinist and as a composer.

It is naive to accuse me of, havingtroubled the calm waters ofmusical history and confused itsstudents. Only the pure,authenticated product of a bygoneperiod can be the subject ofscientific research and form thebasis for the valuation of itsachievements. But who everdreamed of passing off mycompositions as works of the oldmasters?

It is well to remind ourselves of thismusical practice, for the use of pennames to market compositions was muchmore common earlier in this century.Whether any of us approve of thismode is irrelevant. The value of theresulting compositions, in this case, isstraight to the mark, for we have abody of works that would be sorelymissed if Kreisler had not createdthem.

This brings into question the Concertoin C minor of J.C. Bach-Casadesus. Ioften said during my studies at theJuilliard School, half-seriously, half-in­jest, that if indeed, viola compositionsby the "great composers" were lacking,composers should be commissioned tocreate works in the style of x----- andto market them in the same name.("What's in a name? A rose by anyother name would smell as sweet.It)Curiously, it is a phenomenon that hashappened and most probably will happenagain.

While teaching at the Sewanee SummerMusic Festival at the University of theSouth in recent years, I encounteredmany viola pupils who placed the J.C.Bach Concerto on the stand for theiraudition. Its authorship was neverquestioned at later lessons. Theassumption is always that the givennames, J.C. Bach and Casadesus are thecustomary composer-editor indication.The title of the concerto reads"Concerto en ut mineur deJ.Chr. Bach"with the addition in the right handcorner, "Reconstitue et Harmonise par

Henri Casadesus, Orchestre par FrancisCasadesus."

Henri and Francis Casadesus

Who are Henri and Francis Casadesus?What is their relationship to this work?What does "Reconstitue" mean in thiscontext? Are there. original themes ofJ.C. Bach that were used? Or arethese a fabrication? Unlike Kreis.ler,did Casadesus "dream of passingoff...compositions as works of the oldmasters?" Was this tongue-in-cheek orserious deception? Without thecomposer here to elucidate, these arenot easy questions to answer.

This inquiry led to a recent phoneconversation with our distinguishedscholar of the viola, Dr. Maurice Riley.According to Dr. Riley, Casadesus mayor may not have based the Concerto inC Minor on original themes. We simplydo not know if and when theirlegitimacy was addressed at the time ofpublication. In the similar case of theViolin Concerto in D--the "Adelaide," ofMozart-Casadesus--its origins werequestioned by the famous Mozartscholar, Alfred Einstein. Einsteinchallenged Casadesus to show theoriginal manuscript of the violinconcerto. Casadesus did not answer.

As far as we know, Casadesus simplycreated an original composition that insome ways is similar in style to that ofJ.C. Bach, and in others, similar to anoticeable romantic style, all the whileusing J.C. Bach as his pen name. Healso did the same in the HandelConcerto, and he never admitted thateither work was his own creation.

His brother, Francis Casadesus, iscredited with the orchestration which isunexpectedly heavy: two flutes, twooboes', two bassoons.. two horns, twotrumpets, timpany, in addition to a fullstring complement. (I performed itrecently with a version for stringsalone provided by violist, Eric Shumsky.It seems the perfect combination for

1 1

this earstwhile baroque work, andimminently more marketable to a boardof directors, to whom it becomes quitea fetching addition to a program whenconsidering their budget.)

Who, then, were Henri and FrancisCasadesus? These were a part of aremarkably musical family. Henri was aviolinist and composer. Born in 1897,he died in 1947. Francis was aconductor and composer, 1870-1954.Other siblings included Marcel LouisLucien, a cellist, and a sister, Rose,who was a pianist. We are morefamiliar with the late pianist andcomposer, Robert Casadesus, born in1899, who was the nephew of Henri andFrancis. Another Casadesus, Marius,born in 1892, was a violinist and wasthe son of Francis.

Henri, the violinist and composer, wasa member of the Caper Quartet from1910-17 and was the founder anddirector of the Societe Nouvelle desInstruments Anciens in which he playedthe viola d'amore. Some of the rareand ancient instruments collected byhim are in the museum of the BostonSymphony Orchestra. Brother Franciscombined careers as composer andconductor, serving his latter talent asconductor of the Opera and 0 pera­Comique, and the former with operaticworks in addition to numerousorchestral compositions, among others.He also was the founder and director(1918-1922) of the AmericanConservatoire at Fontainebleau.

The First Movement

concerto. Everyone laughed. It was,in truth, a sad commentary. This workhas been played into the ground as apedagogic work to the extent that itsperformance is associated with all ofthe above. It is an unfortunatecaricature. And as such, for my firstperformance of the concerto, I wasfilled with excitement as well as not alittle fear. Not only did I want toattempt to change an undesirablestereotype, but I also wanted to makeit interpretively mine to the core.

Just as Casadesus's work is second­hand, so could mine be consideredthird-hand. Not only did I change agood many of the original phrasemarkings in the Salabert edition, but Ialso .deleted the original cadenza andmeasures just prior to it, and insertedmy own cadenza. All of the changeswere made to align the solo with themusical line and to facilitate thephrase. Most important was theattempt to avoid the technical andmusical pitfalls of the caricature. Iwill mention just a few of the changeshere to give the flavor of the editedchanges and of the performance (1-2March, 1986 with the Putnam-NorthernWestchester Concert Society ChamberOrchestra, New York, under thedirection of David Gilbert.)

In the first entrance, a second up bowis taken to bring the stress of thedown-bow slur over the measure tocoincide with the strong first beat.The emphasis, usually taken "as itcomes," has always seemed upside-downto me.)

In the eighteenth measure, the chordand second eighth are. slurred togetherto end the phrase elegantly (in acommanding yet rounded finish):

y y

,; t! C t rNow to the music itself. Or should itbe said at this point, to theperformance. How often could wedescribe a performance of this concertowith the following descriptions: banale,"lopping" (v.i. to sway, move, or go ina drooping or heavy, awkward way),uncontrolled and exaggerated phrasings,repetitive and mechanical bowings. Irecently heard a violinist give a mockperformance of the first phrase of the

12

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The recurring rhythmic figures arealtered from a legato slur to· etch thephrase at rehearsal No. 2 (The firstmovement often seems not only adetache-out-of-control but also a run­on sentence owing .to the long, slurredlegati. Hence, my legato additions tosome detache passages, and conversely,detache to legato.)

; f ~ y

.. ~ If<ff( F Y

quality. Though I do add many changesof bow to ease sustained notes, mymain concern is that of esprit. Onesignificant bowing change at eleven andfourteen measures after rehearsal No.12 effects a slight rubato and an addedstrength while etching the sound. Theseparation of the bow, particularly atthe tip, gives an added declamation tothe end of the phrase as opposed to aperpetual legato:

E2£2Jt t

Placement of the bow is most importantin the third measure after rehearsal No.20, Here banale repetition is replacedwith renewed interest in the phrasethrough alternation of the frog and tipplacement:

I 13 .m IF fTt11t:fLbl_'tii~ ~~

; , t f It NB "t=M:gf 3DT" E:Ej i It:::::t=E:!

I disagree with the printed bowingperhaps most in the last movement.The detache in the opening haseveryone sounding like a choppy motor.I perform it with the addition of slursto set off the phrases, which I hopegives a strength and roundness that itis usually denied. In addition, theadded length of the stroke in theinitial part of the passage sharpens theclarity of the spiccati that follow:

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I I J I i

.. r-.~' Y\ ..F L~c"f ier t

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Q. Y ..

~ r r r

:!I 9 Yt' r 2 i r

At rehearsal No.6, the phrase isbroken up to achieve the effect ofweaving about the chanting staccatiquarters in the accompaniment. Thesame alteration is carried throughout.

~.,~ ~:\ y~ 'B iiFIDtB'gftriP t 4 I

To etch the solo against the parallellegati in the accompaniment, I separatethe legati to definite staccati:

The end of the phrase speaks morecleanly on the detache:

To . avoid the monotony of repetitivebowings and resultantly, the monotonyof repetitive phrasing, .I break up thelegati in the fifth measure afterrehearsal #4:

Y

.1 ,

...1 F

Other Movements

In the second movement, I tend todownplay, and in so doing, draw awayfrom the overblown style so prevalentthese days. I prefer an intense inner

At fourteen measures after rehearsal No20., I move the slurred phrases,transferring the emphasis to thedissonance around the tonic C:

~ .. II IElJ ffi IwJJWH II

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At six measures after rehearsal No. 22,the third repetition of the phrase isdrawn into relief by the change of bow.Consequently, the phrase is intensifiedand prepares for a timely diminuendo inthe fourth reiteration:

,,--. m"-'" . ~~,. v .. y::=•' lJ rfmq r If8W'1 W YWtIfic:!j F' I...~~ !~ v.----..~

,e=E2£j1W' Ii; T r If era I, IAt rehearsal No. 23, I retain the samerepeating spiccati as it seems effectiveincreasing excitement (I call this the"hunt" passage.) At rehearsal No. 24,the same spiccati passage is veryeffective on the C string:

5.11": , ,

! • t.ai Pt!J r I, 'ifli41 rnPI~

The Cadenza

And by far, the most controversialchange I make is the deletion of theoriginal Casadesus cadenza. I find thatthe poco allargando, five measuresbefore the cadenza, comes to ascreeching halt prior to a cadenza thatseems endless. Even the chords of thecadenza seem to lend themselves to thepotential wolves on the G string. Insuch a well-defined movement within awell-balanced work, the cadenza simplyseems incongruous. I therefore, cutfour measures before the writtencadenza ending at that moment with afermata on the dominant 7th, and insertmy own cadenza, the latter having beenQuite effective in the Marchperformance. It is brief and to thepoint, with a call-back to the earlierthemes. This sets up a comfortablesegue into the final first theme in Cminor, marked Vivo at rehearsal No. 27:

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All of the above changes give me theopportunity to come closer to the work.Too, I think they signal the need for anew edition.

At the 1985 Viola Congress in Boston,Professor Franz Zeyringer suggestedthat for accuracy, we always use theCasadesus name hyphenated with theBach on programs. It would be wellfor us to do so. Further, we shouldindicate that Casadesus is the composerand not the editor. Though admittedlyit makes the piece harder to sell, it isa risk we should take. It is up to usto show how compelling works are thatare not written by the "greatcomposers."

Rosemary Glyde received her doctorateof Musical Arts from the JuilliardSchool under Lillian Fuchs. She wasviolist in the Manhattan String Quartetand has appeared as soloist with theHouston Symphony and otherorchestras. Ms. Glyde is the newlyelected treasurer 0/ the American ViolaSociety.

IMPRESSIONS IN PARIS

by

Crystal E. Garner

My special thanks goes to Dr. MauriceRiley for his recommendation foradvanced viola studies in French violarepertoire under Madame Marie-ThereseChailley through funding from theAlliance Francaise de New York-­Fulbright Grant. I was in Paris fromSeptember, 1984 to June, 1985. At theend of the Viola Congress on the Isleof Man, which I attended in August, myParis adventure began. My mother,sister and I were pleasantly surprisedto find that our hotel in Paris was only

a five minute walk to MadameChailley's home.

The following day after we had arrivedin Paris, we went to meet MadameChailley and her husband Dr. Guiard.We three were nervous as kittensbecause this was the acid test of myFrench language studies done whilecompleting my masters degree at theJuilliard School. Through ourcorrespondence, I knew that MadameChailley had a limited knowledge ofspoken and written English. Imagineour surprise to find she had the sameapprehension about the languagebarrier. However, the warmth of hersmile, the English facility of Dr.Guiard, and our desire to expressourselves clearly overcame all obstacles.Within a short time the five of us wereenjoying a lively, sparkling conversationaccented with giggles when wemispronounced French or English.

First Lessons

My first few lessons were interestingbecause I wasn't used to hearingFrench spoken so rapidly, but as Iprogressed in the language, everythingbecame easier. Because MadameChailley currently performs, she couldand would demonstrate what sheinstructed and this also helped bridgeany language gap. My lessons weremeant to be an hour, but MadameChailley would often go over the timemaking sure I had grasped all that weworked on. She made sure I knew howto straighten out any technicalproblems I encountered.

The first month covered technicalproblems as well as the Five OldDances of Marin Marais. I was giventwo exercise books composed byMadame Chailley to strengthen mytechnique. After a few weeks ofworking with her I could actually hearand feel a difference in my playing.There was more fluidity and strength inboth hands.

A month after my arrival in Paris Imoved to the Fondation des Etats­Unis. I met several musicians, French,American and German. Often thecommon language was French. I gotinvolved in group concerts and alsogave a solo recital at the Fondation. Ialso acquired a few friends whoenjoyed going to concerts as much as I.

In October, I was accepted as anexternal student to I'UniversiteMusicale International de Paris withMadame Chailley's help. I was enrolledon the pre-mal/rise level. As anexternal student I was required toperform three examination juries aswell as to continue my private lessons.As a result of the first two of myexams, I was requested to present asolo recital at Theatre 13, an intimateconcert hall used for recitals andtheater productions. Unbeknown to me,this recital was my final exam. I wasawarded a maitrise, the Frenchequivalent of a masters degree, whichnormally takes three years to obtain.

Orchestre du Prix

Having discovered the wealth of Frenchviola music as my year drew to an end,I knew that I would have to find a wayto explore more of this music for atleast another year. Fortunately, aconducting student referred to theOrchestre du Prix, the professionalorchestra of the Paris Conservatoiremade up of recipients of the First Prizein their instruments at theconservatory. As I left Paris at theend of my Fulbright year havingcontacted the orchestra manager, I feltmy chances of receiving a fellowshipwith the orchestra was possible, and Imade preparations to return in the falland audition. Once again I journeyedto Paris last September feeling moreconfident and at ease than the previousyear. I obtained a fellowship from theOrchestre du Prix and I was appointedassistant principal violist. I enjoyedworking with different conductors,playing several concerts a month,

17

recording newly written works by youngcomposers, and doing master classeswith the composer Olivier Messaien andconductor Charles Bruch.

In addition to giving concerts with theorchestra at chateaux and concert hallsin and around Paris, I became involvedwith the United States CenterInternational for Performing Artists(US-CIPA). Through US-CIPA, I wasable to give recitals in Paris. One ofthe highlights of my year was attendingthe Centre Musical Internationald'Annecy, an intense two-week trainingseminar and music festival in theFrench Alps. Annecy itself is oftencalled the "Venice of France" becauseof the canals that run through the city.The stagaires or participants benefitedfrom daily coaching sessions, andperformed on several concerts at theChateau d'Annecy. I resumed mystudies at the Paris Conservatoire withMadame Chailley and concluded moreintense studies of French violarepertoire. Several opportunities topresent recitals in France and Israelwill surely lure me once again to Paristhis coming fall.

Crystal E. Garner completed herbachelor and master degrees at theJuilliard School with the help of theAssistance Trust Fund for Minoritystudents provided by the EducationDepartment of the New YorkPhilharmonic. She has been a memberof the Radio City Music Hall Orchestraand was principal violist with the NewYork Housing Authority Orchestra.

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Ambrogio de Predis, detail showing angel with lira dabraccio. National Gallery, London.

WALK ON THE NORTH SIDE

Memoirs of a Violist by William Primrose

"An eminently readable, extraordinarily illuminatingbook filled with witty, humorous, and sometimespoignant anecodotes."--American String Teacher

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

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

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From the Presidency • • • •

1986 ELECTION OF OFFICERS

On June 1, Myron Rosenblum, who tabulated the ballots, announced the followingresults of the recent AVS election of new officers: David Dalton, president; LouisKievman, vice-president; Rosemary Glyde, treasure; Harold Klatz was reelectedsecretary. According to President Dalton, Dwight Pounds, who also ran for thepresidency, will continue to serve on the Executive Board, and will be given specialassignments in order to utilize his knowledge and commitment to the advantage of ourorganization. Dwight has just returned from Austria, where he represented the AVS ata meeting of the Internationale Viola Gesellshchaft Prasidium (Executive Board) of theInternational Viola Society. Congratulations are in order for the newly elected officersand our best wishes for a successful term in office.

ANN WOODWARD

Dr. Ann Woodward, who served the AVS for 10 years as Treasurer, decided inJanuary of 1986 that she should not run for reelection. Her decision was prompted byher heavy teaching load, more and more performance responsibilities at the Universityof North Carolina, where she is employed, and the time required for her continuinginterest in scholarly research (she was the author of numerous articles in the recentlypublished Grove Dictionary of Music).

Dr. Woodward was responsible for the records and collection of fees from thememberships. She paid all of the bills of the AVS, and kept track of all bankaccounts, including funds for the William Primrose Memorial Scholarship Fund. Shepurchased a computer, with her own money, and learned how to use it so that shecould keep up with the names and addresses of our growing membership. Ann neverreceived any financial remuneration for the many hours she spent doing thebookkeeping for A YS. We all are in great debt to her, and we wish her well in herfuture endeavors.

THE 1986 ASTA VIOLA COMPETITION

The AVS sponsored and financed the $500 first prize awarded to Sophie Renshaw atthe 1986 American String Teachers Association Convention held in Anaheim, April 8-9.Sophie also was the co- winner of the 1986 ASTA Grand Prize. In the competition sheperformed the first movement of the Bartok Viola Concerto. Sophie is 20 years old,lives in Los Angeles, and is a student of Donald McInnes at the University of SouthernCalifornia. According to Lawrence P. Hurst, Chairman of the 1986 ASTA SoloCompetition, "The finalists represented the creme de la creme. The 27 students invited

20

to compete in Anaheim were chosen from among 70 tapes sub-mitted by 28 ASTAChapters. They were judged by a distinguished panel. . . [including] Nathan Gordon,violist." The ASTA Competition prize should not be confused with the WilliamPrimrose Memorial Scholarship Fund. The $500 prize money came from the AVStreasury, and not from the WPMSF.

MICHAEL WILLIAMS (1942 - 1986)

Dr. Michael Williams, violist and musicologist at the University of Houston (1970­86), passed away February 2, after a two-year bout with cancer, AVS members whoattended the XI Viola Congress in Houston, will remember his informative lectureconcerning the step-by-step procedures which he used to make a modern edition of oneof the viola concertos by Wilhelm Gottlieb Hauff (c. 1755-1817), which was laterperformed at the congress by Geraldine Walther. Professor Williams was the author ofMusic for Viola (1979), and had been working for several years on "A History of ViolaMusic to 1820." Unfortunately his illness put an end to his brilliant research. Hisdeath creates a great loss to the viola world.

The above items were submitted by Maurice W. Riley, past president of AVS. A tributeto Dr. Riley will be included in the next edition of the AVS Journal.

New Works & Recordings. • • •

Jason Paras, The Music for Viola Bastarda.. edited -by George Houle and Glenna Houle.Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986. xviii, 232 pp, 8txl1 inches; $27.50cloth.

This important publication, with Foreword by Thomas Binkley, will be of greatinterest to all musicians who play or enjoy listening to viol music. The term "ViolaBastarda" refers to both an instrument and a style of playing that is one of thecrowning achievements of musical mannerism. The Italian repertory for the solo violada gamba in the 16th and early 17th centuries was largely music played "alla bastarda,"an art of performance in which a polyphonic composition is transformed into a singlemelodic line derived from the original parts and spanning their ranges.

Jason Paras has traced the development of the "viola bastarda: and has assembled andtranscribed 46 pieces in this genre. The music in his collection is a rich andfascinating repertory that is rarely heard today. It consists of solo pieces by GirolamoDalla Casa, Richardo Rogniono, Francesco Rognoni, Aurelio Virgilano, Vicenzo Bonizzi,Angelo Notari, Bartolomeo de Selma y Salaverde, and above all, Oratio Bassani "dellaviola."

In addition to the anthology of music there is a great source of historical materialincluded in the early chapters of the book. The historical chapters include informationconcerning performance practices related to the instrument and to its music.

2 1

Professional and amateur players of the viols will find the book to be a treasure troveof information as indicated by the various chapter titles: I "The Development of theViola Bastarda in Sixteenth Century Italy"; II "Early Italian Descriptions of the ViolaBastarda"; III "Viola Bastarda, Lyra-Viol, and Division Viol"; IV "The Size and Tuningof the Viola Bastard"; V "The Accompaniment of Viola Bastarda Music"; VI "'Bastarda'Settings for Singers and for Instruments other than the Viola da Gamba"; VII "TheViola Bastarda and Seventeenth-Century Instrumental Music"; and VIII "Viola BastardaMusic: Sources and Commentary."

The book contains a bibliography, which will make it possible for other scholars toresearch specialized interests that are not examined in this work. The author andeditors of The Music for Viola Bastarda have made a valuable contribution to the alltoo sparse information available concerning performance practices of music for viols inthe sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Reviewed by Maurice W. Riley

Chants d'Espagne by Joaquin Nin, transcribed for viola and piano by David Dalton;Editions Max Eschig, Paris, 1986. This short work, consisting of two movements, istaken from the songs Montanesa and Granadina. The first is intimate and lyrical, andplayed with the mute. The second is robust and rhythmical, and employs a good dealof pizzicato chord playing, a la guitare. A colorful set for insertion in a heavierprogram or as encore pieces.

22