CELEBRATING 100 YEARS WILLIAM PRIMROSE'S LIFE AND CAREER

In his engaging mem- Even before his more sedulous oirs, Walk on the North studies, Primrose learned much Side (1978), Primrose from the musical ambience his confesses that in his early father provided for the family. years he "resented the William's father, John Primrose differences imposed on who was, in William's words, [him] by musical "entranced . . . with all that apper- chores." The precocious tained to string playing and peda- youth found his studies gogy" taught violin in the family's too easy and his play- small Glasgow apartment and mates' pastimes too played with the Scottish Orchestra. alluring. "Some years When William was four years old, later," he notes, "I his father purchased a quarter-sized became aware that I did violin and placed him under the not know as much about tutelage of Camillo Ritter, an my musical trade as Austrian national who had studied puerile conceit had led under Joseph Joachim and Tabar me to suppose. My dedi- Sevcik. While studying under cation to practice did Ritter, young Willie began devel- not burgeon fully until I oping his own musical taste. By On June 9, 2004, at the 32nd came under the ponder- age twelve he had made public International Viola Congress, violists ous, yet benign, influence of my appearances at the local will gather from around to world to great master, Eugene Ysaÿe." Congregational Church, at local celebrate the 100th birthday of the schools, and at Glasgow's Palette renowned William Primrose. This Club. In Glasgow, William opportunity to commemorate the life observed the Scottish Orchestra and contributions of one of the conducted by Emil Mlynarsky and world’s greatest violists promises to be Sir Landon Ronald. During sum- an event of memorable proportions. mers spent on the Isle of Man in Lancashire, William attended per- By David Dalton formances by singers Enrico Caruso and Emmy Destinn and by As one of the world's premiere vio- some of the leading violinists of the lists, William Primrose left a legacy day - Eugene Ysaÿe, Jan Kubelik, well worth preserving. His lengthy Mischa Elman, Fritz Kreisler, and career included membership in the Josef Szigeti. William heard many NBC Symphony, associations with of these musicians in performances an array of quartets and chamber at Glasgow, where he also listened William Primrose at age 12 on the ensembles, a remarkable solo occasion of his first public concert per- to the London String Quartet (of career, numerous teaching appoint- forming the Mendelssohn violin con- which he later became a member) ments, and important pedagogical certo at St. Andrews Hall, Glasgow, and Glasgow's famous Orpheus publications. 1916. Choir.

VOLUME 20 NUMBER 1 13 . . I was so little inspired by violin the violin. Nevertheless, perhaps instruction at the Guildhall School because of the poor esteem in that I kept in the cloakroom a vol- which the viola and viola players ume of concertos edited by Joachim, were held at that time, William which I would retrieve before my had decided to pursue a career as lesson and read in class. And that a violinist. Now, after three years would be my lesson for the day. of sporadic study under Ysaÿe, Primrose had not only dramati- What Primrose's formal musical cally improved his playing, but, education in London lacked in with his mentor's encouragement, interest and personal commitment he had also decided to switch to was compensated for by visits to the viola. performances in the city's concert halls. He attended performances Primrose made the move from by Fritz Kreisler, Jascha Heifetz, violin to viola in March, 1930,

Toscha Seidel, Vàsa Príhoda, and when he became the violist of the

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ˆ Pabloˆ Casals, whose "playing of London String Quartet. "Joining the lilting middle section [of the the LSQ marked a demarcation second movement of the Lalo line for me," he wrote. "I had The London String Quartet. Top to bot- Concerto] literally lifted me out become a violist full-fledged. I tom: Warwick Evans, cello; John of my seat," he later wrote. "I was had burned all my bridges. I had Pennington, first violin; William Primrose, viola; Thomas Petre, second violin. utterly transported by the ravish- walked the Damascus road, seen ing euphoria he induced." the light, repented of past trans- In 1926, after William had been a gressions, and turned to the In 1919, when William was about professional violinist for only two viola." fifteen, the family moved to years, his playing began to falter. London where he had received a On the advice of a friend, Ivor Besides providing Primrose with a scholarship to attend the Newton, Primrose travelled to Le successful and rewarding begin- Guildhall School of Music and Zoute on the Belgian coast to ning to his viola career, Primrose's William began to study violin study under the aging master of membership in the London String under Max Mossel. Although he the violin, Eugene Ysaÿe. Ysaÿe Quartet benefitted him in a num- received a gold medal, the provided the formerly desultory ber of other ways, including his Guildhall's highest honor, at his student with new 1924 graduation, William later motivation and admitted that he hadn't been much-needed what the Guildhall considered an technical refine- ideal student: ment. But Primrose was not I was supposed to take secondary wholly given over piano, theory, and counterpoint, to the violin. As a but I skipped them all. The reason young man, here . . . was my ear. If I had been William had given something in the way of secretly played his advanced harmony and counter- father's viola and point, I might have been interested. had discovered But everything started from the fons that he preferred et origo . . . (from the beginning). . its sound to that of William Primrose during a radio interview, 1959.

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VIOLA SOCIETY 14 "fencing act," waving his baton around in a way that had nothing to do with the music the orchestra was playing. The concertmaster saved the performance, beating out the time with his violin and carrying everyone else along. "It was difficult to subdue a feeling of triumph," said Primrose. "One night I was playing in a theatre pit and the next night I was playing to a distinguished audience in Queens Hall, with a great orches- tra and an eminent conductor, The Heifetz-Primrose-Piatigorsky Trio recording at RCA, Circa 1956, and near disaster." Hollywood. When Primrose learned of the first exposure to international Between the dissolution of the planned formation of the NBC audiences. Perhaps most impor- London String Quartet in 1935 Symphony under Arturo tant for Primrose was his rela- and the establishment of the NBC Toscanini's leadership, he was tionship with Warwick Evans - Symphony in 1937, Primrose did, interested in joining for at least the cellist, founder, and leader of as he himself says, "almost any- two reasons. First, he hadn't yet the quartet. "Strictly speaking," thing and everything that came to played in a symphony orchestra, wrote Primrose, "Evans was not a hand because my financial cable and second, he was "determined learned musician, from the musi- was broken and my anchor lost." to find out whether Toscanini was cologist's point of view, but he During this time he made many really the ogre described by so was a very pragmatic one. Of the appearances on the Continent, many musicians." He was invited many things I heard later from including several appearances at to play viola as a member of the Toscanini when I was with the La Scala in Milan and a perform- orchestra but was never, contrary NBC Symphony, there were very ance in Berlin. One of Primrose's to popular opinion, the sympho- few that I had not learned first most memorable performances ny's principal violist. That posi- from Warwick Evans. He instinc- took place in England. "The night tion belonged to Carlton Cooley, tively knew how things should before I gave my first performance with whom Primrose sat on the go, how they should sound, how of the Walton Concerto with first desk. Primrose quickly dis- they should be presented to the Beecham and the Royal covered that Toscanini's legendary listener." Philharmonic Society, I was in a temper was more than myth, yet theater pit playing entr'acte music. he enjoyed an amicable relation- Under Evans's expert guidance, When the actors were busy ship with the maestro for the four the London String Quartet onstage, I practiced the Walton . . years he played in the orchestra. toured successfully in North and . . Rehearsals for the concerto During his tenure with NBC, South America until the were adequate, but Beecham [the Primrose made several appearances Depression threatened the quartet conductor of the Royal with the symphony as a viola with financial disaster. By 1935 Philharmonic] attended only the soloist, and in 1939 NBC even the group decided to disband, as final one." The result was disas- invited him to form the Primrose Primrose put it, "while we were trous. Beecham lost his place in Quartet. Primrose was particularly still on top." the scherzo movement and went amenable to the suggestion, for into what Primrose called his quartet playing was his "first and

VOLUME 20 NUMBER 1 15 Crooks were what symphonies. During his years of he needed to touring, Primrose performed with launch his solo many of the most eminent con- career. Arthur ductors of his day, including Sir Judson, an influen- John Barbirolli, Sir Thomas tial concert manag- Beecham, Sir Adrian Boult, Serge er, sought out Koussevitsky, Charles Munch, Primrose, express- Arturo Toscanini, Wilhelm ing "his willingness Furtwängler, Maurice Abravanel, and desire to han- and Sir Malcolm Sargent. dle my affairs," and Primrose was also able to pursue the rising viola star his profound love for chamber began making solo music; in fact, through his cham- appearances. ber music affiliations he was able William Primrose at Indiana University, Bloomington to perform with some of the great Indiana, 1969. In a letter written artists he had listened to as a to his father in young man in England and greatest love in music." Although 1944, just a few years after sign- Scotland. In addition to the his work with the symphony and ing with Arthur Judson, London String Quartet and the the quartet sometimes kept him Primrose expressed surprise at Primrose Quartet, he was a mem- busy twelve hours a day, he wrote his own success: ber of the Festival Piano Quartet, home to his father that he was the Heifetz-Primrose-Feuermann "thankful, very thankful . . . to be "I . . . am grateful to God that my Trio, the Heifetz-Primrose- busy, and to be happy in my work solo career has gone Piatigorsky Trio (formed fifteen as I have never been before." so well these past three seasons. years after Feuermann's untimely 1941-42 saw me with death ended Primrose's earlier col- In 1941, it was rumored that some thirty-two concerts, and when laboration with Heifetz), and the Toscanini might resign from the I signed up with the Schnabel-Szigeti-Primrose- orchestra. Primrose, who had Judson office, I was quite prepared Fournier piano quartet. In 1953, joined the orchestra in part for to be satisfied with in recognition of his musical the chance to work under similar seasons for some time to Toscanini's direction, decided to come. You can imagine move on. By chance, Primrose my surprise when last season turned encountered Richard Crooks on a out to be forty-five New York City street, and the concerts, and my amazement when famous tenor invited Primrose to Judson informed me I had join him on an upcoming tour. sixty-four this season!" Primrose accepted the offer and did five tours in four years, The years that followed brought Crooks giving him equal billing further success. Besides playing after the end of their first tour. with orchestras throughout The decision to resign from the Europe, Primrose performed with NBC Symphony had been a risky prestigious American ensembles, one, and Primrose mentions in including the Baltimore, Boston, letters to his parents in London Chicago, Kansas City, Los that "things looked very black for Angeles, Minneapolis, NBC, William Primrose and Aaron Dalton, 1974. a time," but the tours with Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Utah

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VIOLA SOCIETY 16 achievements, Primrose was grant- and a cancer diagnosed in 1977 That, I exulted in myself, is what ed the title of Commander of the ended many of his activities, but it is all about. If ever I might be British Empire by Queen he was still able to teach private granted with my gift to achieve Elizabeth II. lessons, coach chamber music, and what that young man had do a limited amount of perform- achieved with this pitiful member Besides enjoying a lengthy and ing until his death from cancer on of humanity, I felt I might then be successful solo career, Primrose 1 May 1982 in Provo, Utah. able to say with true understand- became a noted pedagogue. Early ing, "All things come from thee, in his career he received an A telling summation of Primrose Oh God, and of thine own have appointment from Efrem as artist and person comes from we given thee." Zimbalist to teach at the Curtis Primrose's own account of a visit Institute of Music in Philadelphia. he made to a school for retarded – Photos and text reprinted with From 1961 to 1965 he taught children in Kansas. permission from the Primrose with Heifetz and Piatigorsky at I met the young man who was in International Viola Archive, Brigham the University of Southern charge of this musical therapy Young University. For more infor- California. Then, from 1965 to program a nobody in the music mation and additional photos, 1972, Primrose was on the faculty profession, as we great ones might please visit at Indiana University. In 1971 have judged him. Whoever had http://music.lib.byu.edu/piva/WP.html Primrose was in residence at the heard of him, and of what impor- Tokyo University of Fine Arts and tance was he in the music world? Music and the Toho School. He But he brought me to a shudder- taught occasionally at Juilliard and ing awakening! He had as one of the Eastman School of Music as his many patients that morning a well as summer sessions in pathetic piece of humanity, a Toronto, Montreal, Geneva, small boy bereft of most of his Banff, Santa Barbara, and Aspen. faculties, bereft of those things Primrose also wrote or con- which we take for granted every tributed to four important peda- moment of our lives. The little gogical publications: Art and chap filled me with a sort of pity Practice of Scale Playing (Mills, and terror, in that he had no eye 1954), Technique Is Memory sockets to house his blindness. But (Oxford University Press, 1960), this young music master was stim- Violin and Viola (with Yehudi ulating the mite with specially Menuhin and Denis Stevens; thought-out rhythms beaten on a Schirmer, 1976), and Playing the drum. Viola (Oxford University Press, The poor little fellow could feel 1988). Primrose was a member of the pulse of the drum even if he the Brigham Young University couldn't hear it. The face of the music faculty from 1979 to 1982 boy gradually and miraculously as a guest lecturer. Unfortunately, (or so it seemed to me) showed an by this time his declining health apprehension, and awareness of precluded a rigorous schedule. this. And even though one usually Primrose began developing a hear- looks for awareness and emotion ing problem in 1946 that eventu- in the eyes, of which he had none, ally affected his ability to hear a there appeared to suffuse his face certain range of the musical scale some blessing, some benediction, accurately. His hearing difficulties some compensation from God.

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