y t e i c o Features: S Primrose Competition Review a l Mendelssohn and o the Viola i Borisovsky's Romeo and Juliet V Transcriptions n a c i r e m A e h t 2 f r e o b m u l N a 7 n 2 r e m u u l o V o J Journal of the American Viola Society A publication of the American Viola Society Fall 2011 Volume 27 Number 2 Contents p. 3 From the Editor p. 5 From the President p. 7 News & Notes: IVS News ~ Announcements ~ In Memoriam Feature Articles p. 13 Primrose International Viola Competition Review: Dwight Pounds recaps the events from Albuquerque p. 19 Felix Mendelssohn: Violist: Linda Shaver-Gleason provides insight into Mendelssohn’s life as a violist and offers a fresh perspective on his Viola Sonata p. 29 A Labor of Love: Borisovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Transcriptions: Matthew Jones explores Borisovsky’s transcriptions from Prokofiev’s ballet Departments p. 41 Alternative Styles: Molly Gebrian discusses her collaborative project of music for viola and com - bined piano/percussion p. 49 AVS Retrospective: Myrna Layton chats with current and former student workers at PIVA p. 57 Fresh Faces: Meet Brett Deubner, campaigner for new viola music p. 61 Modern Makers: Ray Melanson’s captivating viola p. 63 New Music Reviews p. 69 Recording Reviews On the Cover: Cindy English Lego Viola Composed of more than seven hundred Lego parts, this non-playable viola was designed and built by Cindy English. A 1:1 scale model of a viola, it won the “Best Music” and “Most Inspirational” awards at the 2010 BrickFair Lego Fan Festival (photo courtesy of Richard K. English). Editor: David M. Bynog The Journal of the American Viola Departmental Editors: Society is published in spring and fall Alternative Styles: David Wallace and as an online-only issue in summer. At the Grassroots: Karin Brown The American Viola Society was founded Fresh Faces: Lembi Veskimets for the promotion of viola performance In the Studio: Karen Ritscher Meet the Section: Michael Strauss and research. New Music: Daniel Sweaney ©2011, American Viola Society Orchestral Training Forum: Lembi Veskimets ISSN: 0898-5987 Recording Reviews: Carlos María Solare Student Life: Adam Paul Cordle Consultant: Dwight Pounds JAVS welcomes AVS National Board of Directors articles from its Officers readers. Submission Nokuthula Ngwenyama, president (2014) deadlines are Kathryn Steely, president-elect (2014) Karin Brown, secretary (2014) December 15 for Michelle Sayles, treasurer (2014) the Spring issue, April 15 Juliet White-Smith, past president (2012) for the Summer online Board Members Rebecca Albers (2012) issue, and August 15 David M. Bynog (2012) for the Fall issue. Adam Paul Cordle (2012) Matt Dane (2013) Send submissions to the Timothy Deighton (2012) Sel Kardan (2012) AVS Editorial Office, Michael Kimber (2014) David M. Bynog Edward Klorman (2013) Kathryn Plummer (2014) [email protected] Karen Ritscher (2012) or to Ann Roggen (2014) Christine Rutledge (2013) Madeleine Crouch, George Taylor (2013) 14070 Proton Rd., Marcus Thompson (2014) Suite 100 AVS General Manager Madeleine Crouch Dallas, TX 75244 AVS National Office 14070 Proton Road, Suite 100 Dallas, TX 75244 (972) 233-9107 ext. 204 The JAVS offers print and web advertising for a receptive and influential readership. For advertising rates please contact the AVS National office at [email protected] JOuRNAL OF ThE AMERICAN VIOLA SOCIETy 2 FROM THE EDITOR violists lament this situation and Ngwenyama. The competition intro - would welcome original solo works duced a series of new features includ - by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, or ing an innovative scoring method and Schubert, the limited repertoire has live hD streaming over the Internet. also freed violists to find means of And for those of us glued to our rectifying the situation. Some do it computers watching the events, the by championing new music, like future of the viola looked very bright, Molly (whose project you can read with a string of highly talented vio - about in Alternative Styles) or Brett lists performing. Deubner, who is featured in our Fresh Faces department. Lastly, in the spring we were saddened by the loss of a member of the JAVS Some freely transcribe works, and family, Eric Chapman, who was the many transcriptions have become sta - editor and author for our Modern ples of the repertoire. In this issue, Makers department; he supplied his I attended a rather unconventional Matthew Jones looks at a transcrip - final article only two weeks before he concert this past March: a recital for tion that has recently been gaining passed away. A dedicated friend of the viola and piano/percussion (that is, much interest: Borisovsky’s excerpts viola, Eric greatly enhanced many one performer playing piano and per - from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet . viola congresses with his coordination cussion simultaneously). I was a bit of instrument displays. you can read surprised that the performers, violist Some violists eagerly search for hid - about Eric’s life and his contributions Molly Gebrian and pianist/percus - den treasures—often, but not always, to the viola in Mark Furth’s wonderful sionist Danny holt, were able to get by less well-known composers. Linda tribute in our In Memoriam section. so many composers to write for this Shaver-Gleason looks at a neglected unusual combination, silently pon - work by the very well-known Felix Cordially, dering whether the works would ever Mendelssohn: his Viola Sonata, be performed again. Molly’s doctoral which remained unpublished until David M. Bynog advisor raised this exact issue early in 1966. Linda’s article also examines JAVS Editor the preparations for the project, ask - Mendelssohn’s equally neglected ing “why composers would want to activities as a violist. write for a combination that had lit - tle chance of repeat performances by One great source of hidden viola other musicians?” treasures is the Primrose International Viola Archive (PIVA). In our AVS A similar question might have been Retrospective department, Myrna asked during the nineteenth century: Layton chats with several current and “Why write a work featuring solo former student workers whose lives viola, when there is so little chance of and careers have been greatly a repeat performance?” The paucity enhanced by the wealth of materials of solo viola music prior to the twen - in the archive. tieth century is attributed by many to the scarcity of viola soloists, and it In other AVS news, the 2011 was a rare and daring composer who Primrose International Viola wrote for the viola with no reasonable Competition was a great success expectation for an initial—let alone a under the capable hands of the AVS’s repeat—performance. While most new President, Nokuthula VOLuME 27 NuMBER 2 3 JOuRNAL OF ThE AMERICAN VIOLA SOCIETy 4 FROM THE PRESIDENT luthiers, dealers, and collectors to con - guarded secret, and that shouldn’t be sider donating instruments so that we the case! Please go out there and may continue to present this opportu - recruit a new member before the end nity to a greater number of deserving of the year. have a reading party, print young artists. We are making a differ - some viola ensemble music from our ence in their lives. website, and get your friends, col - leagues, and students excited about Applications are available on our web - what we do. It’s also a great gift for the site for the second biennial Gardner holidays; it’s what my relatives will Composition Competition with a sub - receive this year. They are so lucky! mission deadline of December 15. The prize includes a cash award of $1000 Speaking of gifts, who wants to go to and performance of the winning work Paris? The bid for ten nights in a one- at the 40th International Viola bedroom apartment around Congress next year. Inquiries and appli - Montmartre opens at $950; that’s less cations should be directed to Gardner than $100/night. Commit now, and Competition chair Christine Rutledge. live like a Parisian when your schedule permits. Apartment details and bidding Applications are also available online for instructions are available on our web - the Dalton Competition with a submis - site. Dare to dream about your next Autumn greetings! I hope you are hav - sion deadline of May 15, 2012. This year’s vacation. you will love it! All proceeds ing a rewarding season full of success. prize includes publication of the chosen go toward raising $5000 for the It has been an exciting fall. I was hon - scholarly article and a cash prize of $400. Primrose Competition, for which there ored to be a part of the moving memo - Inquiries and applications should be is a matching grant in place. how rial and tribute to the great pedagogue directed to Dalton Competition chair and much better can it feel to do good Karen Tuttle, and many of our dear JAVS editor David Bynog. while having fun at the same time? AVS friends and colleagues were pres - ent. The event gave us an opportunity Preparations for the upcoming congress I extend a heartfelt thanks to our hard- to share our feelings through stories at the Eastman School of Music are working executive board. Without and music making. underway. Carol Rodland, George them none of this would be possible. Taylor, and Phil ying are our hosts, and As always, I welcome your comments The American Viola Society has con - they constitute a tremendous team. and suggestions. Please continue to tinued to forge ahead despite decreased They are tirelessly working to make visit our website regularly to submit funds. It is a serious situation, but by next year’s event incredible and need your events and to keep up with our working together we can continue to our support more than ever.