The Influence of Violin Schools on Prominent Violinists/Teachers in the United States Christian Matthew Baker
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Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2005 The Influence of Violin Schools on Prominent Violinists/Teachers in the United States Christian Matthew Baker Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MUSIC THE INFLUENCE OF VIOLIN SCHOOLS ON PROMINENT VIOLINISTS/TEACHERS IN THE UNITED STATES By Christian M. Baker A treatise submitted to the College of Music In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Music Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2005 The members of the Committee approve the treatise of Christian M. Baker defended on October 11, 2005. __________________________________ Eliot Chapo Professor Directing Treatise __________________________________ Carolyn Bridger Outside Committee Member __________________________________ Beth Newdome Committee Member __________________________________ Melanie Punter Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii Music resembles poetry; in each Are nameless graces, which no methods teach, And which a master hand alone may reach. —Alexander Pope iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express appreciation to the violin teachers who were so kind to respond to my questions via written questionnaire and telephone interview. Their responses are the most essential component of this treatise. I would also like to thank my committee members for their time and attention to this project, including Lubomir Georgiev, who passed away before its completion, but who first recommended the topic to me. I am particularly indebted to my wife, Michelle, and to Dr. Carolyn Bridger, for their extensive help with the revisions. I express appreciation to my parents, Gary and Cathy Baker, who have made tremendous sacrifices to ensure that their children have the opportunity to study great music. I thank my wife’s parents, Jim and Nancy Bailey, who continually support and encourage. Finally, a special word of appreciation to my wife and our three little boys— Clyn, Russell, and Hyrum—for all their love and patience during this lengthy test of our endurance. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Respondents..............................................................................................................vi List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... vii Abstract...............................................................................................................................viii INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................1 1. THE INFLUENCE OF VIOLIN SCHOOLS: INDIVIDUAL RESPONSES ..................4 2. GENERAL RESPONSES AND CONCLUSIONS.........................................................45 3. A REPORT OF THE LITERATURE ADDRESSING VIOLIN SCHOOLS AND PROMINENT INFLUENCES ON VIOLIN PEDAGOGY ................................................50 4. TABLES ..........................................................................................................................56 APPENDIX: Human Subjects Research Approval Letter...................................................92 Informed Consent Form.................................................................................93 BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................................94 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ...............................................................................................98 v LIST OF RESPONDENTS 1. Andres Cardenes ...............................................................................................................4 2. Charles Castleman ...........................................................................................................10 3. Glenn Dicterow................................................................................................................14 4. Bayla Keyes .....................................................................................................................16 5. Mikhail Kopelman ...........................................................................................................23 6. Oleh Krysa .......................................................................................................................26 7. Violaine Melancon...........................................................................................................29 8. William Preucil ................................................................................................................32 9. David Updegraff ..............................................................................................................34 10. Zvi Zeitlin ......................................................................................................................37 vi LIST OF TABLES 1. Abbreviations and Designations in the Tables.................................................................56 2. Life Spans of Selected Violinists.....................................................................................57 3. Selected Pupil-to-Teacher Relationships .........................................................................61 4. Selected Teacher-to-Pupil Relationships .........................................................................70 5. Selected Prominent Violinists/Teachers at Music Schools, Conservatories and Other Locations (Alphabetical by School)................................................................75 6. Selected Prominent Violinists/Teachers at Music Schools, Conservatories and Other Locations (Alphabetical by Violinist/Teacher).............................................. 78 7. Significant Treatises on Violin Playing (Chronological by Publication Date)................86 8. Significant Treatises on Violin Playing (Alphabetical by Author)..................................88 9. Primary Sources Consulted for the Tables.......................................................................90 vii ABSTRACT This treatise was written in an effort to increase awareness among violinists of the role and importance of violin schools in present-day performance and pedagogy. Over time, the meaning and relevance of the term “school” (as it applies to violin playing and teaching) has become increasingly ambiguous and debatable. The purpose of this study is two-fold: 1) to determine the extent to which schools continue to affect prominent violin teachers/performers in the United States today, and 2) to give an account of available literature addressing the various schools of violin playing. In order to enhance understanding of the current role that the various schools assume in violin pedagogy, opinions from current and highly respected teachers/performers were gathered in the form of telephone interviews and written responses. Their individual responses comprise Chapter One. Chapter Two summarizes their responses in more general terms. A report of relevant literature (Chapter Three) includes information which will allow readers to educate themselves about the different violin schools and prominent influences on violin pedagogy. A series of tables (Chapter Four) provides a useful reference to many of the more prominent teacher-student relationships, the relationships of those teachers to the schools where they were active, and some of the most significant treatises on violin playing. It is apparent from the interviews that current perspectives and opinions pertaining to the influence of schools vary quite widely, even among renowned artists and teachers. However, one may develop a discriminating sense of the importance of various schools in the history of violin playing and teaching by studying the interviews and the sources relevant to this topic. viii INTRODUCTION Even while adherents to various schools teach their own versions of the correct approach to violin playing, each must consider how it is that conflicting schools are able to achieve equally impressive results, despite perceived faults inherent in other methods. The phenomenon is not new, as superb artists have emerged from many different schools (and from outside the schools) in the course of the past three centuries. Before the twentieth century, schools were traditionally affiliated with the location of influential teachers: for example, Giovanni Battista Viotti is recognized for his teaching in Paris and Joseph Böhm for his work in Vienna. But even as early as the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, prominent violinists often traveled extensively and taught in various locations. For instance, although Francesco Geminiani purportedly belongs to the Roman School, he taught for many years in Dublin and London. Antonio Lolli spent a significant amount of time in Germany, France, England, Scandinavia and Russia, not to mention his native Italy. Other international travelers of influence from this era include Gaetano Pugnani, Giovanni Battista Somis, Bartholomeo Campagnoli, Louis- Gabriel Guillemain, Giuseppi Tartini, Giuseppe Torelli and Pietro Locatelli, to name only a few. As violin playing continued to expand and become increasingly cosmopolitan, using location as a means of identifying a “school” steadily grew more problematic. Frederick Neumann commented on the situation: [A] comparison of the principles of . national