Issue 2 | December 2013

Vol. 2 Issue 1 December 2013 e-Newsletter

Message from the President The IVS continues to grow. In Issue No. 1 of these Carlos María Solare E-News, sections in Thailand, Portugal and the Netherlands were announced as being “in the Dear fellow violists, works”, all of which have in the meantime joined It has been some time since the previous issue of the organization. In addition to them, this year we the IVS E-News, and I apologize for the delay in welcomed Italy as the IVS’s 19th and latest national bringing out this second one. The elections for the chapter. new IVS Board have been taking up a lot of our In 2013, one of time of late. Following an interim period as acting the IVS’s youngest President, I have now been elected for a full term sections—the starting in January 2014, and I thank you deeply Polish Viola for your trust. It is my pleasure to introduce to Society, barely 4 you today the members of the newly elected IVS years old—has Board, who will work with me for the next three hosted the 41st years: Jutta Puchhammer-Sédillot (Canadian VS) International as Vice-President, Louise Lansdown (British VS) as Viola Congress. Secretary, and Danny Keasler (Thai VS) as Treasurer. I am sure that all The appointment of the two Executive Secretaries attendees of this will soon be forthcoming, but we don’t want to hold historic event back the E-News any longer. The names will be will agree with announced in due time in the IVS website. me that it was an Very special thanks are in order for IVS Past unalloyed success. President Michael Vidulich, who after 12 years is PVS President approaching his last period of service as the all- Bogusława Hubisz- Carlos María Solare time longest-serving IVS board member. It was my Sielska deserves Photo credit: Verena Richter Alves pleasure last October to confer on Dr. Vidulich IVS the most heartfelt Honorary Membership, as a small token of gratitude congratulations for all these years of service to our organization. and thanks for the wonderful week of music she Hopefully we will still be able to profit from his gave us. Many colleagues from the Eastern part of experience and wisdom for many years to come. Europe were attending their first International Viola Congress and introduced us to music from Bulgaria, Contents Ukraine and Poland itself. A report on the 41st IVC, President’s Message ...... 1 written by ANZVS member Andrew Filmer for the John White (1938–2013) ...... 2 Journal of the American Viola Society, is included in Impressions of the 40th IVS Congress ...... 4 this issue of the IVS E-News (pp. 21–29). You may Finnish Viola Competition ...... 6 indeed notice a large proportion of contributions Tokyo International Viola Competition . . . . 7 from “Down Under” in these pages! This was Central Coast Concerto Competition . . . . 13 unforeseen, and due mainly to the willingness Solo Viola Sonata Follies of 1937 15 of contributors to submit suitable material—the In Review: the 41st IVS Congress ...... 21 previous issue arguably had a US/Canadian bias. Cinderella: Some More! ...... 27 Ideally, we would like to achieve in each issue Letter from 2014 IVS Congress Host 29 The Viola Music of Louise Lincoln Kerr 30 1 a balanced proportion of articles originating in events large and small that may make a detour worth as many of our sections as possible. Therefore, I your while (www.landesmusikrat-berlin.de). encourage all of you to submit reports on local The IVS in its present form is now over twenty years events, information about your research projects, old. Times have changed a lot since then, and, as and any other items you would like to see reach a— the saying goes, one should move on and change literally—world-wide interested readership. with them, if one is not to be left hopelessly behind. After the Polish congress, Portugal—an even younger The new IVS Board is committed to bringing—and IVS section—is organizing the 42nd International keeping—the IVS in tune with a rapidly changing Viola Congress, scheduled for November 2014. Please world. For this we need your help and support: Please see the host’s message on p. 29. don’t hesitate to get in touch with us! In Berlin, where I live, the State Music Council With kindest regards, (Landesmusikrat) has declared the viola—or rather die Bratsche— “Instrument of the Year” for 2014. Hartmut Rohde, viola professor at Berlin’s University of the Arts, has agreed to be patron of this year-long event. Should you be anywhere near Berlin, watch Carlos María Solare out for a continuing series of concerts and other President of the International Viola Society British Viola Society Newsletter 2013 quartet he encouraged many of them to write for the John White (1938–2013) viola, and they responded with works dedicated to by Michael Freyhan | British VS Newsletter him. This article was written as a 75th birthday tribute. He gained further professional experience playing Sadly, John White passed away on December 1, 2013. in the London Philharmonic Orchestra and London Michael Freyhan’s text is printed here as an homage to Mozart Players but was drawn by instinct to the Honorary President of the British Viola Society and teaching. Accepting a post at Hockerill College in doyen of research into the viola Bishop’s Stortford, he developed repertoire. the musical life of the College, Born in the Yorkshire coal- bringing in musicians from mining village of Royston, outside to give concerts and near Barnsley, John White provide inspiration for the received his first violin students. He was much in demand lessons from his father. He as a chamber music coach and continued his musical studies began to conduct and train young at Huddersfield Technical players in organisations such as College, where he took the the Brentwood Youth Orchestra. decision to switch to viola. He went on to become viola tutor While serving out his national for the European Youth Orchestra. service he was awarded a As his reputation spread abroad scholarship to study with he was invited to sit on the juries Watson Forbes. He proceeded of international competitions. to the Royal Academy, where He was the first British violist to he became a founder member give master classes at the Beijing of the Alberni Quartet. This Conservatory. He held long- later brought him into contact term appointments, teaching with Britten and other British at the Royal Academy for more composers. After leaving the than thirty years and serving John White (1938–2013) 2 Photo credit: Melanie Strover high quality string instruments for purchase & rent wide selection of accessories, bows, cases, & sheet music detailed instrument maintenance financing available exceptional customer care

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4706 Highland Avenue • Bethesda, Maryland 20814 USA Promo code: IV Promo on the committee of the Lionel Tertis International from his private archive, stored on the first floor of Viola Competition for a similar period. He his house, though no-one outside the close family has continued to edit and publish, recently bringing been allowed to see it! Some of the Tertis treasures out collections of Tertis arrangements, from the came to him from the late Harry Danks, former original manuscript or transcribed from recordings, student of Tertis, whom John White acknowledges as as well as previously unpublished works by Alwyn an irreplaceable friend and mentor. and Bowen. His Anthology of British Viola Players, His answer to retirement, and equally to ill- published by Comus Edition, dates from 1997, and health, was to work, and in his 75th year he was as his monumental biography of Tertis, Lionel Tertis, productive as ever: his last book, on cricket, was the First Great Virtuoso of the Viola, first published by published last October. John is survived by his wife Boydell and Brewer in 2006, has just been updated Carol— his companion of almost 50 years—as well as and reprinted in paperback. It draws on material by their daughter and son. Suomen Alttoviuluseuran Tiedotuslehti http://www.suomenalttoviuluseura.com/finnishvs.htm Impressions of the 40th Concerts International Viola Congress Atar Arad truly impressed me and the full house by his intensive performance of his own composition 2012: Eastman School of Music, Epitaph for viola and string orchestra, as well as with Rochester, NY, USA his speedy and compelling performance of the Bach- Kodály Chromatic Phantasy. Max Savikangas The 40th International Viola Congress, brilliantly co- hosted by George Taylor, Carol Rodland and Phillip Ying at the famous Eastman School of Music, was probably the largest IVC ever with ca 600 participants and also probably one of the most diverse by its programming (view online: http://www.esm. rochester.edu/ivc2012/ivc-daily-schedule/). Eastman School of Music was also the venue for the fifth IVC back in 1977, then with performers such as William Primrose, Paul Doktor, Walter Trampler and Francis Tursi. This long traditon was interestingly presented John Graham performing on his viola connected to live-electronics at in the programme booklet and at the exhibition the Kilbourn Hall of the Eastman School of Music. located in the library.

John Graham gave a cultivated recital with a programme for viola and live electronics and/or soundtracks. Especially positive impression left his premiere of Mikel Kuehn’s (holding PhD in Composition from Eastman, by the way) energetic and imagintive new composition Colored Shadows [Hyperresonance IV] for viola and Interactive Electro- acoustics (2012). Kim Kashkashian, viola, Katherine Ciesinski, mezzo- soprano and Russell Miller, piano, performed with almost blood-curdling emotional intensity the

Atar Arad performing his Epitaph at the Kodak Concert Hall of the 4 Eastman School of Music, cond. Wolfram Christ Two Songs Op. 91 by Johannes Brahms. Especially at the Congress with Eastman graduate pianist Peter convincing and spine-chilling were the dramatic Klimo. My 14-minute piece, dedicated to NASA, and alto toned voice of Ciesinski, her stage charisma is instrumentally not impossible, but not without and pronounciation of the German text, taking into certain challenge either for both parts. However, account the fine nuances of the poems by Friedrich after the first minute of our first rehearsal together Rückert and Lope de Vega. Kashkashian’s rendering with Peter, I was convinced that the premiere would of the viola part was stylish and warmly flexible and be a success, because Peter was so well prepared and that of the piano part by Russell Miller delicately already into the music. The reception from the large phrased and sophisticatedly resonant. audience at the Kilbourn Hall was indeed delightfully warm and interested. George Taylor, one of the Congress co-hosts, commented to me afterwards that only I as a composer could perform the viola part as convincingly, as I know the music inside out. I had to strongly disagree with George and quote Jutta Puchhammer-Sédillot to him: ‘If I can do it, you can do it!’. Composer- violist Kenji Bunch is combining Kim Kashkashian, Katherine Ciesinski and Russell Miller performing in his solo Two Songs Op. 91 by Johannes Brahms at the Kilbourn Hall. viola pieces elements from folk music, In the same concert Kim Kashkashian gave a special tunings, proficient half-hour performance of György Kurtág’s Americana, masterful twenty-movement (!) set of solo viola contemporary compositions entitled Signs, Games and Messages music, jazz and (1998-2005), which challenged the audience by its improvisation. fragmentary overall form, but also rewarded us with I enjoyed his an excellent listening experience. Signs, Games and sympathetic Messages is actually a generic title that applies to and groovy several similar club collections performance at of short the Congress movements to the extent by Kurtág, that I wanted Kenji Bunch (www.kenjibunch.com) each for a to buy his CD different solo Unleashed instrument. (2011) from him after the concert and ask for an autograph! The co-hosts of IVC 2012 kindly invited Lectures me to premiere From the several lectures presented at IVC 2012 I my own new would like to mention Stephen Kruse, whose lecture composition entitled Learning Viola Technique Through Original Kepler 22-b Etudes was based on his PhD dissertation (The Viola for viola and Shool of Technique: Etudes and Methods Written piano (2012) Between 1780 and 1860. D.A. Dissertation. Muncie, Peter Klimo and Max Savikangas bowing after the premiere of latter’s Kepler 22-b at the 5 Kilbourn Hall. Indiana: Ball State University, 1985). Kruse presented viola made by luthier Charles Rufino based in New the historical educational materials made in Europe York, with which I tried many things from Bach directly for violists, instead of simply transposing via Arpeggione to contemporary music techniques, a fifth down the already existing materials for the and the instrument responded beautifully. When I violin. Astonishingly many were produced! The finished trying out his viola, Mr. Rufino commented: main merits of Dr. Kruse’s lecture were the clear and ‘That was a hell of a ride you gave that instrument!’, analytical pedacogical output, the rich multimedia delighted of which I asked to take his picture with the presentation of photos and music examples and espe- viola. cially the live music samples of the historical etudes To summarise, the 41st International Viola Congress performed by actual viola students. 2012 at the Eastman School of Music was personally an explosion of musical and international social impressions and experiences, which gave me a tremendous boost to continue my efforts as a composer and violist. In my experience, that’s how these International Viola Congresses tend to affect— and for that I would like to deeply thank the co-hosts George Taylor, Carol Rodland and Phillip Ying! As far as I’m concerned it was truly worthwhile and I can warmly recommend participating in these annual events to all friends of the viola.

Max Savikangas (M. Mus., Sibelius Academy, Finland), is a Finnish composer-violist, Past President of the Finnish Viola Society and Steve Kruse’s lecture on historical original European viola etudes, a Executive Secretary of the International Viola viola student performing a sample etude projected on the screen at Society the Howard Hanson Hall.

Exhibitions 5th National Finnish Viola In conjunction with IVC 2012 there was a large Competition exhibition area placed around the halls of the Max Savikangas Eastman School of Music with abundant supply of luthiers, bow makers, The 5th National Finnish Tampere Viola viola accessory dealers Competition received a very high level of playing as well as sheet music by all participants and was finished 25th of and CD publishers November 2012. Nineteen participants under the and/or vendors. In- age of 30 entered the competition. After the three between the congress rounds the Competition Jury (Risto Fredriksson, programme I took Tim Frederiksen, Yuri Gandelsman, Anna Kreetta the time to try out Gribajcevic and Simon Rowland-Jones) awarded the some of the violas following prizes: presented, mostly made in the USA, 1. Prize of 3500 euros: Tina Brännkärr and with around US$ 2. Prize of 2500 euros: Hanna Pakkala 20,000 apiece I could 3. Prize of 2000 euros: Lauri Savolainen have purchased many 4. Prize of 1500 euros: Iisa Kostiainen interesting violas for 5. Prize of 1500 euros: Iiro Rajakoski Luthier Charles Rufino with his larger 6. Prize of 1500 euros: Pia Kukkonen viola which I was attracted to. myself. I was especially attracted to a large 6 Read about the Finish Tampere Viola Competition in the Finnish Viola Society Newsletter from December 2012: http://bit.ly/suomen2012 In addition, two special prizes were awarded by the jury:

1. The Finnish Radio Broadcasting Company YLE Special Prize of 1500 euros and an invitation to make a recording of the new trio Armotta for viola, quitter and violoncello commissioned from prominent Finnish composer Jukka Tiensuu for the finals: Lauri Savolainen 2. The Vilho and Lahja Koponen Foundation’s Special Prize of 1500 euros for a talented young violist: Mari Viluksela

The next and 6th National Finnish Tampere Viola Competition is going to be Tina Brännkärr, first prize winner of the 5th Check out the Tampere Viola Competition online held in 2017. National Finnish Tampere Viola Competition at http://bit.ly/Tamperekonservor http://bit.ly/ tamperefb Viola Space 2012 The 2nd Tokyo International I had gone to Japan to visit family friends and to give a series of six concerts in four cities (two solo recitals, Viola Competition three with piano and one with string quartet). Paul Groh Because of my concert schedule, I was only able to attend the second part of the final round of the The Viola Space festival in Tokyo is the world’s competition as well as the prize winners’ concert on largest annual viola event held independently of the the closing day of the festival. I especially regretted auspices of the International Viola Society. It was missing the Gala Concert on June 1, which featured founded in 1992 on the initiative of renowned violist several new works as well as what must have been an Nobuko Imai for the purpose of “celebrating the absolutely gorgeous arrangement of the Schumann viola, introducing new works and promoting young Märchenbilder for five violas, cello and double bass. artists.” The festival receives substantial private and But as it happened, I was giving a concert of my own corporate sponsorship as well as strong government music in another ward of Tokyo at the very same and academic support, and distinguished violists time. from around the world have been invited to Tokyo to perform and to give master classes. In 2009 the Tokyo By then the competitors had already undergone a International Viola Competition was launched, to be gruelling series of trials. Of the original 89 applicants, held as part of the festival every three years. I had the all between the ages of 18 and 30 and representing good fortune to be in Tokyo for the final part of the eighteen different countries, 35 had come to Tokyo 2012 competition and to witness the performances to participate in the competition. The first round of some of the world’s most accomplished young had taken place earlier that week. Contestants were violists. judged on their performance of a Bach Cello Suite

7 (any of the last three, that is, the really hard ones) and a Brahms sonata (either of the opus 120 clarinet sonatas, or the opus 78 violin sonata in G major, “Regenlied”). Twelve semi-finalists then proceeded to the second round, which consisted of a classical concerto (either Hoffmeister or Stamitz D major); Toru Takemitsu’s A String Around Autumn; a new solo work by Toshio Hosokawa, Threnody—to the victims of the Tohoku Earthquake 3.11, which had been commissioned for this competition; and any work, lasting ten minutes or less, of the contestant’s choice. Nearly a third of Barbara Buntrock of Germany the entrants chose the same work, Photo credit: Natsumi Shimada the Concert Piece by Georges Enescu; but I was pleased to see that one of early and took a seat in the centre of the front row the contestants, Cecilia Bercovich Avner of Spain, of the balcony. I felt rather like Caesar surveying the composed an original solo work especially for the gladiators. occasion. The first finalist was Barbara Buntrock of Germany, The field was then narrowed to only four contestants, who has already established herself as a violist of who were faced with the most challenging repertoire great distinction. A former principal violist in the yet. The final round was in two parts, the first of Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, she gave up her chair which focused on contemporary music and chamber in 2010 to pursue a career as a soloist and chamber music. The chamber music portion consisted of one musician, having for example recently recorded the of the three Hindemith sonatas for viola and piano, Beethoven string quintets with the Leipzig String as well as the Brahms Trio in A minor, opus 114, for Quartet. At just 30, Buntrock was the oldest of the viola, cello and piano (originally for clarinet, cello finalists and as such displayed the greatest artistic and piano). The finalists then had to select one from maturity in her interpretation, as well as the most a list of sixteen extremely daunting modern solo charismatic stage presence. Her use of tone colour works, ranging from Quincy Porter’s Suite of 1930 to in dramatically sculpting her phrases was bold yet Luciano Berio’s Sequenza VI of 1967 to Garth Knox’s subtle, equally capable of exquisite tenderness in the Fuga Libre, which had been commissioned for the opening of the second movement and aggressive first Tokyo International Viola Competition in 2009. strength in the finale. Her fine instrument—a 1650 The second part of the final round—the only part of Antonio Mariani viola that had been frequently the competition that I was able to attend—had the played by Lionel Tertis—no doubt aided her in four finalists performing a single work, the Bartók projecting her sound above the orchestra, even in Viola Concerto (Tibor Serly version), complete, the low and middle registers, without ever sounding with the Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra under the forced or harsh. direction of Koichiro Harada. As an observer from Buntrock was followed by Wenting Kang, who had the International Viola Society, I was welcomed as a previously won prizes in concerto competitions in guest of the festival and given a complimentary ticket Europe and the United States as well as in her native and press kit. I was excited by the prospect of hearing China, and who is currently studying with Garth one of the greatest viola concerti ever written (and Knox and Kim Kashkashian for her Master of Music rewritten) performed four times, by four different degree at the New England Conservatory in Boston. soloists, on the same concert, so I arrived at Kioi Hall Kang’s tone had a rich sensuousness that gave me

8 Music. Makino had participated in the first Tokyo International Viola Competition in 2009, not long after having made the switch from the violin; and her comparatively recent advancement to the viola was evident in her bright tone and fast, intense vibrato. While Kang had brought a burnished elegance to the Bartók, Makino’s performance blazed with vitality and exuberance. Her clear, crisp tone never failed to dominate the texture of the orchestra, which unfortunately handicapped her by delivering its worst performance of the day, the cellos and basses in particular lumbering ponderously along like dinosaurs on the verge of extinction. The quality of her tone was less advantageous in lyrical passages—I thought her use of non vibrato in the slow movement was questionable— but the momentum generated by her dazzling virtuosity carried the finale to an exciting finish Wenting Kang of China that left me Photo credit: Natsumi Shimada breathless. Bringing chills from the moment her bow first touched the the final string; the sound poured out of her viola like port round of the wine and liquorice and violets and black velvet. competition This was most effective in the lyrical passages in to a close the second movement, where she made the most of was Adrien dramatic pauses at the end of phrases. On the other Boisseau of hand, she occasionally had difficulty in asserting France, who, Kimi Makino of Japan herself against the orchestra, which I first took as a although the Photo credit: Natsumi Shimada sign of weakness; however, it occurred to me that, youngest of had the orchestra succeeded in matching the dark the finalists at lustre of her tone, the result might have been an only 21, is already the laureate of numerous musical unusually sensitive and original interpretation of the competitions in Europe. In contrast to Makino, a concerto, quite distinct from the extroverted passion recent convert from the violin, he has been playing of the old Primrose recording with which I grew up. the viola since the age of five. A confident youth with After the interval, the stage was taken by Kimi the pop star good looks of a young Rick Springfield, Makino, a graduate of Soai University in Osaka Boisseau played with natural poise and authority. who since 2009 has been a student in Imai’s Master Where Makino soared above the orchestral texture, Soloist course at the Geneva Conservatorium of and Kang was occasionally subsumed by it, Boisseau

9 seemed to make the orchestra an extension of artistry and technique; each performance, from his personality. His performance seemed to flag downbeat to final double bar, was flawless. somewhat towards the end, perhaps as a consequence In the meantime, the audience was treated to a of the orchestra’s growing exhaustion after having presentation by Jason Price, director of Tarisio, the played the same viola concerto four times in world’s leading online auction house for fine string succession. Even from the balcony, I could see the instruments and one of the festival’s sponsors. first trumpet scowling every time he pulled his Based in New York, Tarisio sells over two thousand instrument away from his face. violins at eight auctions each year. In June of 2011, for example, they sold the 1721 Lady Blunt Stradivarius in an online auction for an astonishing US$15.9 million. This not only set a new record for the highest price ever paid for a musical instrument; it more than quadrupled the previous one. The entire sum was donated to Nippon Foundation’s Northeastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund to assist victims of the March 2011 disaster. Tarisio was handling the sale of the 1697 Andrea Guarneri viola that had been owned by William Primrose from 1954 to 1974, one of only six Guarneri violas in existence. In the 1800s it had been in the collection of Charles Wyndham Stanhope, 7th Adrian Boisseau of France Earl of Harrington, and is hence Photo credit: Natsumi Shimada sometimes referred to in older sources as the Lord Harrington Guarneri; but because of its connection to the After Boisseau left the stage, the jury retired to great Scottish virtuoso, who played it in many of deliberate. The jurors, presided over by Imai, his recordings, it is now and will forevermore be consisted of Masao Kawasaki of the Juilliard known as the Primrose Guarneri. The instrument School and the University of Cincinnati College- had been displayed in a glass case in Kioi Hall for the Conservatory of Music, and co-host of the 38th duration of the festival; several attendees, who had International Viola Congress in Cincinnati; Dublin- studied with Primrose when he lived in Japan in the born, Paris-based viola virtuoso and composer Garth 1970s, could recall him playing it at their lessons. Knox; Thomas Riebl, Professor at the University Now, as the jurors reviewed and discussed their Mozarteum Salzburg; and Jean Sulem, Professor of notes, the viola was brought out for a demonstration viola at the Paris Conservatoire. Prior to the concert by Manabu Suzuki, principal violist of the Tokyo ballots had been distributed to audience members Metropolitan Orchestra. for a special prize to be awarded by popular vote. I abstained from voting, and I did not envy the jury its A sibilant gasp went out from the audience the task. In such an elite contest as this, the judging is not moment that Suzuki drew his bow across the string. just a simple matter of deducting points for wrong Surely it was not possible for a viola to produce notes, poor intonation, sloppy passagework, loss of such a big sound. I grew up listening to Primrose’s bow control, and so on. There was none of that to recordings, often at a high volume—my next door speak of. All four finalists demonstrated consummate neighbour once called the police while I was listening to the Brahms sonatas on my stereo with the window open on a hot day—yet I was not prepared for the 10 all-encompassing power of that tone. It was as though or fugu, I returned to the balcony of Kioi Hall for the resonating chamber of the viola had expanded to the final concert of the festival. All of the works on engulf the entire hall with its six massive chandeliers. the programme were taken from the Competition Suzuki played an improvisation in various registers to repertoire. Second place winner Buntrock opened demonstrate the quality of the sound, but I could not with three movements from the fifth Bach Cello Suite help wishing that he could have given a brief recital in C minor and the Schumann Adagio and Allegro, on the instrument, or at least performed a complete opus 70; third place winner Makino followed with solo work. two solo works, the first and sixth movements of the The Primrose Guarneri was to be auctioned on the Ligeti Sonata and this year’s commissioned work, the fifth of July; and about a week afterwards I wrote to Hosokawa Threnody; and first place winner Kang was Carlos Tome of Tarisio, with whom I had had several joined by cellist Rei Tsujimoto and pianist François pleasant conversations during the festival, to learn Killian to conclude the concert with the Brahms Trio the result of the sale. I was especially curious as to in A minor. The performances were as marvellous whether the auction had set a new record for the as one would expect; Buntrock’s interpretation of highest price ever paid for a viola, which, considering the Bach, informed by a thorough understanding of the quality of the instrument and its pedigree, I Baroque period practice which I never received in my thought highly probable. However, Carlos replied own musical training, made me want to take out my that “given the nature of the private auction, we can’t viola and tackle the suite anew. disclose prices or any information related to the sale.” But it was Makino’s sensitive performance of the Fair enough, and I knew better than to pry into a Hosokawa—a piece which I had been prepared to matter of professional confidentiality; but I hope that dislike—that affected me most profoundly. I had the Primrose Guarneri’s new owner, whoever he or long since grown disenchanted with composers who she is, will be generous enough to make it available to exploit natural and man-made disasters as a pretext the world’s great violists, so that a new generation of for composing the kind of dour, doleful viola pieces music lovers may thrill to its magnificent sound. that already loom so large in our literature (see Meanwhile, less than ninety minutes after the “Elegiac Reaction” at www.contemporaryviola.com/ conclusion of the concert, the jury arrived at articles/paulgroh01.htm). I did not expect anything its decision, and the winners of the 2nd Tokyo new or interesting to be said in such an already well- International Viola Competition were announced. mined genre, and in this I was profoundly mistaken. The first prize of one million yen (A$13,220) was In the Threnody, Hosokawa notes, “there is a note awarded to Wenting Kang, who also received a viola that is a core of each phrase, and ornaments are made and donated by Robert Blaszauer of Budapest, described around the core note like brush strokes of as well as an invitation to perform at the Verbier the eastern calligraphy.” A few weeks earlier one of Festival Academy 2013 in Switzerland. Barbara my father’s friends, the Rev. Jujiro Horigome, whose Buntrock took the second prize of 600,000 yen, church ministers to people in the stricken area, along with a high-quality bow donated by Ritz Iwata had given me kakemono of Bible verses in Japanese of Amsterdam. In third place was Kimi Makino, written in that same calligraphy; and having seen receiving a prize of 300,000 yen and a carbon bow with my own eyes not only the regional writing donated by Nakazen Music of Nishio City. Fourth style, but also the unbelievable devastation, that had place finalist Adrien Boisseau was the popular inspired it, the music had a powerful impact that I favourite, winning the Audience prize of 100,000 yen; had not expected. Garth Knox kindly gave me a copy and he and Andrea Burger of Switzerland split the of the piece, and my consequent struggles in crafting special prize of 100,000 yen for Best Interpretation of even a single phrase of it in the proper spirit—like Japanese Composition. drawing the brush strokes of the kanji in time and space—have left me with a deep appreciation not The top three prize winners were scheduled to only of Makino’s artistry, but of Hosokawa’s as well. give a concert the following afternoon (along with additional performances in Osaka and Nagoya later I left for Australia the following day, my suitcase in the week); so, after a very expensive lunch during heavy with omiyage and my heart light with fresh the course of which I discovered that I don’t really memories. 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The Violin House of Weaver, Est. 1898 - Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.A - Tel: 1-800-713-2879 travel plans around the Viola Space Festival. Tokyo tremendous hope for the future of classical music. is at its best in late May and early June, when Juror Masao Kawasaki made the point that not only the azaleas are in bloom and before the cloying the prize winners, but all of the participants in the humidity of the rainy season has begun to set in. competition, were destined for stellar musical careers, Japan does not currently have its own chapter of the beginning tomorrow. International Viola Society and as such does not And so I wish a heartfelt omedetou gozaimashita participate in our International Viola Congresses, to everybody involved in Viola Space 2012 and but the festival founded by Imai twenty years ago is the Tokyo International Viola Competition, and worthy of international attention. As with everywhere especially to prize winners Kang, Buntrock, Makino I travelled in Japan, I was treated with unfailing and Boisseau, of whom we will doubtless hear a courtesy and hospitality. Everybody complimented great deal in the future. The talent, hard work and me lavishly on my rudimentary Japanese and was dedication that brought them to Tokyo have earned happy to provide interpretive assistance when it them prizes and recognition, but their greatest failed me. Above all, the vibrant performances by achievements still lie ahead of them. the young violists in the competition filled me with Viola vs. Viola The 2012 Central Coast (Violist Glen Donnelly won the competition in 2004, but as a violinist, performing the Bruch Concerto Concerto Competition in G minor.) This year, for the first time, not just Paul Groh one, but both finalists were violists. Julia Doukakis performed the Hoffmeister Concerto in D major, Since its inception in 1998, the Central Coast and Elizabeth Woolnough performed the G major Concerto Competition (formerly the Trevor Haynes transcription of the Mozart Bassoon Concerto in OAM and Frank Streather Concerto Competition) B-flat, at the Central Coast Symphony Orchestra’s has been held in Gosford, New South Wales, concert in Laycock Street Theatre on 16 September. Australia, every two years. It is open to any instrumentalist age 25 or under whose primary residence is in the Central Coast. Following a preliminary audition of all applicants, two finalists are then selected to perform a complete concerto at a concert of the Central Coast Symphony Orchestra, where the final adjudication and presentation of awards take place. I always enjoy these concerts, not only to hear the performances of talented young soloists at the onset of promising musical careers, but also because of the wide range of repertoire the orchestra gets to play. Concerti in past competitions have run the gamut of historical periods from Baroque to modern, with solo instruments ranging from flute to timpani. Julia Doukakis Many orchestral musicians go their entire lives without ever playing a tuba concerto; I’ve played two of them. Julia, 19, and Liz, 18, have a great deal in common. Until recently, no violist had ever performed in the Both girls started out on violin at an early age and finals of the Central Coast Concerto Competition. switched to viola in their early teens, and both 13 studied a wind instrument for a time as well (clarinet stage first with the Mozart, followed by Julia with the for Liz, and trombone for Julia). Both received Hoffmeister. From my vantage point on the first desk their Diploma in Music Performance from the of violas I could hear both soloists quite well, yet I Central Coast Conservatorium, where they studied made a conscious effort not to concentrate too closely viola with Suzanne Borrett, and both are currently on either; I had a viola part of my own to play and students of Senior Lecturer and SSO Principal Viola a section to lead, and I was determined that neither Roger Benedict in their first year at the Sydney performance should suffer because the principal Conservatorium of Music. Both have taken part in viola was distracted. Hence I was only able to give the National Music Camp multiple times, and both them my full attention during the cadenzas. All I were accepted into the Australian Youth Orchestra can say is that both girls played beautifully, and had this year. They are both tall girls who play large, the decision been left to me, the contest would have Australian-made violas, and prior to this competition ended in a tie. they had both previously performed as soloists with The adjudicator for the competition was Dr. Barry the Central Coast Conservatorium Youth Orchestra. Bignell, formerly Music Director of the Australian Both intend to pursue professional careers in music. Army Band and founder of the Australian Wind If they played any other instrument, they would Sinfonia, and recently retired from the position probably be bitter and jealous rivals; but being of Head of postgraduate studies in music at the violists, it should come as no surprise to anyone that Victorian College of the Arts. Being fully aware of Liz and Julia have always been very good friends. the invidious attitude that many conductors take towards our instrument, I had the uneasy feeling that he might preface his remarks by telling a viola joke, which would have been an unspeakable outrage, as some old-fashioned Southern minstrelsy would have been when Martin Luther King won the Nobel Peace Prize; and no doubt I would have had a thing or two to say to him afterwards if he had dared to commit such a gaffe. But fortunately, he made no jokes at our expense. As a matter of fact, his remarks were utterly humourless in every respect. Nor did he acknowledge that there was anything the least bit unusual about having to choose between two violists in the finals of an open concerto competition, as though this were the most commonplace thing in the world that could ever happen. Instead, he talked about Aristotle. Dr. Bignell’s taste in light reading material runs along the lines of the great Greek thinker’s Metaphysics, which he had brought along on the plane to read during the flight from Melbourne. I expect it must have been an Elizabeth Woolnough excellent way to prevent the passenger in the next seat from striking up an unwelcome conversation with him. Dr. Bignell spent ten long minutes quoting In one of the orchestra’s bizarre concert Aristotle in front of two anxious girls who only programming decisions that I should be used to by wanted the suspense to end so they could go home, now, but nevertheless continue to bewilder me, the relax and celebrate. My heart bled. two viola concerti were sandwiched between two Eighth Symphonies, Schubert and Beethoven. (I Next I made a presentation on behalf of the suppose I should count my blessings that they weren’t Australian and New Zealand Viola Society, and, upstaged by Bruckner and Mahler.) Liz took the never having read Aristotle, I kept it brief. I told the audience that it was highly unusual for two violists 14 to take first and second place in an open concerto minuet and wrist-fracturing finale. After the concert competition, and that, after checking with the various the concertmaster, a Ukrainian who speaks excellent chapters of the International Viola Society to see if English but occasionally garbles an idiom, told me: anyone could remember such an occurrence, I found “You must be on the seventh cloud.” Well, either that it was indeed without precedence anywhere in there, or on Cloud Nine or in Seventh Heaven; but the world. I then presented each finalist with a letter however you mix your metaphors, it was a great day of congratulation from ANZVS President Anna for the viola. Brooker, along with a three-year membership in the I suppose I really ought to mention, just as an Society, an invitation to perform at a future Viola afterthought, the result of the competition. Liz won Society event, and a sterling silver alto clef pendant the first prize of $1500, and Julia received the second with silver chain. The only problem was that the prize of $500. I was completely indifferent as to the audience kept interrupting me with thunderous outcome. In this contest, conducted in such a fine applause, which threw off my timing. spirit of friendship and good will, the viola itself was I returned to my chair to tackle the Beethoven, which the real winner. I found myself enjoying in spite of its ridiculous The Solo Viola Sonata Follies of 1937 Have you heard the one about with his own quartet more than a hundred times all over Europe; and the concert would close with the violist and the travelling his new viola concerto on German folk songs Der Schwanendreher, which he had premiered in salesman? Amsterdam less than two years earlier. In between he Paul Groh would present a new sonata for solo viola—a sonata Sunday, the eighteenth of April, 1937 so new, in fact, that he had not yet begun to write it. The bell clanged, the whistle blew, and with a nascent He had not composed a solo viola sonata in over ten lurch the train began to pull out of Grand Central years. The last one, Opus 31/4, he had abandoned Station. The brilliant morning sunshine streamed through the window glass and illuminated the equally brilliant bald head of Paul Hindemith, the great German violist and composer, who was comfortably ensconced in a window seat. On his lap he balanced a portable desk upon which his pencils, gum erasers, and several sheets of blank musical manuscript paper were fastidiously arrayed. The window had been opened just enough to let in the fresh springtime air, yet not so much as to admit cinders and turbulence. He was grateful that, although the carriage was crowded, the seat beside him was empty. His concert tour of the United States had been a tremendous success so far, his performances in New York, Buffalo, Boston and Washington having secured his reputation in this growing republic as one of the preeminent figures in modern music. Now he was on his way to Chicago to give a concert of his works for the Arts Club of that city. The Mischakoff Quartet would open the concert with his String Quartet, Opus 22, which Hindemith had performed

Paul Hindemith during his USA days 15 after a single performance as being too difficult even left without me. Sure is crowded, too. You know I had for a violist of Hindemith’s legendary virtuosity, to go through two whole cars before I found this here and therefore practically impossible for anyone else. empty seat?” His solo sonata of 1922, Opus 25/1, had created a Hindemith turned a critical eye toward the sensation with audiences since its premiere at the newcomer. A pair of slightly crossed eyes stared Donaueschingen festival, but he had performed it obliquely back at him over a wide, twisted grin filled hundreds of times and was growing rather weary of with stained, irregular teeth. The checkered suit it; although it came in handy in situations such as his was accompanied by a lemon-yellow dress shirt, a recent recital at Harvard, when Walter Piston had flowered bow tie, and a plaid waistcoat from which carelessly booked him in a hall without a piano. As several feet of watch chain conspicuously dangled. for his first solo sonata, Opus 11/5, that was an early Resting upon his knees was a salesman’s sample case work, a piece of juvenilia really, hardly worth the surmounted by an oversize fedora hat, and a pair of trouble of working the final passacaglia into shape. gleaming brown and white saddle shoes completed He needed a new sonata, he had promised one to the the ensemble. Hindemith considered the man’s Arts Club of Chicago, and he had a mere two days to sartorial aspect in abominable taste. devote to the task of composing it. “How terribly unfortunate,” he muttered absently, as That would not be a problem, for Hindemith was though the misfortune were his own. able to compose music with a speed and facility that astonished his fellow musicians. He could write a “Well, now, I wouldn’t say that. Fact is, I reckon I’m large-scale work with complex counterpoint as easily darned lucky I didn’t miss this train.” He examined as another person might write a letter. And unlike his ticket, smoothed it, and placed it in the breast other composers who might require total solitude, pocket of his jacket. “Good thing I already had my absolute silence, and a piano, Hindemith could work return ticket on me. Why, if I didn’t show up at the just as easily within the confines of a noisy railroad sales conference in Chicago on Tuesday, the big boys car. He had composed the finale of his woodwind in the main office would have my head on a platter, quintet, the Kleine Kammermusik, aboard a train, and you can count on that.” it had proven to be one of his most popular pieces So he would be travelling all the way to Chicago. of chamber music. And his solo violin sonata, Opus Hindemith’s heart sank. 31/2, had been written on a train journey between Hanover and Frankfurt on another sunny April day “Yes sir, you can take that all the way to the bank. thirteen years ago. Well, that’s just fine. Nothing to do now but sit back and enjoy the ride. Couldn’t have picked a nicer day He was confident that his new solo viola sonata for it, either. Ain’t it a beaut? Haven’t seen weather would be finished in plenty of time for the concert like this since the last time I was in Sioux City. Great Wednesday evening. All he needed was an idea. He business town, Sioux City. Plenty of turnover.” furrowed his expansive brow and brought his full attention to the task. Hindemith did not respond. He stared at the blank manuscript paper and concentrated on devising a At that moment a cascade of checkered flannel dramatic opening gesture for his sonata. For several collapsed into the seat next to him, and Hindemith moments peace reigned in the railroad car. Then: perceived that he was no longer alone. “Say, pal, what are you up to?” “Boy oh boy, I tell you what, I never thought I was going to catch this train on time,” said the “I beg your pardon?” newcomer in a reedy, penetrating tone redolent “You know.” He indicated Hindemith’s desk with a of the Midwestern prairies. “Just try to find a taxi nod. “That paper there with all the stripes on it. What downtown on a Sunday morning. I had to run all the is that, some kind of ledger?” way to Broadway before I could flag one down. Of “No. It is manuscript paper,” Hindemith said without course, when we get to Grand Central, the track the raising his eyes. “I am composing a viola sonata.” train’s leaving from is clear over on the other side of the terminal. I tell you, one more minute and it’d have “Doing what, now?”

16 Hindemith sighed. “I am composing a sonata,” he You bet! You’re just drawing a blank, that’s all. That’s said dryly, “for solo viola.” what’s the matter with you. But say, listen. Let me tell The salesman blinked twice. The twist in his grin you something. You wouldn’t believe it, me being in slackened somewhat. my line of work and all, but there’s times when even I draw a blank. No kidding! Why, I can’t tell you how “Sorry, pal, I don’t follow you. What’s that you say many times I’ve been right in the middle of a pitch, you’re doing, now?” and next thing you know, can’t think of a doggone “I am composing—that is to say, I….” Hindemith thing to say. I keep opening my mouth, but nothing frowned. He had no desire to deliver a lecture on comes out. Tongue-tied. That’s what I’m getting at. musical form. “It is music,” he said finally. “I am Know what I mean?” writing music.” Hindemith did know, but he had grave doubts and Comprehension revived the salesman’s grin. “Oh, longed for a demonstration. I get it,” he said. “So you’re a songwriter, huh? Hot “But before you know it, bang! I’m back to jawing dog!” my fool head off like nobody’s business. It happens Hindemith bristled with indignation; then he to everyone, pal, and we all snap out of it sooner or remembered Das Marienleben, Des Todes Tod and later. You will, too, I reckon. Like you say, all you Die junge Magd, his settings of texts by Hölderlin, need is some peace and quiet. That’ll do the trick, by Rückert, Novalis, Angelus Silesius, Matthias golly. Yes sir, peace and quiet is just what the doctor Claudius, Wilhelm Busch and Walt Whitman, and ordered, let me tell you. wryly conceded that he was, indeed, a writer of songs. “Besides,” he went on, completely oblivious to “Well, it don’t look like you’ve done much writing Hindemith’s burgeoning annoyance, “it strikes me so far,” the salesman said, leaning over to point at this whole songwriting jazz ain’t as all-fired tricky the manuscript paper. Hindemith recoiled from the as it’s cracked up to be. Fact is, I got tunes popping miasma of halitosis and cheap hair oil that rose to his into my noggin all the time when I’m on the road. I nostrils. “What do you call this thingamajig here?” reckon I could be a regular Irving Berlin and make a million bucks if I just knew how to write them down, “An alto clef.” like you can. Hey, you know what? I come up with “A what, now?” a real catchy tune just a couple of days ago. Been whistling it to myself the whole time I was in New “An alto clef,” Hindemith repeated with some York. Couldn’t get it out of my head. Would you like acerbity. to hear it?” “No fooling! So what’s that supposed to sound like?” “No!” Hindemith emitted a snort of exasperation. He had Without the slightest hesitation, the salesman put his had fewer distractions while trying to compose on teeth together and began to whistle between them. the Western Front. Hindemith clutched his ears in agony against the “It doesn’t sound like—the clef merely signifies….” sonic assault. It was a shrill, strident, obstreperous Hindemith tried to explain, then gave up. “It is piping, as though all of the world’s teakettles were simply a musical symbol,” he said. “I have not yet coming to a boil at once. It seemed impossible to begun to compose the sonata itself. I intend to do him that any acoustic phenomenon could be so so during the course of this journey. But I shall thoroughly irritating. The sound was like a river of require peace and quiet, and time to think.” And that, molten lava coursing through his brain, obliterating Hindemith hoped, would be the end of it. all thoughts in its path and leaving a swath of empty “Well, you’ll get plenty enough of that, don’t you destruction in its wake. worry,” the salesman said cheerfully. “Nothing like Yet Hindemith’s keen musical ear was nevertheless a nice long train ride to get the old noodle working, able to discern patterns in the sibilant cacophony. A I always say. Just sit back and relax, and that song of melody descending and ascending in dotted rhythms yours will pop right into your head like all get-out. along a pentatonic scale or tetrad: do la fa re do re

17 fa la do…. No, it would begin on the dominant, to Enraged beyond endurance, Hindemith reached delineate the tonic triad: sol mi do la sol la do mi into the salesman’s breast pocket, pulled out his train sol mi la mi sol mi…. There was something familiar ticket, and threw it out the window. about the thematic structure…. “Hey, now!” The salesman paused and licked his lips, pleased with “Conductor!” Hindemith roared at the top of his his performance. “Pretty nifty, huh? Now don’t you lungs, and in a moment the burly uniformed railroad reckon I could make a million bucks with a tune like official materialized in the aisle. that?” “What’s going on here, mister?” the conductor said Recognition suddenly blossomed in Hindemith’s sternly. brain. “This man is travelling without a ticket,” Hindemith “That is not an original composition,” he snarled. barked with indescribable vehemence. “Remove “That is ‘Mairzy Doats’.” him!” “What, now?” “What? Hey! Now wait just a doggone second here!” “Mairzy Doats! Mairzy Doats!” Hindemith shouted, “Let me see your ticket, mister,” the conductor said to and immediately reddened in embarrassment at the the salesman. sound of the words. Blood was throbbing noticeably in his temples now. “The title of the song that you are “I ain’t got it, I tell you! This guy here—why, I couldn’t attempting to whistle,” Hindemith explained slowly believe it—right out of my pocket—of all the—” through clenched teeth, “is ‘Mairzy Doats’. It has been “It’s true, mister,” another passenger called out from blaring incessantly from every radio in America ever across the car. “I seen him do it. He threw his ticket since I arrived in New York.” out the window.” The salesman slammed his hand down hard onto Hindemith silenced the passenger with a grimace of Hindemith’s knee. homicidal savagery. “Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle! How about that! Now The conductor’s eyes narrowed. “Why’d you throw don’t that beat all!” he crowed as Hindemith rubbed your ticket out the window, mister?” he asked the his sore patella. “Why, you hit the nail right on the salesman severely. head there, pal. Son of a gun! Here I was thinking I come up with that tune all on my lonesome, when “What? Hey!” The salesman’s eyes bulged with I must have just picked it up from hearing it on confusion. He began to sputter incoherently like a the radio. Say, I bet that must happen to you all the grease fire. time!” “If you do not remove this man from the train Hindemith glowered speechlessly. His bald head immediately,” Hindemith said in a tone that had blazed with a furious incandescence. cowed conductors from the Frankfurt Opera to the New York Central, “I shall lodge a formal complaint “Funny how a tune can get stuck in your head like with the management of this railroad.” that. Well, I was right about one thing, though. The guy who wrote that song must have made a The conductor swallowed hard. Never had any threat million bucks off of it. Sure is a cute little ditty, ain’t sounded so menacing. Then he seized the salesman’s it? ‘Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy shoulder with a beefy hand and said: “All right, divey….’” buddy, let’s go. You know the rules. No ticket, no ride. Out you go at Yonkers.” And he dragged the salesman “Shut up!” off into the distance, the latter still sputtering “‘…a kiddley divey too, wouldn’t you?’ Say, pal, you bewildered protest at this unexpected turn of events. reckon you’ll ever come up with a song as good as Now the car was silent except for the rhythm of that one?” the rails and Hindemith’s stentorian breathing. The other passengers cowered behind newspapers and magazines.

18 Presently Hindemith’s breathing slowed, his pulse After all, it wasn’t any worse than the silly foxtrot that returned to its normal rate, his complexion faded to he had used to such splendid effect in the finale of its usual German pallor, and he began to relax. The his Kammermusik Nr. 1. Perhaps if he tinkered with encounter had been unpleasant in the extreme, true, the intervallic structure a bit… divide the theme but at least it was over now. The long journey was still into motives, then develop them…. Yes. The thing ahead of him, and the seat beside him was once again definitely had possibilities. untenanted. Now he could turn his attention back to Hindemith’s pencil danced across the manuscript the matter of composing his new solo viola sonata. paper. Hindemith stared at the blank page of manuscript paper in front of him. He tapped his pencil against it and began to think. “And so,” said Professor Freensteen to his music history class, “we find that the year 1937 signalled Mairzy doats and dozy doats…. an abrupt and permanent change in Hindemith’s Hindemith winced. He tried again. musical style. Gone are the flights of fancy found in his earlier works, the astounding creative …and liddle lamzy divey…. invention of the Donaueschingen period. While his Hindemith shook his head violently. This simply compositional technique attained an ever higher would not do. He concentrated the full force of his level of development, his thematic material became creative faculties with grim determination. much more limited in scope. It is almost as though A kiddley divey too, wouldn’t you? his entire musical output, for the rest of his life, consisted of variations on a single theme. Obviously An expression of abject horror spread over Hindemith had been subjected to some powerful Hindemith’s features. The infernal tune had taken musical influence during his first American tour. root in his brain! However, the precise natural of this influence will, In desperation he tried to drive the melody out of unfortunately, forever remain a matter of conjecture.” his mind. He tried to think of some other music, any As the students filed out of the lecture hall, one of other music: one of his own compositions, a passage them asked his friend: “So what do you suppose from a Beethoven symphony, a bombastic tutti out happened to Hindemith in 1937 that affected his of Wagner, a Mozart aria, a Chopin nocturne, a musical style?” Strauss waltz, a Joplin rag, a Bach partita, a Gesualdo madrigal, a Palestrina motet, a C major scale, “Oh, who cares?” said the other. “Let the violists anything, anything at all…. figure it out.” Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey…. Hindemith slumped miserably in his seat. The Arts Professor Fenwick Freensteen, the world famous Club was expecting a new solo viola sonata from celebrity musicologist, comments: The novelty song him. The concert programs had already been printed; “Mairzy Doats” was composed by Milton Drake, there was no getting out of it. How could he compose Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston in 1943, six years anything at all as long as that foolish, insipid song after Hindemith had composed his solo viola lingered in his consciousness? There was no way sonata of 1937. Moreover, on the train journey that he could compose any original music under the in question, Hindemith travelled in a private first circumstances. class compartment aboard the New York Central Railroad’s 20th Century Limited (which, incidentally, Unless— did not stop at Yonkers). Therefore the scenario A kiddley divey too…. postulated above by Mr. Groh could not possibly have taken place. No. He would never consider anything so ridiculous. Paul Groh responds: Remind me to explain the …Wouldn’t you? concept of “fiction” to you some time, Prof. On the other hand, why not? He had worked wonders with less promising material in the past. 19 20 Journal of the American Viola Society In Review: the 41st International Viola Congress 11–15 September 2013 Academy of Music, Krakow, Poland Andrew Filmer Prefacing the presentation of the Gold Alto Clef to David Dalton—only the second in the history of the International Viola Society—Dwight Pounds asked us to look around the room and see the connections to our fellow violists, in renewing old friendships, and building new ones. In a sense, that encapsulated Nokuthula Ngwenyama playing the Penderecki Concerto with Sinfonietta Cracovia under Robert Kabara a theme of the 41st International Viola Congress: Photo credit: Dwight Pounds connections, not only in collegiality, but also in building on past developments in the viola world, Concerts featured not only a nod to Polish and in linking pedagogy, composition, research, and compositions, but also included a link to the performance. This review aims at looking at each of Benjamin Britten centennial anniversary. Two major these aspects in turn. events were held in the gilded Florianka Concert Hall, including Britten’s Lachrymae performed by Andra Darzins with the Sinfonietta Carcovia. Lech Bałaban and Nokuthula Ngwenyama also performed with the orchestra under the baton of Robert Kabara, playing concertos by Marek Stachowski and Krzysztof Penderecki, respectively. The performances of all three soloists were warmly received. Darzins also performed in recital format only the day before, sharing the stage with Kim Kashkashian. Kashkashian was undoubtedly the highlight of the Congress, performing an abridged form of György Kurtág’s Signs, Games and Messages, a

Main entrance of the Music Academy, Krakow Photo credit: Dwight Pounds I. Performances The opening ceremony featured members of the IVS Presidency Louise Lansdown, Max Savikangas and Carlos María Solare, along with Polish players Stefan Kamasa, one of the honorees of this year’s Congress, and congress host Bogusława Hubisz-Sielska, performing Anton Wranitzky’s five-part Cassatio, that had also been featured at the 39th Congress in Würzburg, Germany in 2011. Kim Kashkashian performing Kurtág’s Signs, Games and Messages21 Photo credit: Dwight Pounds performed another Britten work, the ‘Sarabande’ of his Simple Symphony. This was in an arrangement made by Franz Zeyringer—the first recipient of the Gold Alto Clef—making connections not only to the composer, but to a former IVS president, indeed the organization’s founder. Two notable performances were of string duos. Seven Paganini caprices were arranged and performed by Elias Goldstein, with Sally Chisholm on second viola, displaying remarkable virtuosity by Goldstein and one of the most beautiful, richest tone colors from Chisholm’s instrument. While they were both clearly first-rate chamber musicians, the stark contrast in timbres seemed at times a complication—an admittedly subjective evaluation, with a possible bias of being familiar with hearing these works on a single instrument. The second was that of Krzysztof Tymendorf with violinist Arnaud Kaminski, whose performance styles were seamless, with physical movements were uncannily symmetrical. If at times the balance was slightly towards the impressively Kim Kashkashian recieving the Silver Alto Clef from Carlos María resonant viola, the Congress provided was the most Solare accommodating audience one could ask for. Photo credit: Dwight Pounds Several performances also linked the Congress to composition that was a component of the recording the world beyond classical music, with a session on that earned her a Grammy award earlier this year. improvisation by Paweł Odorowicz that included In presenting her with the IVS Silver Alto Clef for connections to visual art, and the Quartet Klezmer 2013, IVS President Carlos María Solare noted that Trio led by Magdalena Brudzińska that brought the Kashkashian was first and foremost a musician, Polish folk soul into the concert hall. who happened to have the viola as her ‘vessel of Anna Śliwa’s recital displayed four works from expression’. This was a most apt description for a the 16th to the 18th centuries, each on a different recital that showcased Kashkashian not simply as a instrument: violist, but as a performer, capturing nuances both the fidel, lira in sound as well as in gestures. This was particularly da braccio, evident in Kurtág’s varied silences: some with viola d’amore, resistance, others with freedom, ones that looked and baroque ahead, and others that looked behind—all these viola. The included some degree of visual communication in performance live performance. Above all, this consummate artist included had what can only be called a commanding presence pizzicato with on stage, with every moment a meaningful part of the the fidel held performance—every rest, every preparation, and of vertically and course, each sound spanning an incredible spectrum away from the of timbres. body, and the Some performance connections were on a collegial interesting level, for example, Emile Cantor in a performance function Anna Śliwa’s instruments (top to bottom: lira da role after being the host of the 39th Congress. Cantor of two bass braccio, viola d’amore, fidel) was in a session shared with Jutta Puchhammer- strings on the Photo credit: Dwight Pounds Sédillot that was roundly applauded. Solare lira di braccio 22 that were not connected to the bridge. Accompanied skilfully by Andrzej Zawiska on harpsichord, the performance attracted considerable intellectual interest, even if it were purely a performance event instead of a research-related one. II. Research Research at the 41st Congress allowed for some truly international connections. Claudine Bigelow and Donald Maurice launched Voices from the Past: Béla Bartók’s 44 Duos, with a presentation that unpacked the CD recording into three: live performances of selections, lyrics on the overhead screen, and listening to the composer’s field recordings. A truly Orquídea Guandique Błażej Maliszewski Photo credit: Dwight Pounds Photo credit: Dwight Pounds international endeavor, the lecture segment illustrated the various connections: Primrose and Bartók, the Hungarian and Slovakian sources, and the role of Congresses in the meeting of the American and New Zealand violists, leading to their eventual collaboration. The presentation included rare pictures of peasants taken by Bartók himself. Orquídea Guandique presented a lecture on the viola concerto of Costa Rican composer Benjamín Gutiérrez, and performed segments of the work. She indicated how the composition of a work could have various indispensable external connections, specifically the development of the orchestra scene in Costa Rica, which in turn was linked to governmental economic policies. Together with these international presentations was research from the host country, with the opening lecture by Dorota Stanisławska providing a useful survey of Polish works for viola. She noted that Poland had to wait till the Romantic era to have its first dedicated work for viola, with Wieniawski’s Rêverie in 1858-59. The War era had its impact on cultural life as a whole, and from 1956 onwards, modern styles were incorporated into compositions, with Stanisławska noting the “exposition of characteristic viola timbres” at this point in history. A particularly interesting component of the lecture was noting how many major works were written for or premiered by Stefan Kamasa. Błażej Maliszewski displayed a wide array of skills, Claudine Bigelow and Donald Maurice from performing seven of his arrangements of works Photo credit: Dwight Pounds by Grażyna Bacewicz entirely from memory—no 23 small feat—to a lecture on his years-long work in Krakow. A video of Dalton interviewing Primrose translating S. P. Poniatowski’s book Viola. Art and lit a discussion on whether his comment that Heritage from Russian to Polish. One senior delegate violinists should not impede on the territory noted that this might open a pathway for sources that of violists remained valid today. Pounds noted up to now have been exclusively available in Russia. certain observations from his own lessons with the legendary performer, and ended the session with a Two American violists bridged research with demonstration of Primrose’s ‘silent finger exercises’. pedagogy in their lectures. Matthew McBride brought us into the 21st century with an exploration There were several notable masterclasses, all by of technological developments, including ‘timeline’ violists who presented recitals elsewhere in the databases for historical information, the use of Cloud Congress. Pierre Henri Xuereb combined these in a technology for scores, recording options, using an single session, with student Oskar Foremuy reflecting iPad as a music stand with Bluetooth foot pedals, and that his approach had a focus on the importance a ‘virtual accompanist’ with the potential to follow of finding the optimal place for the position of the a student, with the advantage of providing the full left thumb. Jerzy Kosmala’s masterclass provided a harmonic context from early lessons. Danny Keasler particularly in-depth approach, often dealing with brought greetings from Thailand, where he works at the tone quality of a single note, and emphasizing Mahidol University, eventually forming the newly- that over-flexibility in the wrist at the expense of the minted Thai Viola Society. He illustrated the benefits natural movement of the arm can have a negative of Alfred Uhl’s etudes in having as much melodic impact. Andra Darzins allocated time towards value for students as purely technical facility, and addressing how one’s overall performance style Dwight Pounds chimed in with a verbal footnote, could better connect the performer to the audience. mentioning Uhl as “one of us” in his pivotal historical She had particularly interesting technical advice role in the Viola-Forschungsgesellschaft (Viola in playing on the right foot (with the left almost Research Society), the organization that preceded the suspended from the floor) in order to create better IVS. balance between the left and right arms. Both Kosmala and Darzins used the simple act of walking to demonstrate aspects of technique, with the latter demonstrating that the ‘figure of 8’ transition of up and down bows was as much lateral as it was vertical. IV. Composition Just as Kashkashian had noted her connection to a composer in her recital, so did the Congress have a significant link to composers and new works. There was a transcription of Chopin’s Cello Sonata, op. 65 performed by Leszek Brodowski with Krzysztof Stanienda, thus including one of Poland’s greatest musical treasures. Max Savikangas included one of his compositions, which had extended techniques Danny Keasler in front of Alfred Uhl’s portrait that explored the furthest reaches of the instrument’s Photo credit: Dwight Pounds capabilities, including extreme bow pressure, circular bowing, and even a surprising moment of falsetto singing from the performer. There were several premières, including viola duos by Henryk Mikołaj III. Pedagogy Górecki and Jerzy Kornowicz. The première of Boris Dr. Pounds found himself in the unexpected Pigovat’s viola sonata, concurrent with the launch position of facilitating the session scheduled for of the recording, provided another connection to David Dalton, due to an unfortunate accident that the 39th Congress, with the work written for and left the preeminent scholar unable to travel to performed by Donald Maurice as a form of thanks

24 from the composer for taking on Requiem—the Holocaust two years prior. The work had what seems to be Pigovat’s signature sense of expanse, with both Maurice and pianist Wioletta Fluda demonstrating the widest range of textures, from moments of tranquillity to arresting rhythmic unisons. Emile Cantor’s transcriptions of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet were particularly appealing, and were the result of study of the composer’s own arrangement for piano alongside the original orchestral score and the arrangement for viola by Vadim Borisovsky. There was perhaps no clearer indication of the value of violists collaborating in some way or form with composers than Kashkashian’s efforts with Kurtág. Matt Deline, who will be taking over as photographer for IVS/AVS She began with narrating the connection of Photo credit: Dwight Pounds performer and composer: her initial meeting with Kurtág was expected to be brief, and four hours later they had only covered the first two lines. This performance segments running up to 45 minutes attention to detail was clear in her performance over-time, but as a whole the event was all the more of the work, with an unparalleled range of timbral laudable considering that the Polish Viola Society colours. This brings us full circle to performance—an was established only four years ago. Much credit excellent fit for the yearly event that celebrates not is due to the host, Bogusława Hubisz-Sielska, with only the viola and violists, but the many connections a special mention to PVS Secretary Błażej Michna that draw them all together. who connected to just about every aspect of its organization: from an impromptu translation of Concluding Comments Polish to English in a lecture segment, to performing jazz at the banquet, and whose amiable nature no Similar to reflections on the Cincinnati Congress, doubt added a new personal connection for many there were certain scheduling issues, with who attended the 41st International Viola Congress in Krakow. Andrew Filmer presented research on Bach’s Cello Suite No. 5 at the 41st Congress, a three-year project leading to the launch of the Comus edition co-edited with Donald Maurice. He began his career as a musicologist after winning the David Dalton Viola Research Competition sponsored by the JAVS, another reminder of the value of sustained connections. Andrew would like to express thanks to Dwight Pounds and Carlos María Solare for their assistance towards this review.

Bogusława Hubisz-Sielska and Stefan Kamasa in duet Photo credit: Dwight Pounds 25 ASHMONT Viola CDs

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ASHMONT CDs are available at www.Amazon.com and www.AshmontMusic.com 26 Australia and New Zealand Viola Society Cinderella: Some More! Shorter presentations, dubbed ‘Viola Bytes’, covered such topics as links between New Zealand pioneering Musical Collaboration in composer Alfred Hill and German violist Michael Balling by Maurice, the Primrose International Viola Archive by Australia and New Zealand Bigelow, a look at the Colorstrings approach presented Andrew Filmer by David Banney, the AMEB viola syllabus by Robyn Lionel Tertis, the pioneer of the viola, declared: Brookfield and the Suzuki Viola Method by Marjorie “Cinderella No More!”, and his sterling achievements in Hystek. promoting the instrument certainly proved that the viola These connections to chamber music, composition, and did not have to labour in the unrecognized recesses of the research brought a special spark to the event. music world. Some decades later, perhaps we can engage In 2013, this collaborative approach was seen with the in a new take to the Cinderella metaphor, in considering inaugural Composition Competition of the ANZVS. this: the fairy-tale had a rather positive ending, what with Enfolded into the schedule of the Auckland Viola the help of a fairy godmother, two mice, and a pumpkin. Convention in March, winning works were performed I would argue that so it is, perhaps, with violists in that at the conclusion of the event. The Convention remarkable things happen when they come together in included Scottish fiddling, a composition workshop on collaboration with other performers. Events in Australia composition entries, and research on musical quotation and New Zealand certainly celebrate this connection to in Shostakovich’s Viola Sonata by John Roxburgh, as fellow musicians. well as a masterclass by Robert Ashworth, Principal The International Viola Conference, organised by Robert Viola of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. There Harris under the auspices of the Australia and New were presentations that linked to those in Sydney, with Zealand Viola Society, was held at the historic Sydney Groh’s further discussion on composing for the viola with Grammar School, 23–25 March 2012, and certainly new examples from his own works; and Maurice once included this festive spirit. Members of the Sydney again addressed the Bartók duos, this time illustrating Symphony Fellows provided a delightful rendition of the relevance of field recordings in other works of the Mozart’s Quintet in C Major, celebrated for its viola parts composer. Massed viola works were once again on the at least since the time of J. Arthur Watson’s evergreen schedule. article, “Mozart and the Viola”, published in 1941. Paul In emphasizing the value of the diversity not only Groh showcased a continual relevance of the role of the evident in the presentations, but in the participants as performer-composer, indicating the potential of violists well, ANZVS President Anna Brooker noted, “They in particular to expand their own repertoire by taking span a wide range of ages, with amateurs, students, on the challenge of taking up the composer’s pen. Harris and professionals all sharing the same passion for our joined up with soprano Wendy Dixon and pianist David instrument.” Miller, in his continued efforts towards ‘Viola Plus’. Viola Events such as these, as well as various other activities Viva: The Next Generation ensemble from Victoria Down Under, celebrate not only the unique nature of University of Wellington showed the level to which music our instrument, but also the value of our association can be ‘borrowed’ from the violin and cello repertoire, with other aspects of our musical world. Here we are, with Nodaira’s magnificent arrangement of Bach’s of Cinderella’s unrecognized beauty at times, but, d-minor Chaconne, and Yuriy Leonovich’s expansion of nonetheless, revelling in the association with the greater the Prelude to the fifth cello suite. community that comes from being in a rather niche Musicology also played a role at the Conference, with area, leading to what could just be called transformative research by Professors Claudine Bigelow and Donald events. Maurice, providing new insights into Bartók’s Viola Submitted in July 2013 on behalf of the Australia and Duos, including the composer’s original field recordings. New Zealand Viola Society. Andrew presented research Familiar items included massed viola works, and on Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante at the International masterclasses by Roger Benedict, Principal Viola of Viola Conference in Sydney, and presented research on the Sydney Symphony, and acclaimed pedagogue Alex Telemann’s Concerto for Two Violas in Auckland. Todicescu. 27 The world's finest violas... Hand-crafted in our Chicago Workshop

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WILLIAM HARRIS LEE AND COMPANY Makers & Dealers of Fine Stringed Instruments 410 S. MIchigan Ave., Suite 560 Chicago, Illinois 60605 800-447-4533 [email protected] Associação Portuguesa da Viola d’arco A Letter from the 2014 IVS players, teachers, researchers, luthiers and composers. For the younger violists, we are preparing a series of Congress Host master classes and workshops. Concerts and viola Jorge Alves spots will be organized all around the city, including concert halls, theatres, art academies, cafés, clubs and We are very happy to host the 2014 IVS Congress other public spaces. in Oporto, and we invite you to join us on 26–29th November 2014. We are a very dynamic team and we Oporto is a wonderful city to visit and to enjoy. are sure that with your enthusiastic participation it It was recently acclaimed by Lonely Planet as the will be a great week and a huge success. The IVC 2014 first destination to visit in 2013: “(…) Oporto has will give a special emphasis to future generations, emerged as a vibrant arts capital (…)”. In Oporto with the title “Performing for the Future of Music”. you can feel a rich musical tradition. Side by side The recent reality of the world financial crisis and the with an intense activity in classical music, there are restrictions of the global economy make it of utmost good jazz clubs and traditional “tascas” where you importance to reflect on the role of the violist with can hear fado, the Portuguese national music. Our thoroughness and care. With the contributions of new Concert Hall, Casa da Música, designed by Rem all of you, the IVC 2014 wishes to share experiences, Koolhaas, has become internationally renowned, and motivate and inspire the future generations of is one of the city’s icons. A rich local gastronomy is violists, while continuing to develop even further the available at inexpensive restaurants and bars all over art and knowledge of the viola. the city. Touristic activities and visits to the famous Port wine cellars are included in the program, and for We are hard at work compiling a very interesting the more adventurous we are providing a boat trip program filled with concerts, conferences, master up the beautiful Douro river to visit the Porto wine classes and workshops. A gala concert by the vineyards, which are Unesco patrimony. Oporto Symphony Orchestra Casa da Música and Michail Jurowski, with Nobuko Imai as soloist, is We are preparing a fine selection of hotels with already booked. We will have the opportunity to special rates/discounts. There is also a nice youth hear several other viola concertos at concerts by hostel, and if you want to stay with a Portuguese the Beiras Regional Orchestra and the ESMAE family we are organizing a list of local viola lovers College Orchestra. Sunday morning will feature a who will be very happy to welcome you into their promenade concerto at the Oporto Coliseu, and in homes. the afternoon we expect, with your help, to surpass All of this and more will be available very soon at our our own Guinness World Record for the largest new website www.apvda.com viola ensemble. Although the call for proposals is still open, we can already guarantee fantastic viola Hope to see you in Oporto next November!

Next year’s Congress Host, Jorge Alves THE VIOLA MUSIC OF LOUISE LINCOLN KERR

the Institute of Musical Art, which would later become part of the Juilliard School of Music. She left New york around 1913 in order to join the Cleveland Municipal Orchestra under the direction of Christian Timner, another of her violin teachers.

By 1920 she had returned to New york, where she met and married Peter Kerr (pronounced “Care”) and started her family. While in New york, she got a job working for the Aeolian Recording Company proofing piano rolls. There, Louise Kerr met with noted pianists and composers who were recording their music, including Sergey Prokofiev, Alfred Cortot, and George Gershwin. She was also a friend of the renowned conductor Dimitri Mitropoulos and the violinist Isaac Stern. Later, when Kerr worked in the sound booth studio of Duo Arts Records (at Aeolian), she assisted conductors in cor- recting mistakes on early disk recordings of modern pieces. It was her job to sit in the glass booth, follow the score, and tell the conductors when a mistake occurred so they could re-record it. Louise Lincoln Kerr, c. 1950 (Arizona State University, Department of Archives and Special Collections, CP Eventually the Kerrs came west to Arizona for the SPC 183:6) health of one of their daughters. The family lived in by Carolyn Waters Broe Phoenix and later built homes in Cottonwood and Scottsdale. It was here that she turned toward the Louise Lincoln Kerr (1892–1977), American com- viola, in large part due to the theft of her violin, on poser, violist, and patron of the arts, was born April December 7, 1941, the day that Pearl Harbor was 24, 1892, in Cleveland, Ohio, and died December attacked. Later, she continued to perform on the 10, 1977, in Cottonwood, Arizona, at her ranch. viola as her main instrument with the Phoenix and Kerr’s mother taught her to play the piano at age six Flagstaff Symphonies. Mrs. Kerr owned many valu- and violin at age seven; she learned later in life to able instruments but performed in the Phoenix play viola. She continued her violin studies in Symphony on a 1781 viola labeled Michele Cleveland with Sol Marcosson, concertmaster and Deconet. It is thought that Deconet (1713–1799), soloist with the early Cleveland Symphony who was a German-born traveling violinist, brokered Orchestra. In 1910 she attended Barnard College in instruments for Venetian luthiers in other Italian New york where she studied music composition cities during the latter part of the eighteenth century. with two prominent Columbia University professors: The Michele Deconet viola is part of the string col- Cornelius Rubnor and Daniel Gregory Mason. lection that was donated to Arizona State While at Barnard, she took private violin lessons at University’s Herberger School of Music by three

VOLUME 28 NUMBER 2 25 30 families including Louise Lincoln Kerr. The viola at in 1968. Most of her chamber music pieces were ASU is almost 16 inches (15 and 15/16 inches) or written for friends to play at the many music gather- 406 mm. It has wide bouts, a spruce top, and a ings held in her Scottsdale home and studio. She maple back. also composed during the summers at her ranch in Cottonwood, near Flagstaff. She won several awards In Arizona, Louise Kerr became known as the in composition during her life and was a member of “Grand Lady of Music.”1 In 1959 she used an inher- the Phoenix Composers’ Society. Unfortunately, itance from her father (an engineer and real estate almost none of these amazing pieces have been edit- tycoon) to build her home, studio, and an artists’ ed or published. colony in Scottsdale. Her studio was the original site of the Phoenix Chamber Music Society performanc- When Kerr passed away in 1977, she left a great es. Many famous musicians performed there, and legacy to the College of Fine Arts at Arizona State she played chamber music at her studio with Isaac University (ASU), establishing the Kerr Memorial Stern, inviting professors and local musicians to join Scholarship Fund at the School of Music. She pre- in. In addition, she helped co-found and/or develop sented her private music library to the ASU School The Phoenix Chamber Music Society, The of Music; most importantly, she also donated her Scottsdale Center for the Arts, The National Society extensive collection of orchestral and chamber music of Arts and Letters, Monday Morning Musicals, The manuscripts (labeled MSS-90) to the ASU Archives Bach and Madrigal Society, young Audiences, The and Manuscripts at Hayden Library. In addition, she Musicians Club, and the Phoenix Cello Society donated her Scottsdale home and studio to ASU to (now the Arizona Cello Society).2 She was extremely be used as a chamber music venue, now the ASU generous with both her time and money. Kerr Cultural Center. She received a gold medal for distinguished contribution to the arts from the As a composer, Kerr wrote more than one hundred National Society of Arts and Letters. Shortly before works including fifteen symphonic tone poems, her death, Louise Kerr was awarded an honorary twenty works for chamber or string orchestra, a vio- Doctorate from ASU, and she was posthumously lin concerto, five ballets and incidental music, inducted into the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame on numerous piano pieces, and about forty pieces of October 21, 2004. chamber music. Kerr’s chamber music includes a rich selection of string quartet movements; the Compositional Style String Quartet in A Major; piano quartets and quin- tets; a Trio for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano; numerous Kerr’s overall compositional style may be character- duos for piano and other instruments; and a few ized as tonal and inspired by Classical and Romantic vocal pieces. According to her son William Kerr, she genres and forms. Her music is often enhanced by composed mostly at night, no doubt a necessity with the local color of the American Southwest, and she eight children to care for (the last two boys were developed a concept of Southwest Impressionism by identical twins).3 studying the works of Impressionist painters who lived in California and in Arizona during the 1940s Her symphonic compositions were primarily written (she and her eldest daughter, Tammara, were both for and premiered by the Arizona State University painters). The region was populated by Native Symphony. Other local groups such as the Mesa and Americans and Hispanics, and Kerr used elements of Sun City Symphonies also performed her music. their music in her own compositions as well as the The Phoenix Symphony performed her tone poem music of local cowboys. One can also hear the influ- Enchanted Mesa, written in 1948, as well as other ence of the many famous pianists that she worked symphonic works including Arizona Profiles, which with in New york in the early 1920s and some jazz was commissioned for the ground-breaking dedica- influence in certain pieces. tion ceremonies of the Scottsdale Center for the Arts

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VIOLA SOCIETy 26 31 Even though she had the means and connections to The Two Violin and Viola Duos publish her music in New york, Louise Kerr was a very modest woman who did not seek fame. The duos for violin and viola are entitled Etude and Virtually all of her music remains unedited and Orientale (MSS-90 Box 4/folders 3 and 4). Etude is a unpublished. Unfortunately, very few of her works very difficult duo that incorporated jazz elements in are dated, and premiere dates and names of compo- a string piece long before modern jazz string per- sitions were lost after her death. Reel-to-reel record- formers such as the Turtle Island String Quartet. She ings of most of the premieres of her music have also may have become interested in jazz from Charles been lost, so it is difficult to get a full picture of how Lewis, who studied with Kerr while living at the arts her music was to be performed. The five piano and colony.5 The Orientale is an exceptional work that viola works, edited by Carolyn Waters Broe and makes great demands of the two musicians. The Miriam yutzy, are the first of Kerr’s works to be pub- scores of both duos have been carefully copied in lished,4 and a new edition of the Etude, for violin ink; they may actually be in the hand of Andrew and viola, has recently been published by the Shaw, an ASU theory student and violist who copied American Viola Society. works for Kerr.6

Viola Music The Etude, for violin and viola, was composed July 1969 for Diane Sullivan, who is now a member of Kerr was a connoisseur of chamber music. She per- the Phoenix Symphony (a second copy is dated formed a great deal of chamber music and wrote November 1969), and Frank Spinoza and Bill Magers music to share and perform with her friends; performed the work at ASU in 1975. This perpetual evening chamber music readings would go into the motion piece begins in D major with rapid sixteenth early hours of the morning. Kerr’s chamber pieces notes in the violin part and pizzicato eighth notes in the are remarkable for their creativity and beauty as well viola (ex. 1). Then the viola performs a playful melody. as their technically challenging passages. Among the As both a violist and a violinist, Louise Kerr was able to most effective are those for viola and piano, the vio- craft this duo with the maximum brilliance. The lin and viola duos, and her works for string quartet, work moves to a section in C major, where the piano quartet, and piano quintet. rhythms shift constantly in a syncopated jazz style. Kerr’s experience with the numerous pianists at

Example 1. Louise Lincoln Kerr, Etude, mm. 1–5.

VOLUME 28 NUMBER 2 27 32 Example 2. Louise Lincoln Kerr, Etude, mm. 38–43.

Aeolian seems to have had a great influence on this rhythm. That’s why the young Audiences programs work. The perpetual motion of the sixteenth notes is are so successful—the children love to be part of it, carried from one instrument to the other. While this to respond to the rhythm, to try conducting.”7 Diane work has many similarities to the piano character Sullivan and Louise Kerr were the first two musicians pieces that would have been popular in New york to play this piece, while Louise was working on it. during the 1910s and 1920s, it is also similar to the According to Sullivan: “There were three versions of Minimalism of Philip Glass and Elliott Carter. the Etude, and Louise finally decided on the first ver- sion. She did not think that it sounded as good with This crossover piece has elements of both jazz and rests. She was in a good mood when she wrote it. It Southwest hoedowns similar to Copland’s ballet is a very happy piece.”8 suite from Rodeo. It is also similar to Debussy’s Golliwogg’s Cake-Walk from Children’s Corner, which The Orientale, for violin and viola, is both brilliantly in turn was influenced by the American rags and composed and virtuosic. She wrote many of her vio- cakewalks of the day. The violist and violinist alter- Example 3. Louise Lincoln Kerr, Orientale, mm. 15–18. nate guitar-style pizzicato underneath melodic pas- sages (ex. 2). Sixteenth notes lead into an A- major section, and the duet finishes in D major with harmonics and a whimsical pizzicato pas- sage in both instruments. The highly syncopated rhythmic style of writing exhibited in Etude can be extremely challenging for string players. Louise Kerr said this about her music: “We all respond to

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VIOLA SOCIETy 28 33 lin pieces for her friend Sidney Tretick, who was the advanced student of the viola. The manuscripts for first concertmaster of the Phoenix Symphony. Habañera, Berceuse, and Toccata have been copied in Tretick was a concert violinist and studio musician ink and show signs that they were performed at one whom she met in Los Angeles in the 1940s and later time, including fingerings and markings for per- convinced to come to Phoenix. Kerr fashioned this formance. The scores to Las Fatigas del Querer and work in the Russian Impressionist style of Alexander the Lament are in pencil with many corrections. All Glazunov, and it is designed to imitate the balalaika of the manuscripts contain both a score and part, of Russian folk music. The work includes special except for Lament, where the viola part is lacking. effects of harmonics, chromatic runs, and the use of Kerr wrote many of her violin and piano duos dur- drone strings. The double-stop measured tremolos in ing the 1940s, so it is likely that she wrote her viola the viola are particularly difficult while the violinist and piano duos around the same time while she was performs extremely high cadenza-like runs and dou- playing viola with the Pasadena Symphony and liv- ble-stop passages (ex. 3). The manuscript for ing in Los Angeles. Betty Lou Cummings, a former Orientale seems to be in the same hand as the Etude professor of piano and organ at Northern Arizona (which is not Kerr’s own). The appearance of these University, recalls accompanying Kerr on the viola professional copies could indicate an intent to have and piano pieces at Kerr’s Los Angeles home in the them both published, however, having been in the late 1940s.10 music recording business in New york City, she may Habañera Las Fatigas del Querer not have wanted to go through the extensive process and may have of getting her works published. been written for Kerr’s friend Marie Escadero, who was a professor of Spanish at ASU. Habañera cap- Five Character Pieces for Viola and Piano tures the flavor of the traditional Spanish dance and is somewhat similar to the Spanish-influenced pieces The five viola and piano works are all short character of Ravel and Debussy. The work is characterized by pieces without dates (MSS-90, Box 3/folders short phrases, two-bar echo effects, triplet figures 13–17).9 While these works have been published as a interspersed with duplets, and catchy rhythms. The collection entitled Five Character Pieces for Viola and viola assumes the role of a flamenco singer with Piano, they were originally composed as separate piano accompaniment rather than guitar (ex. 4). pieces. Kerr’s viola and piano pieces have colorful Las Fatigas del Querer is an idiomatic Spanish phrase and descriptive titles as follows: Habañera; Las that translates as “the sorrows of loving.” In a score Fatigas del Querer; Berceuse; Lament; and Toccata. to one of her violin pieces with the same title, Kerr The expressive viola writing in these works is not wrote: “Free treatment of a Spanish folk song,” and extremely difficult and could be mastered by an “not even tears can relieve the bitterness of the sor-

Example 4. Louise Lincoln Kerr, Habañera, mm. 1–3.

VOLUME 28 NUMBER 2 29 34 row that comes from loving. Only music can express The Lament is a much darker piece than the other viola it.”11 She may have been referring to the loss of two works. The score for Lament is still in sketch form, and it is of her daughters when they were teenagers during possible that she was still working on the piece, since she the 1940s (one had tuberculosis and the other died never made an ink copy of the viola and piano parts. She in a tragic accident when a gun went off by mis- seems to have chosen F minor, a decidedly less vibrant key take). She also lost her husband, Peter Kerr, in 1939. for the viola, to deliberately create a somber quality. The As in the Habañera, the violist resembles a Spanish harmonic texture is moody and brooding like those found singer, especially in the declamatory ad libitum pas- in Brahms’s songs. There is a brief respite from the sorrow of sage toward the end of the piece (ex. 5). Like many F minor when the work modulates to a more hopeful C- of the Impressionists, Kerr employed different major section. There is a return to F minor through a long modes; Las Fatigas del Querer seems to be in A bridge passage, and the piece wanders, evading familiar pas- Phrygian or possibly D harmonic minor. This work sages. Thus the listener has an unrequited feeling, and the is very convincing in using the ability of the viola to musical tension is never relieved. Louise Kerr makes excel- pull at the listener’s emotional heartstrings and imi- lent use of both the darker side of the viola C string as well tate the human voice. It should be noted that the as the poignant A string (ex. 6). treatment of the folk song in the work of the same name for violin and piano is entirely different from The Toccata for viola and piano is a fast fantasia that that for viola and piano. keeps with the through-composed nature of most toccatas. She makes use of the Phrygian mode but keeps to the The Berceuse for viola and piano is a beautifully crafted more vibrant keys of C and D major. The opening passage character piece of the French Impressionist genre. This of the Toccata is technically demanding, with the violist charming work is similar in style to the Berceuse, op. 16, scaling the instrument in rapid sixteenth-note passages. by Gabriel Fauré. Like many of Kerr’s works, the rhythm The pianist is also kept very busy with numerous in each measure of her Berceuse is slightly different than sequenced patterns in the bass. There is a contrastingly the last. The Berceuse mostly stays in the lower positions slower lyrical section, and then the rapid sixteenth notes but occasionally explores the higher range of the viola. return for the climax of the piece.

Example 5. Louise Lincoln Kerr, Las Fatigas del Querer, mm. 61–72 (viola part).

Example 6. Louise Lincoln Kerr, Lament, mm. 3–12 (viola part).

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VIOLA SOCIETy 30 35 Conclusion 5 Charles Lewis, “103rd Birthday Tribute Concert for Louise Lincoln Kerr,” (speech, Kerr Cultural Louise Kerr left a valuable legacy of chamber music for Center, ASU, Scottsdale, AZ, April 23, 1995). the viola and other instruments. Her rich experiences in 6 New york with jazz pianists and her association with the Andrew Shaw, interview with the author, April 1995. Impressionist composers and painters influenced Kerr to 7 Jim Newton, “Mrs. Kerr, 80, Eyes Future,” Arizona write colorful and creative compositions. Her exposure Republic, April 29, 1972. to Native American melodies, Spanish folktunes, and cowboy songs of the Southwest helped her to compose 8 Diane Sullivan, interview with the author, 2001. in a unique style. Louise Kerr’s ability as both a violist and violinist gave her an excellent perspective on how to 9 Excepting Berceuse; one of the draft manuscript compose for strings. She excelled at composing short scores bears the date November – 1947. character pieces, infusing them with colorful harmonic passages and exciting rhythmic motives. 10 Betty Lou Cummings, interview with the author, September 22, 2012. Kerr also left a substantial legacy through her humanitarian 11 efforts and philanthropy, and her former home, the ASU Louise Lincoln Kerr, Las Fatigas del Querer for Kerr Cultural Center, is now an Arizona and National Violin and Piano (unpublished manuscript, Historical Preservation site. While she has received awards Arizona Collection, ASU Archives MSS-90). and accolades for many of her efforts, her contributions as a Kerr’s Etude, for violin and viola, is available in a new composer are only now receiving renewed interest. As a edition by the American Viola Society at: http://ameri- prolific American Southwest composer of the twentieth canviolasociety.org/resources/scores/american-viola-proj- century, Louise Lincoln Kerr deserves to be more remem- ect/. Her Five Character Pieces for Viola and Piano is bered; her music is our national treasure. available from the Four Seasons Orchestra at: http://www.fourseasonsorchestra.org/shop.html. A Notes recording of Kerr’s viola music has recently been released on the CD Arizona Profiles. Copies of the CD are also 1 A. Nannette Taylor, Louise Lincoln Kerr: Grand available on the Four Seasons Orchestra website. Lady of Music (Phoenix, AZ: Kerr Cultural Center, Arizona State University, n.d.). Dr. Carolyn Waters Broe is the viola instructor at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix, Arizona. She is also the conductor of the Four Seasons 2 Ibid. Orchestra and the violist with the Four Seasons String

3 Quartet of Scottsdale, Arizona. Broe has performed as William Kerr, interview with the author, April 22, 2001. the viola soloist with several orchestras and is recorded on numerous CDs. More information is available at 4 Louise Lincoln Kerr, Five Character Pieces for Viola http://www.fourseasonsorchestra.org. and Piano, ed. Carolyn Broe and Miriam yutzy (Scottsdale, AZ: Classics Unlimited Music, 2002). This edition is available at http://www.fourseasonsor- chestra.org or http://www.classicsunlimitedmusic.com.

This article appeared in the JournalVOLUME of the American 28 NUMBERViola Society 2and is reprinted here by permission. 31 36