The Catgut Acoustical Society Newsletter
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m f -«— THE CATGUT ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER Number 20, published semiannually November 1,1973 MUSIC COMPOS__D FOR INSTRUMENTS THE FAMILY OF NEW VIOLINS Voorhees Chapel , Douglass College _ _ _ ,__, Octol)er. lk 1973 k m New Brunsvick/N. J. Sunday ' > ~ P ' * The four cccpositions on this program are prize-winning entries in a competition sponsored by The New Jersey State on the Arts, Douglass College, and The Catgut Acoustical Society, Inc. The following artists are participating in the performance of these compositions: Douglass College: Joseph Kovacs, Mezzo Violin Pobert Martin, Tenor Violin Arnold Kvam, Baritone Violin Tale Obiversity of Music: Broadus Soprano Violin Syoko Aki Erie, Mezzo Violin Harold Ccletta, Viola Aldo Parisot, Tenor Violin Conservatory of Musis: William Berman, Alto Violin Montclair College: Bonald Naspo, Violin 1. String Quartet Marino A. Maagini (Soprano, Mezzo, Alto, Tenor Violins) la Two Movements 2. " .String Quartet : . Chang (Mezzo, Baritone Violins) I Outspoken II Exaltation III111 Elegy IV - Tribute V - Last i.ord 3 . "Images" William Duckworth (Soprano, Mezzo, Tenor Violins) In Three Movements h. String Qiartet for New Violins Delia Peruti (Mezzo, Alto, Baritone, Violins) In Five Movements J. Dramatic Suite for New Violins (1965) Fran's Levin (Mezzo, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Violins) I Prelude and Chorale II - Toccata and Passacoglia 111 - Air IV - Fugato and Epilogue At the above performance, an audience of about 65 heard the winning compositions in th« oontest announced in the last Newsletter as well as the Dramatio Suite for New Violins by Prank Lewin. (The Mangini and Duckworth—compositions were played from tapes previously made by the Yale musicians). Composers Peruti and Chang were in the audience, the latter traveling all the way from Arizona for the occasion 1 Our special thanks to the musicians who made this possible. After the performance, the annual general meeting of the Society was held, with about fifty members in attendance. At the Board of Trustees meeting which the primary item of business was the election of trustees. New members of the Board are: A.H.Benade, A.S.Hegeman, D.McGilvfay, and R.E.Menzel. Reelected are: M.A.Hutchins, and J.C.Schelleng. Together witn incumbents F.B.Clough, W. J.V.Doraaleski, R.E.Pryxell and P.Lewin, these constitute our Board of Trustees which was increased to a total of 12 in 1972. Regretfully, and after considerable thought, the Board voted to increase the annual membership dues to beginning January 1,1974. Not only are printing costs continually increasing but also mailing costs which are scheduled to go up again in January 1974. We again urge those of our members wno have not paid their 1973 dues ($5.00) to do so promptly. On September 2, our "Secretary was forced to send out second notices to 149 members nearly a third of bur membership. Our treasury does still have a balance, but far from—sufficient to cover the expenses of this Newsletter and other commitments during the winter. To cover increased costs, we also are forced to raise our charge for back issues of the Newsletter to per issue. COPYRIGHT Catgut Acoustical Society,lnc. 1973 CONCERTOF OF ' first Council School Erie, Obsrlin State Contrabass "Statements for G. Gordon Alto, Tenor, Alto, Carl Contrabass Alto, Snail Contrabass followed, R.H.Scanlon, Creel, $8.00 $2.00 m f -«— THE CATGUT ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER Number 20, published semiannually November 1,1973 MUSIC COMPOSED FOR INSTRUMENTS THE FAMILY OF NEW VIOLINS Chapel, Douglass College _ »_. „„_, Voorhees ,_ .1 k1. New N. J. Sunda^ October lk> 1973 " p 'm - The four cccpositions on this program are prize-winning entries in a competition sponsored by The New Jersey State on the Arts, Douglass College, and The Catgut Acoustical Society, Inc. The following artists are participating in the performance of these compositions: Douglass College: Joseph Kovacs, Mezzo Violin Pobert Martin, Tenor Violin Arnold Kvam, Baritone Violin Tale Obiversity of Music: Broadus Soprano Violin Syoko Aki Erie, Mezzo Violin Harold Ccletta, Viola Aldo Parisot, Tenor Violin Conservatory of Musis: William Berman, Alto Violin Montclair College: Bonald Naspo, Violin 1. String Quartet Marino A. Mangini (Soprano, Mezzo, Alto, Tenor Violins) In Two Movements 2. " .String Quartet : . Chang (Mezzo, Baritone Violins) I Outspoken II Exaltation 111111 Elegy IV - Tribute V - Lost i.ord 3 . "Images" William Duckworth (Soprano, Mezzo, Tenor Violins) In Three Movements h. String Qiartet for New Violins Delia Peruti (Mezzo, Alto, Baritone, Violins) In Five Movements J. Dramatic Suite for New Violins (1965) Fran's Lewin (Mezzo, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Violins) I Prelude and Chorale II - Toccata and Tassacaglia 111 - Air IV - Fugato and Epilogue At the above performance, an audience of about 65 heard the winning compositions in the oontest announced in the last Newsletter as well as the Dramatic Suite for New Violins* by Frank Lewin. (The Mangini and Duckworth—compositions were played from tapes previously made by the Yale musicians). Composers Peruti and Chang were in the audience, the latter traveling all the way from Arizona for the occasion 1 Our special thanks to the musicians who made this possible. After the performance, the annual general meeting of the Society was held, with about fifty members in attendance. At the Board of Trustees meeting which the primary item of business was the election of trustees. New members of the Board are: A.H.Benade, A.S.Hegeman, D.McGilvfay, and E.E.Menzel. Reelected are: M.A.Hutchins, and J.C.Schelleng. Together witn incumbents F.B.Clough, W. J.V.Doraaleski, R.E.Fryxell and F.Lewin, these constitute our Board of Trustees which was increased to a total of 12 in 1972. Regretfully, and after considerable thought, the Board voted to increase the annual membership dues to beginning January 1,1974. Not only are printing costs continually increasing but also mailing costs which are scheduled to go up again in January 1974. We again urge those of our members wno have not paid their 1973 dues ($5.00) to do so promptly. On September 2, our "Secretary was forced to send out second notices to 149 members nearly a third of bur membership. Our treasury does still have a balance, but far from—sufficient to cover the expenses of this Newsletter and other commitments during the winter. To cover increased costs, we also are forced to raise our charge for back issues of the Newsletter to per issue. COPYRIGHT Catgut Acoustical Society,lnc. 1975 CONCERTOF OF ' Brunswick, first Council School Erie, Obsrlin State Contrabass "Statements for G. Gordon Alto, Tenor, Alto, Carl Contrabass Alto, Snail Contrabass followed, R.H.Scanlon, Creel, $8.00 $2.00 2 CATGUT ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY President Stewart Hegeman 176 Linden Avenue Glen Ridge, N. J., o7o2B Vice President Virginia Apgar 30 Engle Street Tenafly,N.J.,o767o Vice president Lothar Cremer Tech . Univ . Berlin 1 Berlin 10 Einsteinufer 27 Germany Secretary Carleen Hutchins 112 Essex Avenue Montclair,N.J.,o7o42 Treasurer Dugald McGilvray 12 Clairidge Court Montclair,N.J.,o7o42 Editor Robert Fryxell 7355 Drake Road Cincinnati Ohio 45243 Mr. and Mrs. Donald Blatter, June 1968 taken in the yard of the Hutchins* home, Montclair, New Jersey On June 26, 1 973 y Simone Fernando Sacconi, dean of Italian violin makers in the USA, died* Known throughout the world for his meticulous craftsmanship and skill in violin making and repairing, he was not only a great teacher but a warm and enthusiastic person. During the years when I was privileged, through the kindness of the late Rembert Wurlitzer, to make several instruments under Sacconi' s direction I came to realize how deep was his devotion to the violin and its rich heritage in his native Italy, which he had unearthed and documented even to the tools, patterns, and methods of using them* He gave me the pattern of Stradivari's viola, the wooden form around which an instrument is made, and insisted that I use pegs and string instead of clamps in glueing the ribs to the corner blocks, since that was the way Stradivari had done it* Sacconi came to the USA in 1934 and until 1950 was with Emil Herrmann when he became head of the violin department at Rembert Wurlitzer,lnc> He made many instruments himself, among them a highly ornamented copy of one of Stradivari's violins, but it was for his skill and ability in repair and restoration of the early instruments that he will be long remembered throughout the world* Carleen Hutchins Ed: Readers may be interested to read further in a notice which appeared in the Strad for August 1973 the 1000th issue of that -journal! - 5 Plans are shaping up for sending the eight instruments of the new violin family to England early in 1974 so that they can be presented at the Eighth International Congress on Acoustics in July* The committee in England making plans are: Mr. Alan Sleath, Chairman, Dr. Bernard Robinson, Prof. C.A.Taylor, and Mr* Sandy Brown. Dr. Hobinson is arranging for care of the instruments and players for them, Mr. Sleath is planning for their performance over the BBC. In addition several other musical groups are interested in hearing them and possibly composing for them* Funds for the venture are being sought by C.M.Hutchins. Anyone interested in contributing? The Department of Musical Instrument Technology of Newark Technical College in Nottinghamshire, England, is currently conducting a course in violin making and is in touch with tne Catgut Society on several problems of acoustical testing of instruments during construction. The Super Sensitive String Company has moved to Sarasota, Florida (Porter Road, fi.R. #2 Box 30-V).