JOURNAL of the AlVlERICAN VIOLA SOCIETY Section of THE I NTERNATIONAL VIOLA SOCIETY Association for the Promotion ofViola Performance and Research Vol. 16 No.3 2000 FEATURES Joseph Schuberr's Concerto in £-Flat Major By Andrew Levin Cultivating a Private Srudio By Christine Due Orchestral Training Forum: "Wagner's Overtures to Tannhiiuser" By Charles R. Pikfer A Thumb's Decline: To Fuse or Not to Fuse By Dan Whitman From the NS Presidency: "Linkoping Congress Review" By Dwight Pounds OFFICERS Peter Slowik President Professor ofViola Oberlin College Conservatory 13411 Compass Point Strongsville, OH 44136 peter. slowik@oberlin. edu William Preucil II Vice President 317 Windsor Dr. I Iowa City, /A 52245 Catherine Forbes Secretary 1128 Woodland Dr. Arlington, TX 76012 Ellen Rose Treasurer 2807 Lawtherwood Pl. Dallas, TX 75214 Thomas Tatton Past President 7511 Parkwoods Dr. Stockton, C4 95207 BOARD Victoria Chiang Donna Lively Clark Paul Coletti Ralph Fielding Pamela Goldsmith john Graham Barbara Hamilton ~....:::::=:-~-=~11 Karen Ritscher Christine Rutledge -__ -==~~~ ji Kathryn Steely - ! juliet White-Smith Louise Zeitlin EDITOR, JAYS Kathryn Steely Baylor University P.O. Box 97408 "Waco, TX 76798 PAST PRESIDENTS Myron Rosenblum (1971-1981) Maurice W. Riley (1981-1986) David Dalton (1986-1990) Alan de Veritch (1990-1994) HONORARY PRESIDENT William Primrose (deceased) ~ Section ofthe Internationale Viola Society The journal ofthe American Viola Society is a peer-reviewed publication of that organization and is produced at A-R Editions in Madison, Wisconsin. © 2000, American Viola Society ISSN 0898-5987 ]AVS welcomes letters and articles from its readers. Editor: Kathryn Steely Assistant Editor: Jeff A. Steely Assistant Editor for Viola Pedagogy: Jeffrey Irvine Assistant Editor for Interviews: Thomas Tatton Production: A-R Editions, Inc. Editorial and Advertising Office Kathryn Steely School of Music Baylor University P.O. Box 97408 Waco, TX 76798 (254) 710-6499 Fax: (254) 710-3574 [email protected] ]AVS appears three times yearly. Deadlines for copy and artwork are 15 December (Spring Issue), 15 April (Summer Issue) and 15 August (Winter Issue); submissions should be sent to the editorial office. Ad rates: $125 full page, $80 half page, $55 one-third page, $45 one-fourth page, $30 one-eighth page. Classifieds: $30 for 30 words including address; $50 for 31-60 words. Advertisers will be billed after the ad has appeared. Payment to the American Viola Society should be remitted to the advertising office. Margin graphics counesty of Les instruments a archet by Antoine Vidal (London: The Holland Press Limited, 1961). First edition, 1876-1878. TABLE OF CONTENTS From the President ............................................ 5 Announcements .............................................. 8 Joseph Schubert's Concerto in E-Flat Major ......................... 19 by Andrew Levin Cultivating a Private Studio ..................................... 35 by Christine Due Orchestral Training Forum: ..................................... 39 "Wagner's Overtures to Tannhiiuser' by Charles R. Pikler A Thumb's Decline: To Fuse or Not to Fuse ......................... 49 by Dan Whitman About Violists .............................................. 53 From the IVS Presidency: ...................................... 63 '"Linkoping Congress Review" by Dwight Pounds Record Reviews .............................................. 69 by David 0. Brown New Acquisitions in PIVA ...................................... 75 AVS Membership Directory ..................................... 85 Searching PIVA Online ....................................... 100 The Primrose International Viola Archive announces a generous gift by Peter Bartok of several hundred copies of the Facsimile of the Autograph Draft of the Viola Concerto by Bela Bartok • Hardback in black, 12 by 16 inches, 84 pages including photo page. • Preface by Peter Bartok & Commentary by Ldsz/6 Sorrffai (Text in English, Hunga rian, German, japanese, and Spanish). • Fair transcription of the dnift with notes prepared by Nelson Dellamaggiore. Any donor, past or future, contributing $150 or more to the construction of the PIVA and Primrose rooms in the BYU library will receive this handsome book as agift from Brigham Young University. Send your donation to: Primrose Account BYU Development Office C-389 ASB Brigham Young University Provo, UT 84602 5 FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Viola Colleagues, In the last several months I have been following a particular discipline. Perhaps you have shared this experience with me. I have been working at this discipline almost every day, often several hours a day. It is something that I often don't feel like starting, but once I've started I find the mental and physical challenges engrossing. I'm prepar­ ing for a performance that will be inspiring for me, a performance that is only possi­ ble by participating along with many others. Although the hours, weeks, and years of preparation have required stamina, mental toughness, and dedication, the actual "per­ formance" will be over in a matter of hours. Maybe you identify with some of these feelings in your own relationship with the viola, and the discipline of practice. It is now time to tell you that I am speaking of my training for the Chicago Marathon, at this writing a few weeks away. In these final weeks before the marathon, everything I do seems to be in some way related to the race. Please read on to under­ stand my fascination with the similarities between the Chicago Marathon and our fine American Viola Society. First, the Chicago Marathon is special because it is so large and diverse. I have run the Chicago twice and been inspired and fulfilled by the 30,000 participants in a way that Cleveland's fine race (with 5,000 starters) could not duplicate. Our vibrant, growing society (the largest national group in the world) allows frequent opportuni- Peter Slowik ties for challenge and support through Congresses, competitions, and its publication. Second, it is thrilling to be an amateur running IN THE SAME RACE as the world's greatest athletes! In 1999, as I was running to a personal record in the Chicago Marathon, Khalid Khannouchi broke the world's record for the marathon by finishing a scant 1 hr and 55 minutes in front of me! (The previous year I had finished about 2'/2 hours behind the finisher, so look out for me in the 2004 Olympics!!) In a similar vein, devoted amateurs can benefit from being in the same viola society as the world's most accomplished performers and teachers. Third, runners in the Chicago Marathon are inspired and urged on by the marvelous variety and energy of Chicago's ethnic neighborhoods. Similarly, the variety of events sponsored by our local chapters lend a different ftavor or focus to each. Together they create the rich fabric that is the American Viola Society. Fourth, each runner in the Chicago Marathon has an individual goal-whether it is a world record, breaking 4 hours, or just finishing! Likewise, our society has goals-to provide local mem­ bership opportunities for each member, 2000 total members, increased prize money in the Primrose competition, or a long dream list of publications. Many of the runners in the race will reach or exceed their goal, while some will suffer cramps or exhaustion and fall short. Ultimately, though, the triumph of the marathon is not the achievement of the goal, but setting the goal high and giving a total effort to reach it. So, I urge you to take your part in this effort to make the American Viola Society great. Whether you have the potential to be a record-breaker, a mid-pack runner, or one who barely makes it the whole way, the Society needs you and your individual talents to make it a great "hap­ pening." Some members of the society have been pace-setters and others of us have been couch potatoes. It's time for ALL of us to get in the race-recruiting new members, making connections with students and amateurs, making sure that professional colleagues know of the opportunities to enrich their field through participation in local and national events and publications. Each one of us is needed to make this effort successful, so let's get going! Meet you at the finish line (and don't forget to double-tie your shoe laces)! IS Happy trails, Y~_,S\-~~ Peter Slowik President 6 lticaao IUS I CAL (/C 0 L LEGE Richard Ferrin and Li-Kuo Chang, CMC Viola Faculty Li-Kuo Chang, appointed assistant principal viola of rhe Chicago Symphony Orchestra by Sir Georg Solti in 1988, held similar positions in China, Europe, and rhe Unired Srares, including assistant principal viola of rhe Denver Symphony Orchestra. A graduate of rhe Shanghai Conservatory, he was rhe firsr violist ro win rhe Young Anisr Competition in Shanghai. In rhe Unired Stares he studied wirh Francis Tursi ar rhe Eastman School of Music. and wirh Mil ron Thomas, Donald Mcinnes, Paul Doktor, and William Magers. Li-Kuo Chang has appeared as soloist "~rh rhe Chicago Symphony Orchestra, rhe Phoenix Symphony, and rhe Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. He has performed Li-Kuo Chang chamber music ar rhe Los Angeles Music Center. ar Le Gesse Festival in France and rhe Taipei Music Festival in Taiwan, ro jusr name a few. He has raughr and performed ar rhe Affulis Music Festival in Japan since 1992. Richard Ferrin, violist wirh rhe Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1967, has enjoyed a disringuished career as soloist, chamber musician, symphony member, and reacher. Concertmaster of the Interlochen World Yourh Symphony as a reen, he srudied viola and violin ar Eastman, rhe Universiry of Sourhem California, and ar rhe Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. He has srudied pedagogy in Leningrad, Moscow, Kiev and Odessa. Richard Ferrin has been soloist wirh rhe Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Eastman­ Rochester Symphony Orchestra, the Finnish Radio Orchestra, and rhe Housron Symphony, and in 1986 gave rhe firsr performances of rhe Barrok Vwla Concato Richard Ft!rrin with rhe Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and rhe Central Philharmonic Orchestra in Beijing. As a violist of Chicago Pro Musica, he has performed ar international festivals in Japan.