JAVS Fall 2007

all srops for a program that included the sonatas by Arnold Bax and Charles Villiers ranford. The latter, originally for clarinet, was played in rhe transcrip tion by rhe English violist, H. Waldo Warner (Primrose's predecessor in the London String Quartet). This heady stuff was leavened with morsels by Pugnani-Kreisler, Bach-Terris, Sarasare Zimbalist and Vieuxremps, with a Debussy tran scription added as an envoi. The whole evening was a jaw-dropping demonstration of playing in the Grand Manner, and in my opinion che high point of the week. The final day of the Congress XXXV began , as they always do, with a sizeable group of violists rehears ing ensemble music. This rime, however, ic was on the stage of Elder Hall in preparation for their con cert in the afternoon. And since I would hear them later, I opted nor co arcend the rehearsal, bur rather ro visit the University computer lab for the last day of free Internet. Day Five: Tuesday, 3 July 2007 - Ann Frederking (Canada)

J

Neil Shepherd in rare moment ofnot takingphotographs. Photo by Dwight Pounds.

lecture on Sevdk. I chose to attend Lea's presentation.

Lea is now one of rhe solo violists of the Vienna Philharmonic and he talked abom his education, his career, and dealing with performance nervousness. lr was really two lectures in one and rhe part about how he made the switch to viola and began his orchestral career in the Vienna State Opera (as a sub with no rehearsal), shed a fascinating light on a system char is quire different from what most of us know in North America. After a stint as Principal Violist in Milan, he was able to return co Vienna in a similar role - one which he has held for 14 years. Now he also makes a career of helping people to overcome nervousness and prepare for auditions. This was the focus of the second part of rhe calk, bur rime didn't permit him to develop it as much as many would have liked. Bur a few points were made: • Increase the level of security by practicing a lot and knowing everything l30o/o so that when you lose 40o/o due to nerves in an audition, you will still play at 90o/o. • Practice phrasing, musicality and EVERYTHING so that it's amomaric. • Work out what your individual problems are. Ic

At 10:00 am, we once again had to make a choice.

Mark Smith with an illustration used in his lecture, The Viola Pomposa. Collage by Dwight Pounds. Dr. Mark Smith from Australia presented a lecture on "Bach's violas of cello pitch." And at the same rime, Adelaide- born-and-raised Tobias Lea filled in for Elizabeth Morgan who was unable ro be present for a

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