JAVS Fall 1997

89

T he Manhattan School of Music in New York City was the site of an impressive memorial concert in honor of the late and great violist, teacher, and chamber music coach Lillian Fuchs. On 2 November 1997 some of the greatest viola talent in the coun try gathered to honor this great musician in sound and in word. After the introductory remarks by Martha lstomin, president of the Manhattan School, and Stephen Clapp, dean of the Juilliard School, the hall was darkened as we listened to Miss Fuchs's marvelous recording of the Prelude to Bach's Suite no. 4. Those who know these historic recordings will recall that these were not only the first recordings ever made of these suites on viola but were remark able for their musicality, broad concept, and technical brilliance. For the remainder of the afternoon, we were treated to wonderful playing by Barbara Stein Mallow and Jeanne Mallow (Miss Fuchs's daughter and granddaughter), and former pupils Peter Keynote, Eric Shumsky, Yizhak Schotten, Veronica Salas, Sandra Robbins, Elmar Oliveira, and Sabina Thatcher. They played music by Lillian Fuchs, Beethoven, Reger, Bloch, Prokofiev, Rosemary Glyde, and Martinu. The concert ended with a large group performance of the first movement of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto no. 6. This proved to be an extraordinary performance of twenty four violists, five cellists, and one bass, led by

the well-known harpsichordist Kenneth Cooper. Sixteen of the violists were divided into four choirs and shared the two viola parts-not all at the same time. The effect was wonderful. The other violists were sitting with the basso players and played the gamba parts. Cellists included Timothy Eddy, David Geber, Ronald Lipscomb, Barbara Mallow, and Peter Rosenfeld; the bassist was Orin O'Brien. The violists in this impressive performance were those mentioned above as well as Liane Marston, Gerald Schoelzel, Jacob Glick, Peggy LaVake, Ruth Millhouse Jacobs, Linda Moss, Jill Jaffe, Marka Kasker, Marsha Westbrook Cahn, Christine lms, Ron Lawrence, Naomi Graf Rooks, Linda M. Jones, Ann Roggen, Samuel Kephart, Richard A. Clark, and Frank Foerster-all former pupils or colleagues of Miss Fuchs. The program also had wonderfully moving statements by many who knew her-former students, colleagues, and other great musical luminaries, such as Isaac Stern and Pinchas Zukerman. This was a tribute to a great lady and musi cian. Those who were influenced by her can never forget her high musical standards, her probing insight into the music she dealt with, and above all her great musical intergrity.

-Myron Rosenblum Sunnyside, Maryland