JAVS Fall 2003

By jeffrey Levenberg

to him, and indeed he owned the score, but he was ono/ prepared to sell it andfor more money than I could afford. One d:ty he came to visit me, and in the courtyard he saw some pigeons which belonged to a neighbor. He then proposed to me that, if I gave him thepigeons, he would lend me the Ariadne score. This ofcourse, was impossible, as I did not even know who owned the pigeons, but I soon found out that they belonged to a secre tary with whom I hadgone to concerts on several occasions. So I went to him and after long discussions we came to an agreement: He wouldgive me the pigeons and in return I was to compose a viola concerto for him. In this way I received my pigeons which I exchanged immediateo/ for the score, and throughout many a day and night I copied it. (Beyer 5) Upon its completion, the concerto was welcomed with immediate suc cess. As Zeiter himself noted, "My secretary was overjoyed when he heard the concerto played for the first time." (Beyer 5) The instant success of the concerto probably inspired Zeiter to pursue composi tion seriously; his autobiography reveals that this piece served as a piv otal, transitional point in his career (Beyer 5). In fact, his feelings about his piece show the utmost confi dence and even arrogance: By now the viola concerto was finished. It was the first attempt in recent times to offer something more in a concer to than just technique and some thing pleasant to listen to (Beyer 5).

concerto is not a masterpiece, the concerto is an example of typical eighteenth century German music and therefore serves as a model for appropriate historical performance practices. Because of this, and since it also includes some truly quite pleasing music, the concerto deserves to be more readily includ ed in the viola repertoire. A founda tional knowledge of eighteenth cen tury performance techniques will enhance one's search for his or her own unique interpretation (whether it is modernized or not). The fol lowing fundamental suggestions are meant to be applicable to both his torical and modern performances. Owning a copy of this concerto will certainly prove to be valuable. Zeiter's viola concerto was com posed in 1779, early in his career and before his formal composition studies, while he was still primarily an amateur violist. The following excerpt from Zeiter's autobiogra phy describes the humorous cir cumstances surrounding the com mission of the piece: But one ofmy greatest wishes had remained unfolfilled. I neveryet had seen aproper score, hadalways wanted to see the score ofone ofBend:t's works, and now through being away ftom the theatre the hope ofdoing so was greato/ diminished. Then suddeno/ I remem bered one ofthe viola players in the orchestra (who privateo/ dealt in pigeons) saying that he possessed a score ofBend:t's Ariadne aufNaxos. I went

Editor's Note: Jeffrey Levenberg's Introducing Zeiter's Concerto is the first prize winner in the 2003 David Dalton Viola Research Competition. History Karl Friedrich Zeiter (1758-1832), renowned during his lifetime as one of Germany's foremost com posers, conductors, music histori ans, and educators, has had a notable impact on the history of western music. Dr. Zeiter's passion for Johann Sebastian Bach led to the rediscovery of the St. Matthew Passion; the subsequent organiza tion of the Passion's monumental performance in 1829 helped renew the world's interest in Bach's music. Zelter served on the facul ties of the Berliner Sing-Akademie, Akademie der Kiinste, as well as established institutes in Kaliningrad, Breslau, and Berlin; his many students included Felix Mendelssohn and Otto Nicolai (Ottenberg 781-782). In fact, today Zeiter is virtually remem bered only for the success of his distinguished pupil, Mendelssohn. However, Zeiter was an accom plished composer in his own right. Most famous for his extensive out put of lieder, Zelter also composed numerous sacred, choral, and key board works, as well as his sole sur viving orchestral work, the Viola Concerto. Although Zeiter's viola

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