JAVS Fall 2006

the library of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Tn add ition to pre senting a good deal of history behind William

culry of keeping 12 or so violists in line. Keepi ng over 300 violists in order was noth ing short of a spec mcular and a commendable ach ievemenr indeed. Very special thanks were given to Jurra by her students, associates, and fri ends at the close of the congress. The congress closed with an invita tion ro attend rhe next year's con gress in Sydney Australia. Eve1y other yea r the congress is held out ide ofNorth America. My friends and I returned home eating our peanut butter sandwiches, consid ering the possibilities of attending that 35th congress. For us, new reperroire had been considered, and the old dusted off and made new. We had mer new friends from across the world, learned from the best, and certainly renewed our gusto fo r pursu ing our own viola aspirations. At first the experience did nor look li ke it could happen for us, bur we found a way and made it work. lr was financially difficult and physically exhausting, but worth ir. And l still love peanut butter sandwiches! -A native ofBurlington, Iowa, Andrew Snow is n senior at Brigham Young University. For me the music i s a very powerful language: some times joke, some

Tamestit, Adamopoulos, Laine, and Michalakakos in recital

Primrose, the lec ture also explained the wo rkjngs of the PIVA and irs benefits and value ro the viola world. Interesting for me was the discus sion of the vari ous instruments and the rime periods Primrose used them and recorded with rhem. There is a lor to be ga ined from the resources made avai lable at rhe PTVA. Beyond these tangible resources there is much robe learned from the legacy left by Primrose for as Yehudi Menuhin stated, "IfTert is was the first pro tagonist, Bill [Primro e] was cer tainl y the first star of rhe viola." Congress Closed A word of thanks mu r be sa id to Jutta Puchhammer-Sedi llor. The congress week wa fill ed with events and lectures with relatively little recycling of presenters and performers. Given my circum stances I could not have possibly experienced more per day. Unfortunate it is that the under represented American viola com muni ty rud not choose ro partici pate with greater mtmbers. The smooth continui ty of rhe events and the orderly manner in which they rook place rhroughout rhe week spoke mo t strongly of the care and arrenrion given by Puchhammer-Sedill or in seeing that cvc1y minute was provided for. Any violist who has been principal of a ection can appreciate the diffi

ness that, according to Claude Rostand, 'only their poetic essence seems to have been significant to Bmhms. ' Like all mtlSterpieces, the Sonatas may be approached in a naive way- just Listening and enjoy ing- or may be studied and deep ened during a Lifetime. In this case they reveal what they are: an endless source ofmarvelous treasures. iuranna explained his views between the clarinet and viola edi tions: "In the F-Minor complete phrases - objectively roo high for the viola - have been moved down an octave; at the contrary, in the E-Flat onara only parrs, fractions of phrases have been moved down changing radically the character of the music. onsequendy, my sug gestion of performing the E-Fiar Major onara at rhe high octaves, like rhe clarinet." This lecru re was a significant, if not the deciding factor, in my decision ro include the Brahms E-Fiat Sonata for an upcoming recital of mine in place ofArnold Bax's beautiful viola sonata. Another such evenr was a lecture given by Dr. C laudine Bigelow with rhe assistance of Jennifer all and Myrna Layton who work with rhe Primrose International Viola Archive (PIVA), the largest single co llection of viola works in the world . This collection is kept in

times tragedy. Michael Kuge l

JOVRN~ F T l r ~AM ~ RJ AN V I LA 16