JAVS Fall 2006

MODERN MAKERS THE CONTEMPORARY VIOLA' S jOURNEY INTO MAJOR QUARTETS

By Eric Chapman

and three other members ofa qua r tet compounds d1e complexity of d1e de ision sendi ng it to a new level. When a brand-new instrument joins a world class quartet, it becomes aJ1 evenr; with violas, ir now happen wid1 increasing regularity. The 'hanghai Quru·rer, one of d1c world's finest young quarters accepr ed an invitation ro serve as tone judges ar rhe YSA lmernational in 2004. While the task of playing ru1d evaluating 48 cel los, 85 viola , and 182 violins is daunring a~ wel l as phys ically fa tiguing, the quru·rer accepLed the challenge and spent four days sLraighr judging instru ments eight hours a day-an experi ence which would be rermed price less by M:tstercru·d. Our of that pro ess, the quarter emerged wid1 three brand-new instruments that are now the regulru· insuumenrs of the quartet. The Gold Medal viola by Nicolas Gilles was the choice of Honggang Li. Based on the contral ro violas ofAndrea Guru·neri , the in trument seemed ideally suited ro d1e player and d1e composite sound of the quartet. There was only one problem-Lhe instrument had been sold prior ro the competition. Having fuith in the maker and the model, he commissioned a11 exact copy dm joined the quarter in 2005. Jonath

a solo insrrumenr d1mrgh, the lru1d scape began ro change. With the crafts revival of the 60s and 70s in full swing, violin making emerged as a major movement. In 1972, the Viol in Making chool of America in alr lake City, was found ed by Peter Prier in 1972. Three years later, d1e Kenned1 WruTen School of violin making, now known as d1e Chicago chool ofViolin Making enrolled its first srudems. A few years later, the North Bennett trcer Sd1ool in Boston joined the dub. American violin making began to hi t its srride. Wirh the founding of the American ociery for the Advan ement of Violin Making (now the Violin Society of America) in 1973, makers now had a major support system At the Internat ional Viola ongress in Ypsilanti , Michi gan in 1975, the VSA began irs internat ional compet itions, thi s first rime only for violas. Two now wel l-estab li shed American makers, Dav id Burgess and David Wiebe, were among the charte r medal winners. Lud1iers now had a forum that allowed rhe top craftsmen to emerge, whi le player could easily access these rop makers who might create a con cerr instrument fo r them. Satisfying a top performer with a solo insuumenr poses stiff challenges fo r any maker. Satisfyi ng d1e player

Musicians, both professional and amateur, are becoming increasingly comfortable with the musical and financial benefi ts of performing on contempora~y instruments. Lionel Terris wa~ perhap d1e first ro make a di tLncr impact on musician's artirude toward new instruments when he developed his own model viola with English maker , Arthur Richardson and Wilfred aunders and aggressive ly endorsed d1eir work. Richardson made his firsrTertis model in 1937 and over the years made more d1an 100. William Primrose championed contemporary makers wherever he could and in 1950 was d1e only non Tertis pupil to participate in a special concert ina·oducing Terris' latest 16 3/4" model. ln addi tion, Primro e played many concerts on a beautiful viola byWi ll iam Moennig Jr.. At d1e 1979 Viola Congress held at Brighan1 Young University in Provo, Utah, Primro e meticulously played every new viola lll the V Aexhibit. Late in his life, he played primarily on a conremporruy Japanese viola. Recognition of d1e quali ty ofcon temporary instrwnenrs has been slow to develop through most of the 20d1 century. Players have been raughr to "fear d1e unknown" of how in tru menrs might develop, and major vio lin dealers have been slow to endorse modern instruments where Lhe profit margin wmJd be less. Once Terris and Primrose established the viola as

NUMBER 2

LUM ._ 22

4 1