JAVS Fall 2008

University. She currently freelances and teaches in Las Vegas, Nevada where she is determined to disprove every viola joke and convert every wayward violinist to the viola. If any AVS members are interested in working on the Riley Collection, please contact Claudine Bigelow at: Claudine Bigelow E-545 Harris Fine Arts Center School of Music Brigham Young University Provo, Ut 84602

Maurice Riley, photo courtesy of Dwight Pounds.

instrument. May we read and share it with those who are unfa miliar with it and follow the example of Maurice Riley—to find the contribution we can make in the viola/music world and make it, regardless of the toil and sacrifice it may require. In the words of William Primrose: “Time has taught me that when a man troubles himself to search the record … with perseverance and a burning desire to expose it, there results what we have here—a true story, a history, in this case of ‘Cinderella No More,’ as Tertis so cogently observed. And we violists can be duly grateful to Maurice Riley for having undertaken, and for having so ably fulfilled his mission.” Tally Oldroyd Turner received her Music Education degree at BYU Idaho and her M.M. in Viola Performance at Brigham Young

from $50 to more than $300. Perhaps a new updated edition is in order, or a third volume, but these two much underappreciated volumes need to be read. They need to be available again. The vast number of topics covered can seem an intimidating read, but Riley’s writing style makes them surprisingly easy to follow and at times even entertaining; violists simply need to know the story of their instrument. As Riley stated: “You do not need to be working on a college degree, or writing a book to become profitably involved with viola research. The more you know about the viola and its music, the more enjoy ment and satisfaction you will derive as a performer or as a lis tener.” How grateful we violists should be to have such a wonderful record of the history of our

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