JAVS Fall 2022

Features: 2021 Dalton Competition Winner: “To Christabel” Xian Shi: An Oriental Poem for Viola Anna Bon di Venezia Journal of the AmericanViola Society Volume 38 Number 2

Journal of the American Viola Society A publication of the American Viola Society Fall 2022: Volume 38, Number 2

p. 3 p. 4

From the Editor From the President

News & Notes

p. 5 In Review: 2022 American Viola Society Festival & 47th International Viola Congress p. 9 In Memoriam: Milton Preves by Myron Rosenblum Feature Articles p. 11 Xian Shi: An Oriental Poem for Viola by Fanqin Meng p. 18 Anna Bon di Venezia by Becky May p. 23 2021 Dalton Competition Winner: “To Christabel”: Exploring the Origins of William Walton’s Concerto by Sachin Shukla Departments p. 32 Development Corner: The Viola Research Society by Tom Tatton p. 33 In the Studio: Puccini, Passion, and My Procrastination Project by Keoni Bolding p. 37 New Music: Let Not Poor Nelly Starve by Sonya Leonore Stahl p. 39 From the Workshop: Wood Species Used in Viola Making by Stephanie Voss p. 43 Health and Wellness: Returning to Music After a Concussion by Kaleigh Miller p. 49 The Eclectic Violist: Lizst’s Romance Oublieé by Daniel Orsen p. 50 With Viola in Hand: Violists in the Library by Lanson Wells p. 52 Modern Music: Concentric and Intersecting Circles of Connection by Melia Watras p. 56 Recording Reviews: Impulse by Jordan Bak

On the Cover: Jamie Hansen Alto Clef in Peacock

Artist Jamie Hansen lives in upstate South Carolina with her husband and son. She studied fine art in the US and Germany and has sold hundreds of original artworks to collectors all over the world. Jamie creates art and illustrations that are rich in detail and saturated with color. Her music series tells her love story: after art school, Jamie married her high school sweetheart, now a music teacher. Their life together is a joyful arrangement of concerts, shows, and rooms full of musical instruments. www.jamiehansenart.com

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 38, No. 2, Fall 2022

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The Journal of the American Viola Society is published in spring and fall and as an online only issue in summer. The American Viola Society is a nonprofit organization of viola enthusiasts, including students, performers, teachers, scholars, composers, makers, and friends, who seek to encourage excellence in performance, pedagogy, research, composition, and lutherie. United in our commitment to promote the viola and its related activities, the AVS fosters communication and friendship among violists of all skill levels, ages,

Editor: Christina Ebersohl Assistant Editor: Lanson Wells Departmental Editors: The Eclectic Violist: Leanne Darling Development Corner: Tom Tatton Consultant: Dwight Pounds AVS National Board of Directors: Officers President: Hillary Herndon (2023) President-Elect: Ames Asbell (2023) Past President: Michael Palumbo (2021) Daphne Gerling: Secretary (2021) Webmaster Tony DeVroye (2025) Board Members

nationalities, and backgrounds. ©2021, American Viola Society ISSN 0898-5987 (print) ISSN 2378-007X (online)

Ruben Balboa III (2024) Ann Marie Brink (2022) Kathryn Brown (2024) Jessica Chang (2022) Adam Paul Cordle (2025) Christina Ebersohl (2024) Molly Gebrian (2023) Ezra Haugabrooks (2022) Lauren Burns Hodges (2024) Andrea Houde (2022) Kayleigh Miller (2024) Katrin Meidell (2022) Ann Roggen (2023) Katie White Swanson (2023) Steven Tenenbom (2022) Laurel Yu (2023) JAVS Volunteer Kevin Nordstrom AVS General Manager Madeleine Crouch AVS National Office 14070 Proton Road, Suite 100 Dallas, TX 75244 (972) 233-9107 ext. 204

JAVS welcomes articles from its readers. Submission deadlines are December 1 for the Spring issue, April 1

for the Summer online issue, and August 1 for the Fall issue. Send submissions to the AVS Editorial Office, Christina Ebersohl editor@americanviolasociety.org or to

Madeleine Crouch, 14070 Proton Rd., Suite 100 Dallas, TX 75244

JAVS offers print and web advertising for a receptive and influential readership. For advertising rates please contact JAVS Editor Christina Ebersohl editor@americanviolasociety.org

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Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 38, No. 2, Fall 2022

From the Editor

Dearest readers,

Viola Concerto and the mysterious dedicatee who adorns the front page. Also, don’t miss his perspective in the 2022 American Viola Society Festival & 47th International Viola Congress Review , which captures some of the brightest highlights of the weekend! Another exciting contributor to this issue is the fun and witty Keoni Bolding, the winner of the Primrose Competition’s Transcription prize. His article “Puccini, Passon, and My Procrastination Project” not only explores his winning transcription but also investigates several surprising inspirations behind the work. It is certainly worth a read! We always try to incorporate as many different facets of our viola family as possible, and this issue is certainly no exception. There are so many other fascinating gems in this Fall issue to explore: from copy-editor Lanson Wells’ article on “Violists in the Library” to luthier Stephanie Voss breaking down the various types of wood used during the making of an instrument; from Fanqin Meng’s fascinating Featured Article “Xian Shi: An Oriental Poem for Viola” to exploring wellness with Kayleigh Miller’s article “Returning to Music After a Concussion” ; cover to cover, I am proud to highlight each and every one of these amazing writers! Until Spring, I wish you all luck in finding your own groove in this crazy, rushing world, and I hope you enjoy this issue of the Journal of the American Viola Society.

Something happens during the summer months … when the sound of festivals fade back into our memories and the echo of regular day life catches back up to us—be that the sound of school or woodworking or rehearsal or something else altogether. It’s almost like returning

from another time. As if we had stepped out for a moment and suspended life just briefly, only to return and have it rush back upon us.

And rush in it certainly has!

But I hope for all of you, the summer provided opportunities to expand, grow—or even languish—as you needed. For me, it was an exciting opportunity to attend my first ever in-person American Viola Society Festival, as well as my very first experience doing so as JAVS Editor. Getting to meet so many of you and connect about the Journal, the AVS, and viola-ing in general was absolutely the highlight of my season. To my delight, several of the people I was fortunate enough to connect with are some of the amazing contributors to this Fall issue, including the 2021 Dalton Competition winner, Sachin Shukla, who was able to present on his winning article at the Festival. “ To Christabel ” delves into the origins of William Walton’s

V/r, Christina Ebersohl Editor

Join the American Viola Society Your membership supports the viola community through performance, education, research, mentoring, publishing, commissioning new works and more. www.americanviolasociety.org/Join.php

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From the President

Dear Friends,

Advisory Council, with applications due March 15, 2023. The AVS is strongest with an engaged and committed board and we value your nominations! For those of you in a position to help support AVS initiatives financially, we’d like to draw your attention to the David Dalton Giving Circle. We are making a concerted effort to fundraise for the David Dalton Research Fund’s endowment this year, with a goal of raising $10,000 to sustain the monetary prizes of this important AVS program. Please see the Giving Circle article in these pages for more details on how to get involved. Finally, I’m pleased to share that one of our newest initiatives, the AVS Recording Label, will release its first CD in early 2023. This label was created in an effort to provide opportunities for our members as well as to produce quality recordings of works for viola that have largely been previously unrecorded. We intend to continue this initiative every year—the call is posted for the 2024 Recording Project on our website with a January 1, 2023 submission deadline. We look forward to hearing your submissions!

I hope this edition of JAV S finds you all well and enjoying a beautiful Fall wherever you are. For the many of you who attended the 2022 American Viola Society Festival & 47th International Viola Congress, either virtually or in person, I know you must still be inspired

from the wonderful performances, seminars, classes, and camaraderie the event provided. If you missed the event, please consider joining us for our next Festival— to be held in June 2024 at the Colburn School in Los Angeles—alongside the next Primrose International Viola Competition. A huge congratulations and thank you is due to Dr. Katrin Meidell and the Schwob School of Music for hosting the Festival & Congress, as well as to the many board members and student volunteers who helped keep the event running smoothly. The Festival is but one of many offerings the AVS provides for our membership, and that work is done by our elected board with help from our Youth Advisory Council. We are entering nomination season for the board, where we will be looking to fill the role of President-Elect and four at large board member positions. The deadline to apply is January 31, 2023 and we welcome self-nominations. At this time, we are also seeking applications for the Youth

Best Wishes to you all for a wonderful Fall season,

Hillary Herndon

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Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 38, No. 2, Fall 2022

In Review

2022 American Viola Society Festival & 47th International Viola Congress by Sachin Shukla

For five days this past June, the charming town of Columbus, Georgia—otherwise relatively tranquil during the summer— sprang to life with the joyous noise of violas, along with the of next-generation ideas being hatched, shared, and received at this year’s American Viola Society Festival and 47 th International Viola Congress. While finishing my undergraduate degree at Northwestern, I wrote an article on the Walton Viola Concerto which I submitted to the Dalton competition last year. To my pleasant surprise, it won. And in an even more pleasant surprise, I was invited to give a presentation on my paper at the conference in June. So, there I was, determined to soak up as much of the festivities as I could. I found that the conference placed the American Viola Society at the center of innovation in the viola world and exemplified the creativity, openness, and interdisciplinarity that violists are capable of. While there were presentations of all kinds at the Festival & Congress, I’ll discuss some salient groups that stood out to me. In addition to excellent showcases of the talent in the viola community through performances and masterclasses, many other presentations were dedicated to expanding the scope of viola music. Still others developed the nuanced understanding of the physicality of playing that it behooves the violist to have, while still others investigated the psychology of playing, practice, and performance. Upon my arrival, a day before the events had even started, the warm, friendly energy we all recognize as the calling card of our kind was already buzzing in the air. The Festival & Congress began with an opening ceremony, bookended with performances by viola ensembles from the University of Arizona and Columbus State University itself. The warmth of their sound marked an auspicious beginning to the festivities. The guest of honor was Manuel Diaz, a face whose familiarity surprised me. Mr.

Diaz and I had sat next to each other before in rehearsals for the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, of which we are both members. As it turned out, he is a considerable violist with a beyond incredible story of resilience and determination that ranged from war-torn Franco-era Spain to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

Viola Mass Ensemble Rehearsal, 2022 American Viola Society Festival & 47th International Viola Congress.

At the Festival, the bright future of viola playing was on full display. While I was there, I had the pleasure of hearing Natalie Loughran, the winner of the 2021 Primrose competition, give a recital. Her eclectic program included a performance dedicated to the memory of Roger Tapping, her teacher, whose recent passing has been a tragedy for the music community. She displayed an impressive confidence and unassailable instinct of expression in her playing. Timothy Ridout—whose performance I got to hear a sneak peek of as the balance checker for the dress rehearsal—gave a brilliant concert of some of my favorite concertos, including the Hummel Potpourri and a concerto by Alessandro Rolla. These under-programmed pieces o er the violist an unusual opportunity to be a virtuoso, which I have come to understand describes a character on stage

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Some of the most brilliant viola teachers in the country and the world were also on hand at the conference for masterclasses. I, myself, had the opportunity to perform in a masterclass for Sheila Browne, who teaches at Lynn University. After watching her intuitive approach to the basic mechanics of the viola with some of the other participants in the masterclass, I enjoyed the advice she o ered me in matters of nuance of phrasing, projection, and performance. A major theme of many of the panels at the Festival was expanding the canon of viola music. One of the most important problems for violists today to solve is that, since most people didn’t think our instrument was a real instrument in its own right until about a hundred years ago, a satisfactory body of repertoire for our instrument

as much as it does a standard of technical playing. Ridout clearly understands that. Beyond the raw quality of his playing, he captivated the audience with charisma, humor, and thrilling showmanship, daring us to think his next trick would prove to be impossible. I have never heard anyone play the finale of the Hummel that fast. He did it without breaking a sweat. Natalie Loughran Concert Session, 2022 American Viola Society Festival & 47th International Viola Congress.

does not necessarily suggest itself as easily as it does for other instruments. Scores of presentations at the conference answered the call. Many presentations o ered violists an opportunity to learn and participate in various other genres of music, including Brazilian choro, jazz improvisation, and phrase sampling. The first night of the Festival & Congress even featured a Celtic Night at a nearby bar, where violists learned the basics of fiddling. I was also particularly pleased to see talks that made the case for expanding the classical canon of viola literature beyond the remarkably narrow scope of those few works by top tier composers that were originally written for viola, plus a few transcriptions. A shared recital introduced “Piéces de Concours,” pieces written for jury examinations for the viola class at the Paris Conservatoire. Many violists will be familiar with the concert piece for viola by György Enescu. It turns out that this was just one of a set of pieces written for this Jazz Improvisation Session, 2022 American Viola Society Festival & 47th International Viola Congress.

Timothy Ridout Showcase, 2022 American Viola Society Festival & 47th International Viola Congress.

I also thoroughly enjoyed hearing the finalists of the Youth Collegiate Solo Competition. The eventual winner, Carlos Walker, was particularly impressive, and I will be keeping a close eye on him as many should. He has a promising future ahead of him in music.

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purpose, o ering a treasure trove of Romantic showpieces for the viola. A talk by Ken Martinson featured the viola music of Marco Anzoletti, a lesser-known Italian composer whose diabolical etudes rival those of Paganini in di culty. Ken also introduced one of Anzoletti’s viola concertos, easily as di cult as the Brahms violin concerto. Both of these sets of works come from obscure composers, which often makes many reluctant to program them. To those people, I o er a thought experiment: imagine that Chopin, Liszt, and Paganini, with all their brilliance, had been bassoonists instead of pianists and violinists. Would we have any idea who they are today? Between the works of Anzoletti and the Paris Conservatory works, and so many others, the viola actually has a considerable repertoire. All we must do is tap into it—just one reason why conferences such as the AVS’s are so vital. A particularly interesting demonstration from Molly Gebrian’s studio at the University of Arizona featured a set of etudes by Michael Kimber. What is unique about these etudes is that each of them trains the student in a particular technical or musical aspect of modernist and postmodern music. One etude covered constantly changing meters, while another covered serialism through tone rows. As Gebrian herself wrote in her dissertation, one of the major blind spots in the technical curriculum for the viola is that most of the etudes we study by Kreutzer, Rode, and others were written in a common-practice tonal idiom, while most of the solo repertoire originally written for the viola was not. Kimber’s etudes help to fill this gap remarkably well.

So much of the Festival & Congress also focused in on the physiology and psychology of playing the viola. The conference featured events on Body Mapping, a primer on physiology as it relates to viola playing, a presentation on accessibility, and a talk by Molly Gebrian on how practice breaks promote faster learning. The event in this theme I looked forward to the most was a panel on trauma informed pedagogy led by Molly Sharp and AVS Secretary Daphne Gerling and featuring Gebrian, Kayleigh Miller (whose Instagram I recommend you all follow), and mental health professionals Gerard Lawson and Myriam Reynolds as panelists. The central premise of the panel, as Sharp explained, was that the brain’s response to trauma can manifest itself in performance anxiety or even in a student’s lessons. The presenters gave a clear and well-organized explanation of the neurology of the “trauma response,” its long-term e ects on the brain, and how teachers can recognize and respond to these responses in their students. Across all sessions, this year’s AVS Festival impressed with its breadth of scope and diversity of ideas. In an era that demands classical music not to rest on its laurels and watch the world pass it by, this year’s conference resoundingly answered the call by demonstrating that violists are on the cutting edge of classical music in every possible way.

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Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 38, No. 2, Fall 2022

In Memoriam

Remembering Milton Preves: An Important Violist from the Recent Past

Right after college, I was drafted into the US Army. After my basic training, I was shipped to Stuttgart, Germany, where for 18 months I was violist in the 7th US Army Symphony Orchestra. My stand partner was Ted Kaitchuck, a good violist from Chicago, who had studied with Milton Preves, the principal violist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Ted praised Preves as a fine teacher and a good person. As Ted had little money to pay for his lessons, Preves agreed to have him do garden work in his home in exchange. Many years later, I met the Preves’ older son, David, a good violinist/violist. We played many quartet sessions and did several chamber concerts together. Although I never met Milton Preves, I knew of his fine reputation as a superb violist, teacher, and conductor. The CSO recently celebrated his birthday with this wonderful, memorial tribute. I hope you enjoy meeting Milton Preves. -Myron Rosenblum The Chicago Symphony Orchestra family remembers one of its iconic musicians, Milton Preves (1909–2000), in honor of the anniversary of his birth on June 18.

Born in Cleveland, Preves moved to Chicago as a teenager and attended Senn High School. He was a student of Leon Sametini at Chicago Musical College, Richard Czerwonky at the Bush Conservatory of Music, and Albert Noelte and Ramon Girvin at the Institute of Music and Allied Arts before attending the University of Chicago. Preves joined the Little Symphony of Chicago in 1930, regularly worked in radio orchestras, and was invited by Mischa Mischakoff (then CSO concertmaster) to join the Mischakoff String Quartet in 1932. Two years later, second music director Frederick Stock appointed Preves to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s viola section, promoting him to assistant principal in 1936 and principal in 1939. He would remain in that post for the next forty-seven years, serving under a total of seven music directors, including Désiré Defauw, Artur Rodzinski, Rafael Kubelik, Fritz Reiner, Jean Martinon, and Sir Georg Solti. Preves performed as a soloist with the Orchestra on dozens of occasions, including the world premieres of David Van Vactor’s Viola Concerto and Ernest Bloch’s Suite Hébraïque for Viola and Orchestra, both dedicated to him. Under Reiner, he recorded Richard Strauss’s Don Quixote —along with cellist Antonio Janigro and concertmaster John Weicher—with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for RCA in 1959. A lifelong educator, Preves served on the faculties of Roosevelt, Northwestern, and DePaul universities, and he also always taught privately out of his home. An avid conductor, he held titled posts with the North Side Symphony Orchestra of Chicago, Oak Park–River Forest Symphony, Wheaton Summer Symphony, Gary Symphony, and the Gold Coast Chamber Orchestra. As a chamber musician, he performed with the Budapest, Fine Arts, Gordon, and Chicago Symphony string quartets, as well as the Chicago Symphony Chamber Players.

Milton Preves in 1934, the year he joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Photo credit: George Nelidoff

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In October 1984, on the occasion of Milton Preves’s fiftieth anniversary with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, fellow violist Isadore Zverow (1909–1999) composed this poem to honor his colleague:

It’s no mean feat, without retreat To hold the forte so long, To stroke and pluck in cold and heat— All to produce a song. Toward music bent, with single intent, Unyielding dedication, You of yourself so gladly lent Your valued perspiration. You sat and played and marked and bowed And sometimes e’en reproached And sometimes we squirmed (just a bit) We didn’t wanna be coached. And yet whene’er the chips were down Throughout these fifty anna, Your steadfast presence was a crown Aiming at Nirvana.

As reported in his obituary in the Chicago Tribune, “It was while directing the Oak Park–River Forest group that he gained an unusual measure of national attention. He briefly became an icon of the fledgling civil rights movement in 1963, when he resigned from the community orchestra because it would not allow a Black violinist he had invited to perform with the group.” Preves died at the age of ninety on June 11, 2000, following a long illness. Shortly thereafter, his family began donating materials to the Rosenthal Archives, establishing his collection of correspondence, contracts, photographs, scrapbooks, programs, and recordings. Most recently, his children donated additional photographs— mostly portraits of music directors and guest conductors—all autographed and dedicated to Preves. Louis Sudler (Orchestral Association chairman emeritus), Lady Valerie and Sir Georg Solti, and Milton and Rebecca Preves celebrate Preves’s fiftieth anniversary as a member of the CSO in October 1984. Photo credit: Terry’s Photography

The full article by Frank Villella and more pictures can be found at: https://cso.org/experience/article/10288/ remembering-milton-preves.

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Featured Article

Xian Shi: An Oriental Poem for Viola by Fanqin Meng

The viola concerto Xian Shi was composed by Chen Yi, a Chinese American composer in 1983. 1 In the same year, Liu Lizhou premiered the concerto with the China Film Orchestra under the baton of Yao Guan Rong. Although relatively unknown in the United States for many years, recently, the viola concerto Xian Shi has become a focus in both America and on the worldwide stage. The new interest in Xian Shi has positioned it to become part of the major viola repertoire. The main objective of this article is to provide a detailed analysis of the viola concerto Xian Shi. It begins with an exploration of the historical background of Chen Yi’s life and its influence on this viola concerto, followed by an analysis of its form, general harmonic elements, and the use of traditional Chinese music elements—e.g., the musical notation, instrumental techniques needed for performance, and musical expressions within the composition itself. With explanations of specific Chinese elements used in this composition, insights from the interviews with the composer, and the first recorded performance of this work with piano and percussion, this article will provide violists outside of China with valuable resources to successfully study and perform this concerto. Introduction At the age of 5, I first heard traditional Chinese music performed on a Western musical instrument. As I sat on an old wooden chair beside by my mother, I listened as she practiced “The Butterfly Lover” on the piano. Even though the house was dilapidated with spider webs around the piano, still, the melody of ethnic Chinese music touched my soul deeply and the elements of traditional Chinese music were innate to me, drawing me back to a different, older time. In exploring potential projects in this area, my first research included violin music that could be transcribed for the viola. Upon discovering the performance of the

viola concerto Xian Shi by composer Chen Yi, however, the musical style of this work struck my heart. This is Chen Yi’s first major work, the inspiration for the composition pulling from the Chao Zhou Xian Shi, a traditional Chinese ensemble from the Guang Dong province—the south part of China close to Hongkong. As a native of the Guang Dong province, I felt personally connected to the concerto since I heard this style of music as a child. It is an honor to study the musical elements native to my home and to contribute to available knowledge for those interested in this viola concerto. Born in the Guang Dong province, Chen Yi excelled at both violin and piano at an early age, studying under the highly respected violin teacher Lin Yaoji. After performing as a violinist with the Guangzhou Peking Opera Troupe, Chen Yi enrolled as a student at the Central Conservatory of China where she began her composition studies. Completing her undergraduate education in 1983, Chen Yi composed this viola concerto as her graduation composition. The piece was originally written for violist John Graham who was a guest artist in residence. Unfortunately, when the Chinese athlete Na Hu defected to the United States in 1982, the diplomatic rift between China and the United States resulted in an abrupt halt to the artistic exchange between the two countries. Professor Graham left China, unable to perform the premiere of the viola concerto. He sent the score of the concerto to his student Liu Lizhou, and recommended fingerings, bowings, and other instrumental suggestions for performing the piece. In 1983, Liu Lizhou premiered the concerto with the China Film Orchestra under the direction of Yao Guan Rong. There are three major recordings of the concerto: the 1983 premiere performance by Liu Lizhou and China Film Orchestra; the 2011 performance by Chicago violist Michael Hall at the Thailand International Composition Festival; and the 2013 concert by Liu Lizhou and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project.

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The concerto uses elements of ethnic Chinese music in a Western music form. One of these elements is the Chao Zhou Xian Shi, an instrumental ensemble originating from the Guang Dong province of China. The most prominent instrument in this ensemble is the Ye Hu, which is unique to this region and possesses a sound described as sharp and hoarse. In her viola concerto, Chen Yi uses the timbre of the viola in its higher registers to match that of the Ye Hu. In the heart of the concerto, Chen Yi uses pizzicato in the solo viola to imitate the Chinese Pipa. To truly imitate this sound on viola is a challenge because the pizzicato we learn as part of Western performance technique on viola is quite different from the pizzicato technique on the Pipa. As the composer has identified this concerto “a tone poem for the viola,” this aspect will be explored through comments by the composer along with her suggestions for performance. With detailed explanations and discussions of specific Chinese elements used in this composition, insights from the interviews with the composer, and the first recorded performance of this work with piano and percussion, I hope that this article will provide violists outside of China with more resources to successfully study and perform this concerto. 2 The rest of this article is organized as follows: an exploration of the historical background of Chen Yi’s life and its influence on this viola concerto; an analysis of this concerto’s form, general harmonic elements, and the use of traditional Chinese music principle (e.g., the musical notation, instrumental techniques needed for performance, and musical expressions within the composition itself ); and a brief conclusion. Composer Chen Yi (family name is Chen, first name is Yi) reveals that the thematic material she chose for the viola concerto Xian Shi, or in English “A String Poem,” is from Chao Zhou Xian Shi’s popular folk piece “Lions Playing the Ball.” This type of ensemble has a 400-year old history with the oldest repertoire traced to the Ming dynasty, which lasted from January 23, 1368, to April 25, 1644. In addition to “Lions Playing the Ball,” other traditional works include “Zhao Jun Yuan,” “Xiao Tao Hong,” and “Han Ya Xi Shui.” The History of Chao Zhou Xian Shi and its Influence on the Viola Concerto “Xian Shi”

The tonal system of this ensemble is unique in Chinese traditional music. The harmonic system in traditional Chinese music is the pentatonic scale (see Example 1). Generally, there are five keys in the pentatonic scale: Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, and Yu. Each key has five notes in one octave which is why we call the pentatonic scale the “five-note scale—“Wu Sheng Diao Shi” in Chinese. The basic pentatonic scales have only five notes; if we add one more note, such as Qing Yue (F) to a five-note pentatonic scale, it becomes a six-note scale and enriches the piece with more tone color. Additionally, there are three upgrade pentatonic scales that have seven notes: Qing Yue, Ya Yue, and Yan Yue. Though most Chinese music is composed based on the pentatonic scale, Chao Zhou Xian Shi has its own key system. There are four different scales in this ensemble: Light Three Six, Heavy Three Six, Huo Five, and Light Heavy Three Six. Light Three Six is the base scale of Chao Zhou Xian Shi, the five notes—C, D, E, G, and A—are the mean notes in this scale, while the B and F are used as the grace notes. The Heavy in the Heavy Three Six scale is suggested when the player pushes the string to make the notes flat, indicating the sound of Heavy Three Six— specifically with the A and E notes. This is a linguistic inflection depending on who is playing in the ensemble. The choice among these four scales depends upon the players and the piece they are playing. For example, in “Lions Playing the Ball,” when the players show their thumb, it means the piece is played on Heavy Three Six. The basic pentatonic scale is made up of five notes, transcribed in Western notation as C, D, E, G, and A. In his article “Generalized Diatonic and Pentatonic Scales: A Group- Theoretic Approach,” Zweifel summarized it nicely that “the pentatonic scale is defined to be five connected elements in the circle of fifths.” 3 The interval between notes is fixed, but the notes in the scales can be varied. Example 1 is based on the C Gong scale where C designates the tonic of the scale, and Gong is the interval and arrangement of the scale. Gong can start on other notes and become G Gong or D Gong. Ya Yue, Yan Yue, and Qin Yue are seven-note scales based on the five- note pentatonic scale. Example 1 shows that the differences among those three scales are the F note and the B note. For instance, in the Ya Yue scale, the arrangement is C, D,

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Example 2. Thematic material from “Lions Playing the Ball.”

E, F#, G, A, and B and in Yan Yue, the notes switch to C, D, E, F, G, A, and Bb. The different arrangement of the scales allows composers to create a variety of music types: the Ya Yue scale is for music played at royal celebration ceremonies and the Yan Yue scale is generally used by nomads from the north of China. It is the different scales that create the style—different levels of sophistication, different ethnic traditions, and different arrangement of melody—of the music.

Example 1. Scale based on the C Gong scale, with C as the tonic.

These two motives are the basis of the thematic materials that appears throughout the viola concerto. The tritone is shown in Examples 3-5, and the fourth interval in Examples 6 and 7.

Example 3. Tritone, Xian Shi.

If we look at the last line of Example 1, there is a scale of Heavy Three Six. This scale is for “Lions Playing the Ball” with F and Bb. The third and sixth notes are bendable. The interval of Heavy Three Six is the same as Yan Yue but different when played by the Chao Zhou Xian Shi ensemble. As Dr. Chen said, “the special dialect of Chao Zhou makes their unique music.” 2 For instance, when the Chinese Zither plays the Heavy Three Six on the “Lions Playing the Ball,” originally there are no notes F and Bb on the string. If one wants to play those two notes, a performer must move the bridge of the Chinese zither or push the string to the left to make the note E into F or the note A into Bb. Those arrangements of Heavy Three Six create a tritone (see Example 2) in “Lions Playing the Ball” and make the tune close to the dialect and accent of the Chao Zhou area. The tritone is important in the Xian Shi viola concerto because it is one of the two thematic elements Chen Yi chose from “Lions Playing the Ball”: the tritone and the interval of a perfect fourth and major second (see Example 2). Even though the composer indicates that she is using pan tonal for the harmonic structure of the viola concerto, understanding the music system of Chao Zhou Xian Shi will help the player to understand the musical language of the concerto and gain insight into the folk song on which it is based. 4

Example 4. First theme, Tritone, Xian Shi.

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Example 5. First theme, Tritone, Xian Shi.

In addition to this thematic material, a rhythmic pattern from “Lions Playing the Ball” is adopted by Dr. Chen into Xian Shi. This pattern is called Kao Pai and is played on quarter notes beginning on upbeats (see Examples 8 and 9).

Example 8. Example of Kao Pai rhythmic pattern.

Example 9. Example of Kao Pai rhythmic pattern.

Example 6. Second theme, Perfect fourth and Major second, Xian Shi.

Shi Fan Luo Gu is an instrument ensemble in the Jiangsu province of China and is another resource Dr. Chen adopted into the viola concerto. Usually, the Shi Fan Luo Gu performs for wedding celebrations or religious worship at temples. There are two kinds of ensembles in Shi Fan Luo Gu: the first is Si Zhu Luo Gu, which includes many percussion instruments such as cymbals, drums, temple blocks; woodwind instruments like the Gudi (Chinese flute), Sheng (a mouth organ), and Xiao (a vertical bamboo flute); and string instruments like the Pipa, Yang qin, and Er hu. The second ensemble, which is made up of just percussion instruments, is called Qing Luo Gu. “The Sum is Always Eight” and “The Golden Olives” are both Qu pai (an ancient Chinese tune) in the Shi Fan Luo Gu. When the Shi Fan Luo Gu perform, the

Example 7. Second theme, Perfect fourth and Major second, Xian Shi.

players will play the Qu Pai one by one. As a reader, you can think of this ensemble as always playing one piece with different rhythmic patterns, each of which has its own name and character. Dr. Chen adopted the rhythmic pattern of “The Golden Olives” and “The Sum is Always Eight” into

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Example 10. A Shi Fan Luo Gu ensemble.

the Xian Shi. During the interview with the composer, Dr. Chen mentions that she incorporated the rhythmic patterns from Shi Fan Luo Gu in the viola concerto to give the piece an authentic taste of traditional Chinese music elements. “The Golden Olives” is a rhythmic pattern in Shi Fan Luo Gu; when played in an ensemble, each instrumentalist follows the pattern in a particular order. In Example 11, I list the order in which they play. Qi represents the sound of the drum; N represents the sound of Bo (a small cymbal); T represents the sound of the gong; W represents the sound of the big drum; Y represents the sound of the soft-striking Bangu (a kind of drum); and Z represents the stand gong. The underline on the N, T, and W represents the eighth notes. The players play

from top to bottom with the order below. The drummer plays one quarter note, Bo play two eighth notes and one quarter note, and so on. The shape of the score resembles an olive, hence the name “The Golden Olives.” Example 12. “The Golden Olives” rhythmic pattern, mm. 30-33 of the percussion.

Example 13. “The Golden Olives” rhythmic pattern, mm. 331-335 of the viola.

Example 11. The rhythmic pattern in “The Golden Olives.”

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Example 14. “The Golden Olives” rhythmic pattern, mm. 358-361 of the viola.

Examples of “The Sum is Always Eight” in Xian Shi are found in Examples 16 and 17.

During the interview, Chen mentioned she did not use the precise pattern of “The Golden Olive” and “The Sum is Always Eight” for the viola concerto, just the inspiration. Harmonic Analysis and Form Clarification In 1983, Guanrong Yao conducted the premiere of the Xian Shi. His article “The New Blossom of Orchestral Music Xian Shi” in People’s Music (1985) was the first publication to analyze the viola concerto. Yao praises the way in which Dr. Chen combined the Western instrument with traditional Chinese music elements. He also considers the form of this piece as a modified sonata form because the exposition is divided into two parts and the development has two parts. The recapitulation and coda appear at the end as expected in the form. In 2001, sixteen years after Yao’s article, scholar Chi Chuan Teng declared the form “a hybrid sectional form with elements of sonata form” because although “the first and second themes indeed direct one to a hypothesis of a sonata form… [he] found that only part of the first theme comes back at the end.” Teng indicates the form should be: “first exposition (mm.1-91), development (mm.92-137), second exposition (mm. 138-192), development (mm.193 324), cadenza (m.325), and coda (mm.326~36l).” 5 Teng’s analysis is based on the orchestral version. While I agree with his conclusion— as only one theme appears at the end in m. 335— the form could also be considered a theme and variation. During the interview with Dr. Chen, she simply said that when she composed the piece, there was actually no form in her mind. There is no precise form for this music. As mentioned previously, it can be analyzed as sonata form because it is modeled on that classical form. Just like Yao’s article said, the exposition and development of this piece can both be divided into two parts, while the recapitulation is included as a cadenza. 6

In Xian Shi, one can find the “The Golden Olives” rhythmic pattern in mm. 30-33 of the percussion part, as shown in Example 12; mm. 331-335 of the viola part (Example 13); and mm. 358-361 in the viola and piano parts (Example 14).

Example 15. The rhythmic pattern of “The Sum is Always Eight.”

The viola concerto also makes use of rhythmic patterns found in “The Sum is Always Eight.” The instruments of this Qu pai are the same as those of “The Golden Olives”, but as you can see in Example 15, the order in which they are played is different.

Example 16. “The Sum is Always Eight” rhythmic pattern in Xian Shi.

Example 17. “The Sum is Always Eight” rhythmic pattern in Xian Shi.

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She agrees with the idea of a modified sonata form and a hybrid sectional form with elements of sonata form, but also considers the analysis of theme and variation as a better way to understand and memorize the piece: When I composed this piece in 1982, I considered two thematic materials from the Chao Zhou Xian Shi and used them to make a series variation. One is the beginning intervals (perfect 4th and major second), the other is the tritone (according to the mode in the folk tune). So I think if you analyze it as theme and variation form, it will be easier to understand and memorize the piece. 7 Chen Yi recommends the following to violists performing the concerto: 1. At m. 5, the G# played by the fourth finger should stretch enough because the interval between D and G# is an augmented fourth (tritone). This interval occurs many places throughout the piece, so it is important that the player is attentive to this so that the tritone can be heard. 2. All the sixteenth notes need to be played with long enough durations to create the taste of the Chinese music element. 3. The tempo in mm. 93-105 should not slow down; the espressivo should be played at the same tempo as before with a more intensive sound. Finding a good position of the right arm will help get this intensive sound. 4. The group of sixteenth notes in m. 362 should be played presto but without rushing; a bowing change can apply here to avoid rushing (see Example 18).

Cymbals—aids in creating evocative moods throughout the concerto. The composer’s suggestions for the pizzicato in the style of the Pipa adds a vivid and authentic sound, while the virtuosic section is demanding for the violist’s left- and right-hand techniques and shows the composer’s thorough understanding of viola performance technique. Additionally, Chen Yi’s explanation of the form as both the modified sonata form but also as a variation form is particularly helpful to performers, and knowledge of the motivic intervals that come from the “Lions Playing the Ball” further aid in the understanding of the phrasing. The Xian Shi is the first viola concerto in China to use traditional Chinese music elements for a Western instrument. This concerto is a wonderful vehicle for introducing Western performers and audiences to Chinese music. I hope that with the analysis and background materials provided in this paper, a deeper appreciation of this work will lead to more explorations into the integration of music styles from different regions and cultures for generations to come. Footnotes 1 Chen is the family name and Yi the given name, which is the format adopted throughout the main text of this article. The Western style is used in the References to be consistent with the Chicago Manual Style, 16 th edition. 2 Paul F. Zweifel, Generalized Diatonic and Pentatonic Scales: A Group-Theoretic Approach, Perspectives of New Music 34 (1996): 140-161. 3 Interview with Chen, Kansas City, September 23rd, 2016. 4 Chi Chuan Teng, “Xian Shi”: the Viola Concerto by Chen Yi: General Analysis and Issues of Performance Interpretation . DMA Dissertation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 2001 . 5 Yi Chen, Lecture Notes, University of Missouri-Kansas City (unpublished), 2016. 6 Ibid. Bibliography Yao, Guan Rong. “The New Blossom of Orchestral Music Xianshi.” People’s Music 1 (1985): 24-25. Chen, Yi. Lecture Notes. University of Missouri-Kansas City (unpublished), 2016. Chen, Yi. Xianshi: The Viola Concerto. Theodore Presser, King of Prussia PA, 1998. Zweifel, Paul F. “Generalized Diatonic and Pentatonic Scales: A Group Theoretic Approach.” Perspectives of New Music 34 (1996):140-161. Teng, Chi Chuan. “Xian Shi”: the Viola Concerto by Chen Yi: General Analysis and Issues of Performance Interpretation . DMA Dissertation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 2001.

Example 18. Sixteenth Notes at m. 362.

Conclusion Through conversations with Dr. Chen Yi and the analysis of the Xian Shi viola concerto, we arrive at a deeper understanding and appreciation of the imitation of traditional Chinese instruments and the exploration of viola’s sound. We can hear the warm viola sound at the low register of the cadenza section and the imitation of the Ye Hu at the high registers. Understanding her use of specific sounds of Chinese instruments—such as the Dizi and Chinese

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Feature Article

When the pandemic hit in 2020, like so many other string players, I pulled out my solo Bach. Not only the cello suites but also the violin sonatas and partitas—all transcriptions for viola. Even before the pandemic, I was questioning how to engage non-musicians in ‘old’ music. After researching innovative concert ideas, I realized that fun, entertaining, relatable dialogue before the music is the most e ective way to build a link between the audience and the performer. So, I did a deep dive into 18th century music—especially Bach—with the vague idea of finding information that would be interesting as a pre-performance talk. Relatively quickly I stumbled across several women composers of the 18th century; I was intrigued. While I love Baroque music, the reality is: there just wasn’t much written for the viola during this period— especially compared to what is available for violinists and cellists. My goal was to transcribe some of these women composer’s largely unknown music for viola. I quickly found myself drawn to one composer: Anna Bon. Researching Anna Anna was only four years old when her father, Girolamo, enrolled her as a music student at the Ospedale della Pieta in Venice, Italy. This was unusually young for the Pieta to accept paying or scholarship students. The youngest students were normally six or seven years old. An exception was probably made because both Anna’s parents were well-known musicians. In a letter dated March 4th, 1743, Maestra Candida della Viola would have the “privilege of training Anna, daughter of Girolamo Bon and Rosa Ruinati Bon. Girolamo Bon is a painter in the service and pay of the court of Moscow, where his wife is also well and happy.” 1 This is a somewhat ironic depiction of the couple’s employment because Rosa was also employed by the Court of Moscow as a singer and her pay was substantially higher than that of her husband. Anna Bon di Venezia by Becky May

move from Venice to St. Petersburg. Their theater troupe was to perform at the Russian Court, Rosa as a singer and Girolamo as director, architect, and set designer. St.Petersburg newspaper articles from the time praise Girolamo’s elaborate set designs and Rosa’s singing. According to court records, Rosa was paid 900 rubles while Girolamo was paid only 500 rubles. 2 When Tzarina Anna Ivonovna died in February 1738, the theater troupe was dissolved, and they all made the three month trip back to Italy. The timing of this worked well for Rosa and Girolamo—Rosa was pregnant. Anna was born on August 10th, 1738, in Bologna, Italy. Rosa was from Bologna and her family still lived there. But the Bon family did not stay in Italy for long. The new Tzarina of Russia, Catherine the Great, wanted the Italian musicians to come back to Russia. It is not known if Anna stayed in Italy with relatives or traveled with her parents back to Russia. Documents show both Rosa and Girolamo involved with the coronation celebrations in Moscow in 1742; the newly built Opera House was decorated and painted by Girolamo, and Rosa is listed as one of the title singers. 3 For unknown reasons, it was decided that Anna should be enrolled at the Pieta in 1743. This was several years after Vivaldi had left employment at the Pieta. She is listed in the Pieta records as the youngest student of Maestra Candida della Viola. Candida would have been a student of Vivaldi. Orphan girls at the Ospedali were given their primary instrument as a last name. Anna learned viola, harpsichord, singing, music theory, and composition while there. There were four Ospedali in Venice, but the Pieta where Anna was enrolled is subjectively the most famous. Run by the city government and funded by interest income from the city’s capital, the Ospedali were Venice’s answer to taking care of the orphans, the poor, and the sick of their society. Although the Ospedali were run similarly

Eight years earlier, both Rosa and Girolamo were recruited by the Russian Tzarina Anna Ivonovna to

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