JAVS Spring 2007

ensemble L'archibutklli, which concentrates on music of rhe 18ch century. In rhat setting, Stumm tries to follow che nuances of hisrorical style by using gut strings, treat ing vibraro as an ornament and keeping in mind rhe importance of proportion in che works of Bach especial ly. ln preparing works of chat period, she will practice wich a Baroque bow and recommends trying rhe original bowings to understand rhe phrasing che composer might have had in mind. But, she admits che question of how ro apply che knowledge we have about rhe Baroque era to be a difficult one. And chough performing Bach in a modern context involves compromise in rhe area of equipment among ocher choices, chese artistic decisions do not diminish as we approach repertoire written closer to che present age. The composer Barr6k also left vio lists wich little choice but ro compromise in performing one ofseveral versions of his incomplete Viola Concerto. In chis case, Stumm performs "a viola part rhat is a fusion of che two [Seely and Neubauer] but wich rhe Seely orchestrarion [because] rhe orchestration of rhe new version is a bit sparse for my lilcing." When it comes to rhe question of rising to che challenge of performing in che ranks of virtuoso suing players, Stumm is adamantly unequivocal. "It's che responsibility of every musician ro aspire to che highest standard of performance on rheir instrument... My technique, espe cially as relates to sound, is very viola-specific. It's never once crossed my mind chat I couldn't or shouldn't play just as well as a violinist plays cl1e violin. I'm desperate for che viola to rise above its 'stepchild' idenciry issues and rhat process definitely starts wirh violists (and maybe a few conductors!)." And what of famous violin ists flircing wirh che viola for a piece or two in concert? "It makes my slcin crawl," proclaims Stumm, "when chere are brilliant violists who deserve robe heard!" Hear, hear! And so, chough she may admit to dropping her usual Souchern "R" worlcing in the UK, it seems rhat what Jennifer Stumm will nor compromise on is continuing ro strive for her ideal musical experiences onstage.

Photo by Angela Morris.

tions" between pieces. Her program of music wich song relation hips includes Beerhoven's Variations on the Magic Flute, a set of Faure songs she transcribed, chubert's Arpeggione Sonata, Bright Sheng's The Stream Flows based on a Chinese love song, Britten's l.Achrymae on a song of Dowland and rhe hostakovich Sonata. ( he calls che last piece Shostakovich's "swansong" ro fit rhe rheme- eirher polcing fun at her own rules or, more likely, a definition acceptable roan avid crossword puzzle solver, which she is.) As ro rhe comparacive dearth of solo repertoire for che viola, Stumm asserts rhat we are in a "renaissance era for viola music" wich more excellent pieces being written rhan she has time to learn. As enchusiastic as she is about contemporary music, rumm also delves deeply into che world of Baroque performance practice. She has performed wich preemi nent Baroque specialist Anner Bylsma and his chamber

- Lembi Veskimets is a violist in the Ckveland Orchestra and an American Viola Society National BoardMember.

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