JAVS Spring 2010

a violinist, violist, and composer from Vienna. For many years he played second violin and viola with the famed Hellmesberger Quartet, the leading quartet in Vienna dur ing the middle of the nineteenth century. Durst’s compositions include solo and concertante works for the violin, string quartets, and orchestral music. The edition for this short piece is based on a manuscript housed in the Richard Stoelzer (1864–1947) Collection, part of the Special Collections Department at Adelphi University Libraries in Garden City, New York. Originally from Germany, Stoelzer spent the majori ty of his career playing viola and viola d’amore in the United States. The manuscript, which includes a score and parts for four violas, is in Stoelzer’s hand. Given the unusual instrumentation, the idiomatic treatment of the viola ensemble, and the relative obscurity of Durst as a composer, it is probable that this is an original work rather than an arrangement by Stoelzer, though the circumstances of its composition are unknown. Compositionally it is not bad and never offensive. The harmonies are certainly Romantic sounding and Viennese. The rhythmic motif passed among the voices does however get a little tedious, and perhaps Durst is being a bit too restrictive in the rhythmic variety. Certainly this piece is worth being included in a larger program of other viola quartets, probably in the middle of the program to break up the mood, especially if there is a need to off set a number of faster-paced

mic and uses a hemiola of the repeated five eighth-note pattern. I found out from Rennie that this movement was written as an elegy for a seven-year-old student, Oliver, and the movement in the heavenly key of C major was writ ten as a token to Oliver’s family. The final movement, Afterparty , is where the African influence is most strongly heard. There is something authentically indige nous about the after-beat foot stomps and viola taps required in this movement. This movement sounds like great fun to play and makes for an excellent closer. I can’t say enough good things about this piece, and this work will no doubt serve as an excellent memorable inclusion to any viola ensemble event at future congress and local viola society events. The music and CD of this work is available through: Passioneering P. O. Box 7622 Observatory, Johannesburg, 2187 SOUTH AFRICA Tel: +27 116480727 E-mail: passioneeringcc@gmail.com Adagio for 4 Violas (ca. 1870) Difficulty: Level 3 Duration: 3 minutes This piece is certainly a curiosity worth sharing [the work is freely available online at: http://ameri canviolasociety.org/resources/score s]; it was brought to my attention by David Bynog. Bynog writes about Durst: By Matthias Durst (1815-1875)

works. For someone who seems to be somewhat of a novice as a composer, Durst did a pretty good job with this composition, and it certainly is interesting to hear a slice of music history as an original viola quartet from that time period. I’m Lost without My Beautiful Viola for 4 Violas (2005) Difficulty: Level 3 Duration: 2 and a half minutes Dedication: Iowa City Viola Quartet I Really Love to Play Viola for 4 Violas (2005) Difficulty: Level 3 Duration: 3 minutes Dedication: Iowa City Viola Quartet Three Quirky Little Pieces for 4 Violas or 4-part Viola Ensemble (2006) I. Rambling Rag II. Wandering Waltz III. Misbehaving March Difficulty: Level 4 Duration: 8 minutes Dedication: 2006 ViolaFest MidWest at the University of Iowa Two Pieces in Spanish Style for 4 Violas (2008) I. La Noche II. Danza Difficulty: Level 4 Duration: 3 minutes Viola Fight Song for 4 Violas (2004) Difficulty: Level 4 Duration: 1 minute 30 seconds Dedication: Iowa City Viola Quartet

Matthias Durst (1815–1875) was

J OURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VIOLA SOCIETY 68