JAVS Spring 2020

Music Reviews

Music Reviews Gregory K. Williams

Jeffrey Irvine, Kim Kashkashian, Michelle LaCourse, Lynne Ramsey, Karen Ritscher, Carol Rodland, (Edited by Alex Teploff): The Karen Tuttle Legacy; A Resource and Guide for Viola Students, Teachers, and Performers , 2020 It is remarkable what a book can do to enhance the enduring legacy of one musician. The

stance, various left-hand and bow-arm concepts, shifting, double stops, trills, vibrato, string crossings, chords, and most importantly, “Coordination.” 1 The chapter about Coordination provides a detailed window into the work of playing with greater emotional freedom and without physical pain—an idea that began with Tuttle and has continued through her students and their “Coordination Workshops.” 2 In this chapter, they discuss aspects of “Coordination,” such as the exploration of neck releases at the ends of down-bows, re-pulls, exploration of bow speeds, energizers, the ability to “let go” emotionally, and incorporation of mindful approaches to practicing and physical habits. 3 This book also includes extensive Appendices, of excerpts from Schradieck’s School of Violin Technics and Dounis’ Violin Player’s Daily Dozen , op. 20, musicals examples to illustrate Tuttle’s exploration of “Coordination,” notable magazine articles, interviews and conversations with Tuttle, a complete discography, and facsimiles of her photographs, concert programs, and publicity materials. In some instances, the authors offer specific examples of etudes and repertoire that Karen Tuttle used in her own teaching. What is truly thrilling is how the authors incorporate into the book examples from contemporary works that have been published after Tuttle’s death to detail aspects of her teaching method. This book has its roots in the Tuttle Coordination Workshops, presented for several years by the six authors of The Karen Tuttle Legacy (along with Susan DuBois, Sheila Browne, and more recently, Ed Gazouleas and Stephen Wyrczynski at Indiana University of Bloomington). Over the years, the authors have workshopped much of what they describe in the book, and their writing allows them to go into much greater depth than the masterclass-styled workshops could provide.

collaborative efforts of Jeffrey Irvine, Kim Kashkashian, Michelle LaCourse, Lynne Ramsey, Karen Ritscher, and Carol Rodland (along with their editor Alex Teploff) have produced an intimate exploration of the life and legacy of one of the most influential viola pedagogues and performers of the second half of the twentieth century: Karen Tuttle. Each writer adds their own unique interpretation on Tuttle’s teachings, giving input on how to approach aspects of technique that Tuttle taught. The perspective each of these authors gives shows how Tuttle’s teaching philosophy evolved over time. The Karen Tuttle Legacy arrives in time to celebrate the centenary of Tuttle’s birth and the decennial anniversary of her death. It serves as a valuable resource to document not only her life, but also her approach to teaching and playing the viola, her role as a soloist, chamber musician, and recording artist, and her nurturing of generations of students who followed her lead. The Karen Tuttle Legacy begins with biographies of Tuttle and each of the writers, and over the course of fifteen chapters covers various facets of playing viola, including

46

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 36, No. 1, Spring 2020