JAVS Summer 2021

Example 6. Adolphus Hailstork, Sanctum, mm. 164–166. Difficult left-hand passage work in the viola part. © 2008, Theodore Presser Company. Used with permission.

more subdued and reclusive. The piece ends in virtual silence, with the direction of niente written under the final note. This section draws on the viola’s ability to be inward, reflective, delicate, and reclusive. While these characteristics are most clear in Hailstork’s instruction of morendo , this is also evident in his use of harmonics and the reintroduction of a mute. In preparing for a performance of this piece, one should first consider ensemble. Sanctum is difficult to put together: it presents a persistent sense of complexity, particularly in the first rehearsal. There are several meter changes and within that, the viola and piano are rarely playing the same thing. Beverly Kane Baker noted that “the piano sounds like it’s in a different meter.” Performing Sanctum will require a stellar pianist. Within that same category, the rhythm in general can also be challenging. Given the continuous meter changes paired with atypical combinations of note values and rhythms, rhythm will certainly need to be an area of focus. Implications for Performance

Conclusion

Sanctum is one of the pieces that Hailstork is most proud of, and rightfully so. Capturing the true essence and full range of the viola, it is a work that is truly captivating. Given this, one might think this piece would be spoken about, mentioned, and performed more often. Originally written in 1995, this piece first came across my radar in 2019, when I was searching for music by Black composers to play on my master’s degree recital. As violists, as classical musicians, it is time for us to have a deeper conversation about which pieces we champion and which composers we hold in high esteem. There are composers, like Adolphus Hailstork, who are not programmed in our concert halls or even completely written out of the narrative. And it is not because their works are not “quality” or “worthy” of performance, but instead, we feel bonded to the composers we were taught to value and cherish, leading to the canonization of some, and the dismissal of others. I hope you are encouraged and inspired to not only take a closer look at Hailstork’s works but other Black composers who have been overlooked.

Example 7. Adolphus Hailstork, Sanctum, mm. 201–202. The concluding tranquil section of the piece. © 2008, Theodore Presser Company. Used with permission.

Kathryn Brown is a violist from Evanston, IL. Brown did her undergraduate studies in Music Education at Illinois State University and her double master’s in Viola Performance and Literature and Music Education at the Eastman School of Music. She is currently a Fellow with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, the cohost of Classically Black Podcast, and the cofounder for the International Society for Black Musicians.

A second factor to consider when approaching Sanctum would be the awkwardness of Hailstork’s writing. There are moments where an idea does not fit well into the hand such as in m. 164, within the Agitato section. Baker also notes that “there is an awkwardness to Adolphus’s writing, and he knows it.” Though awkward, it is certainly not impossible.

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 37, 2021 Online Issue

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