JAVS Spring 2024

not be heard from this instrument, even if its limited repertory of music must be extended with works adapted from music written for other instruments. Miss Clarke masters the deep ‘cello tones, as well as the song-like upper register of her instrument, and with more flexibility of bow phrasing will become an executant of real authority. 25

The two newspapers gave the concerts rave reviews, including high praise for Clarke as a soloist:

The very warm reception accorded Miss Rebecca Clarke, violist, who was the soloist on this program, speaks well both for the musical taste of Honolulu audiences and the superb ability of the artist. Miss Clarke is truly a pioneer in the use of the viola as a solo instrument, there being but two or three others in the world who have won recognition as original interpreters on this instrument. The Romanza by Wolstenholme is perhaps better suited to the timbre of the viola than the Capriccio by Haydn. In the Romanza Miss Clarke drew out a peculiarly lovely and appealing tone of velvety smoothness and golden richness. The Capriccio was dainty and beautifully rendered. For an encore Miss Clarke played an old French air, and was smothered with flowers. 27

Clarke and Mukle spent the following summer touring New England with the Onata Quartet. Referring to one of their July concerts, the Berkshire Eagle reported, “Miss Rebecca Clarke has done what few men would try to do and what few have made a success of, that is, using the viola as a solo instrument. She plays with a vivid and sure technique and displays remarkable command of her instrument.” 26 Clarke and Mukle attended Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge’s first Berkshire Festival in September, then played a few concerts in California before leaving to spend an entire concert season in Hawaii, where they were engaged by the Philharmonic Society of Honolulu to play fortnightly recitals from October 1918 to February 1919. The organizer, Max Selinsky, also recruited violinist Iola Barber Ingalls and the Australian pianist, Jessie Masson. The five musicians played solos, trios, quartets, and quintets for the concert series. It was rare for artists of such high caliber to visit Hawaii, so the concerts were heavily advertised in the Honolulu Advertiser and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, and the group mostly played to sold-out audiences (fig. 5).

Clarke aimed for development as a whole musician throughout her life, and her season in Hawaii doubled as an opportunity for compositional inspiration. In an article devoted exclusively to Clarke, the Honolulu Star Bulletin reported:

Before taking up the viola Miss Clarke played the violin for many years with great success, but discovered that her true love was the viola and she has done her utmost to exploit this beautiful and little-known instrument. In addition, she has another talent which is equally famous, that of composition, and one of her chief reasons for coming to Honolulu was to get inspiration and leisure for this work by spending a winter in the Hawaiian islands. 28

During this time, Clarke was working on her viola sonata which would eventually win second prize after a tie breaking vote in Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge’s Berkshire Festival competition.

Figure 5. Photograph of Rebecca Clarke with the Selinsky Quartet in Hawaii. Photo Source: Honolulu Star Bulletin, December 5, 1918.

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 40, No. 1, Spring 2024

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