JAVS Spring 2022

Features: The Riddle in Walton The Modernist Woman’s Evolution Johannes Palaschko: The Forgotten Professor The Three Laws of Sound Production Journal of the AmericanViola Society Volume 38 Number 1

Journal of the American Viola Society A publication of the American Viola Society Spring 2022: Volume 38, Number 1

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From the Editor From the President News & Notes From the IVC Host

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In Memoriam: Ron Ephrat, Tony Byrne, and Mira Menza

In Review: The Primrose International Viola Competition and AVS Mini-Fest

Feature Articles

p. 12 The Riddle in Walton by Roger Benedict p. 22 Portraits of Three American Composers: The Modernist Woman’s Evolution by Singrid Karlstrom p. 33 Johannes Palaschko: The Forgotten Professor by Danny Keasler p. 43 The Three Laws of Sound Production by Cameron Reacke Departments p. 49 In the Studio: Poetic License: Utilizing Poetry as Performance for Injured Musicians, by Ann Maria Brink p. 53 Chamber Music: An Interview with Christian Colberg, by Dwight Pounds, PhD. p. 59 With Viola in Hand: The Campagnoli Project, by Kristina Giles p. 67 Modern Music: Spotlight: Marek Harris, by Christina Ebersohl p. 73 Recording Review: Basil Vendryes and Jesus Rudolfo’s Russian discs, by Kevin Nordstrom p. 77 In the Studio: Red Ties, Trumpets, and Balalaikas: Beginning with Bunin Pt. I., by Nethanel E. Pollak p. 81 Book Review: Girl Unstrung Review, by Lanson Wells p. 82 The Eclectic Violist: On Creating a Fictional Violist, by Claire Handscombe

On the Cover: Carolyn Owen Sommer “Violas 1”

Appreciate the cyclical flow of nature, the embracing comfort of the homeplace, the cultivated serenity of the farm fields, the rhythmic percussion of the city; finding beauty in the commonplace. Carolyn Owen Sommer is a Springfield resident and teaches part time at LLCC. She has a BFA from Bradley University and holds letters in Illinois Watercolor Society. Carolyn is on the board of Sangamon Watercolor Society, and Transparent Watercolor Society of America, and a juried artist with Springfield Art Association Collective. She is a member of Women’s Caucus for the Arts. Her work is always available at Caribou Coffee and Daisy Jane’s in Springfield. She works in many media, but mainly collage and watercolor. This past year her art was shown include Detroit, Chicago, St. Charles and St. Louis, and Denver.

The Journal of the American Viola Society is published in spring and fall and as an online only issue in summer. The American Viola Society is a nonprofit organization of viola enthusiasts, including students, performers, teachers, scholars, composers, makers, and friends, who seek to encourage excellence in performance, pedagogy, research, composition, and lutherie. United in our commitment to promote the viola and its related activities, the AVS fosters communication and friendship among violists of all skill levels, ages,

Editor: Christina Ebersohl Assistant Editor: Lanson Wells Departmental Editors: Chamber Music: Les Jacobson The Eclectic Violist: Leanne Darling Fresh Faces: Martha Carapetyan Health and Wellness: Jessica King In the Studio: Katherine Lewis Music Reviews: Gregory Williams New Music: Myrna Layton Orchestral Matters: Julie Edwards Outreach: Hillary Herndon Recording Reviews: Carlos María Solare Retrospective: Tom Tatton Student Life: Adam Paul Cordle With Viola in Hand: Ann Roggen Consultant: Dwight Pounds AVS National Board of Directors: Officers President: Hillary Herndon (2023) President-Elect: Ames Asbell (2023) Past President: Michael Palumbo (2021) Daphne Gerling: Secretary (2021) Webmaster Adam Paul Cordle (2021) Board Members

nationalities, and backgrounds. ©2021, American Viola Society ISSN 0898-5987 (print) ISSN 2378-007X (online)

JAVS welcomes articles from its readers. Submission deadlines are December 15 for the Spring issue, April 15

for the Summer online issue, and August 1 for the Fall issue. Send submissions to the AVS Editorial Office, Christina Ebersohl editor@americanviolasociety.org or to

Ruben Balboa III (2024) Ann Marie Brink (2022) Kathryn Brown (2024) Jessica Chang (2022) Adam Paul Cordle (2025) Christina Ebersohl (2024) Molly Gebrian (2023) Ezra Haugabrooks (2022) Lauren Burns Hodges (2024) Andrea Houde (2022) Kayleigh Miller (2024) Katrin Meidell (2022) Ann Roggen (2023) Katie White Swanson (2023) Steven Tenenbom (2022) Laurel Yu (2023) JAVS Volunteer Kevin Nordstrom AVS General Manager Madeleine Crouch AVS National Office 14070 Proton Road, Suite 100 Dallas, TX 75244 (972) 233-9107 ext. 204

Madeleine Crouch, 14070 Proton Rd., Suite 100 Dallas, TX 75244

JAVS offers print and web advertising for a receptive and influential readership. For advertising rates please contact JAVS Editor Christina Ebersohl editor@americanviolasociety.org

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Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 38, No. 1, Spring 2022

From the Editor

Dear readers, friends, and fellow viola enthusiasts, When I first began reading through the collective submissions for this Spring issue, I was struck with a feeling of wonderment and excitement. Our community—the viola community—is bursting to life with so many unique ideas,

in Walton , where Roger Benedict explores violist Tom Riddle’s influence on the Walton Concerto and the confusion that surrounds the most current edition, to The Three Laws of Sound Production by Cameron Reacke, that elegantly and simply explores the science behind the bow. Discover Sigrid Karlstrom’s article, Portraits of Three American Composers: The Modernist Woman’s Evolution and watch three fascinating female figures come to life; then settle in to read an intriguing historical dive into Johannes Palaschko: The Forgotten Professor , written by Danny Keasler. The survey of our fabulous world doesn’t end there, though! Ann Marie Brink writes for In The Studio on how to utilize poetry as a performance medium for injured musicians. Also, don’t miss Kevin Nordstrom’s review of two new viola CDs in Recording Review ; you will want to jump over to Nethanel Pollak’s article right after to learn more about composer Revol Bunin when you hear about Basil Vendryes’ stunning recording of his Sonata for Viola and Piano .

voices, opinions, hidden gems, and shining superstars, and so many of them appeared in my inbox nearly overnight! To see such a brilliant representation of our diverse and fascinating group is exactly what I want to bring to JAVS , and I’m so thankful for every scholar, performer, and enthusiast who is reading this Journal of the American Viola Society . In celebrating all the different exciting avenues of our colorful world, we must—of course—look back at the Primrose International Viola Competition, held back in December. Read about the stunning performances, the new prize awarded at this year’s competition, and the AVS Mini-Festival that took place in the heart of Colburn, where the final rounds of the competition were held. We are so proud of all those who competed—truly a wonderful representation of the upcoming frontline violists!

And there is so much to enjoy in this issue!

Thank you for your readership, all your wonderful submissions, and your continued love of everything viola. We sincerely hope you enjoy this lively issue, and I look forward to meeting so many of you at the 2022 American Viola Society Festival & 47th International Viola Congress in June!

V/r, Christina Ebersohl Editor

Our feature articles are four exciting examples of the breadth and reach of the alto-world. From The Riddle

Join the American Viola Society Your membership supports the viola community through performance, education, research, mentoring, publishing, commissioning new works and more. www.americanviolasociety.org/Join.php

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 38, No. 1, Spring 2022

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From the President

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

or hope to compete in the future. The AVS Greenroom series held a watch party to hear the final round of performances by Natalie Loughran, Samuel Rosenthal, and Nicholas Swensen. The Greenroom will move to a new time in 2022—Sundays at 8PM Eastern—with a great lineup of guests to be interviewed by Steven Tenenbom, including Nokothula Ngwenyama, Garth Knox, Jordan Bak, Hsin Yun Huang, and many others. Early Bird discounted registration for the 2022 AVS Festival & 47th International Viola Congress this coming June 1-5 is open through March 30. Beginning April 1, regular registration rates will apply. This will be a hybrid event, allowing those who can safely travel to Georgia to participate in-person, while still allowing those who might not be able to travel to participate virtually. All content will be available for three months after the event in case you miss something. Your AVS board is hard at work to better serve you. We’ve been adding some virtual content for you; if you missed the informative Tax Preparation workshop for musicians given by our very own Treasurer and CPA Meghan Birmingham, you can check it out in our members only content on our website. On Sunday, March 6 at 8PM Eastern, JAVS Editor and ABME Licensed Body Mapping Instructor Christina Ebersohl will be offering a virtual Body Mapping Course:

Happy Spring to you all! In this yearly time of new beginnings, we have many developments at the AVS to share with you. This edition of the JAVS marks the first of a new, enhanced digital platform that allows our Journal to come to life with clickable links to video and audio performances,

interviews, and enhanced ads. It is our hope that these additions make the JAVS even more of an enjoyable and useful resource for you. Also new for 2022, we’ve updated our membership types, rates, and registration form to help make for a more streamlined application process. When you renew or join, you will notice that there are now only four basic types of membership: Regular, Student, Emeritus, and Institutional. All our members have access to the wide range of benefits to AVS members, including access to the new Digital JAVS. Members can opt out of the paper JAVS delivery if they would like to have an Eco-friendlier membership footprint, and there are add-ons to customize your membership, including contributing levels of membership, joint membership with the Canadian Viola Society, and more. 2021 ended for the AVS on a bang with an incredible showing at the Primrose International Viola Competition at the Colburn School. The next PIVC is scheduled to coincide with the 2024 AVS Festival in June 2024 at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, California for those who missed participating this year

And there is yet more to come—Stay tuned!

I hope to see many of you in person soon in Columbus, Georgia!

Hillary Herndon

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Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 38, No. 1, Spring 2022

News &Notes

From the IVC Host

Dear Viola Friends and Colleagues,

bring your violas! But if that's not up your alley, come anyway—you can wind down with your viola friends after a fulfilling day of educational viola awesomeness. Friday night, The Loft will be home to the one and only Isabel Hagen, comedian and Juilliard-trained violist, whose viola-star-studded clip you may have seen. If not, make sure to watch thehilarious short video. And on Saturday night at The Loft, be sure to join Liz and Stephanie of ViolaCentric for the final installment of Late Nite Café! An exciting feature of the Festival & Congress is that every signature artist is teaching a master class! Ever wondered exactly how Kim Kashkashian makes that one passage in that one piece sing just so? I've found that attending master classes can be a profound learning experience, and I am really looking forward to learning from Ms. Kashkashian, Yura Lee, Timothy Ridout, and Marcus Thompson. As though that's not enough enticement, let me tell you, the Thursday evening showcase will be one to remember! Join British viola super star Timothy Ridout with an orchestra conducted by Paul Hostetter for a night of Concertantes. Three concertantes...in one evening...all performed by Timothy Ridout. What could be better?! In addition to their showcase performances, several of our featured guests are giving workshops or lectures during the Festival & Congress, so be sure to check the Whova App for the schedule! Ever wanted to pick Yura Lee’s brain about set up, or wondered about Isabel Hagen’s creative process? I know I have, and in just a few short weeks I can learn about these (and other things!) from Yura and Isabel themselves! There will be much to learn and enjoy at the Festival & Congress, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing you in Columbus!

The 2022 American Viola Society Festival & 47th International Viola Congress is just around the corner—Yay! My team and I have been hard at work to ensure an educational

and super memorable Festival & Congress, so I hope you can join us June 1-5, 2022 at the Schwob School of Music, Columbus State University, in Columbus, Georgia. The schedule is now available in the Festival & Congress App. Through Whova, you can register for the Festival & Congress, as well as plan which sessions you'll attend in person. You can download the App and get comfortable with Whova even before arriving on-site in June. If you haven't yet booked your stay, please check out the Columbus State University dorms. The upscale suites are just minutes from all Festival & Congress events, and definitely the best deal in town. You can learn more about the dorms, as well as the four hotels which are reserved for attendees, in the Columbus Local Information document. It has all the details on where to stay, eat, and have fun! Speaking of fun—up for some late-night viola fun? Make sure to plan on attending the Late Nite Cafés! Every evening of the Festival & Congress will include a special Late Nite event—all are at The Loft, a bar and restaurant (with the BEST desserts in town!) just a few minutes' walk from the Schwob School of Music. Wednesday night join Wolf & Clover, a Columbus-based band heavily influenced by Irish and other Celtic traditions. Thursday night is jazz night, featuring world-class Columbus-based musicians. Both nights will have an open jam session, so

Katrin Meidell

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Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 38, No. 1, Spring 2022

News &Notes

In Memoriam In Fond Memory of Ron Ephrat, Tony Byrne, and Mira Menza

Ron Ephrat 1

Tony Byrne 2

Viola player Ron Ephrat passed away

Irish viola player Tony Byrne died on December 2, 2021, following a long illness. He was a long-standing

on September 15, 2021. He was the former principal viola of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra from 1983 to 2011.

member of the London Philharmonic Orchestra viola section from 1974 until his retirement in 2010, during which he served for many years as co-principal. Byrne was born and raised in Dublin, where he studied the violin, but switched to the viola in order to make up a chamber group. Falling in love with the instrument immediately, he was offered a scholarship at the College of Music in Dublin. He joined the Symphony Orchestra of the Irish Radio following his studies and was also a founding member of the Irish Chamber Orchestra. He left Dublin in 1965 to join the BBC Orchestra in Bristol and spent seven years with the Bournemouth Sinfonietta as principal viola. Photo: London Philharmonic Orchestra

Photo courtesy of SlippedDisc

The Israeli Ron Ephrat came to Europe in the 1970s and after playing with various orchestras, he ended up with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. There, he led the viola group for almost 30 years. The public got to know him as a colorful and passionate musician. In addition to his work with the orchestra, Ephrat also taught at the conservatories of Rotterdam and The Hague. He was also a popular guest at international festivals and played in various chamber music ensembles. Two weeks before his death, chief conductor Lahav Shani paid a visit to Ron Ephrat. There, Ephrat said that he kept thinking about the music of Johannes Brahms—especially his 2nd symphony, which was his favorite piece. Two days later, Ron Ephrat was driven to de Doelen, where the orchestra played Brahms's Second Symphony one last time for him. “A man with character,” says Anne Huser, who shared the lectern with him for many years as co-captain: Ron had a very strong opinion of his own—which could clash with some colleagues or conductors— but he had a heart of gold. And his stubbornness was always substantiated because he was a walking encyclopedia. Yet he always played from his gut feeling. You couldn't restrain him; he always gave it one hundred percent in everything he did. He also thought he would live to be 100—he had imagined it all very differently. Oh, I will miss him. But his notes are still in the parties, I see again and again what he wrote down in clues and fingerings. Those are things that last.

LPO Leader Pieter Schoeman added: Tony was a gentleman. He was also one of the

kindest people I’ve ever known. During those early years when I started playing with the LPO, he very quickly became one of my best friends. Some of my favorite moments were the meals we had after concerts on tour, because Tony had the ability to always lift my spirits with his humor.

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to the soloists' rooms to tell them how much she enjoyed listening to them and hug them all,” they continued:

Mira Menza 3

Born in Jerusalem

and raised in Tel Aviv to a musical family,

Even after she retired, Mira continued to attend our opera productions and come behind the scenes after the show to say kind words to everyone. Just a few days ago she came to watch The Magic Flute, and as always scattered smiles and congratulations to everyone. Yesterday she passed away leaving us all in pain and grief. We will miss Mira very much. Ruth was a founding member of the Israeli Symphony and was also a central character in the orchestra both artistically and socially. Notes 1 Obituary courtesy of The Royal Conservatory: The Hague: https://www.koncon.nl/en/news/in-memoriam vladimir-mendelssohn-vicente-zarzo-and-ron-ephrat. 2 Obituary courtesy of The Strad: https://www.thestrad. com/news/violist-tony-byrne-has-died/14092.article. 3 Obituary courtesy of The Violin Channel: https:// theviolinchannel.com/violist-mira-menza-has-died aged-71/.

Abia Yaakov Menza first performed in the Israel

Defense Forces Orchestra. She went on to study in Holland, and for several years played with the Dutch Philharmonic Radio Orchestra. When she returned to Israel, Mira began serving in the Israeli Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion (ISO), Israeli Philharmonic, Israeli Opera, and Israeli Chamber ensemble, and a historic women's ensemble, among others. Mira was known for her great love of music and relationships with her friends and colleagues—many of whom considered her family. “Mira Menza has been a source of light and joy at the Opera House for many years,” the Israeli Opera wrote on Facebook. “Everyone knew her and loved her. At the end of the show, she would come up from the orchestra's pit Photo courtesy of The Strad

Corrigendum Though we strive for the highest quality of publication, the reality is, much like a performance, we can never produce something “perfect.” However, we remain steadfast in our loyalty to high-quality, accuracy, and transparency to our avid readers. Therefore, we are introducing the Corrigendum addition to the Journal of the American Viola Society , where corrections, clarifications, and additions can be made from previous publications. Each Journal issue spends innumerable hours in meticulous editing, formatting, and researching, and we are thankful for the opportunity to deliver our labor of love to each AVS member tri-annually. Please do not hesitate to contact the Editor of JAVS if you notice a correction or addition that needs to be addressed in the next Corrigendum .

JAVS, volume 37 no. 2 Our Golden Jubilee – Fifty Extraordinary Leaders in Fifty Years.

Page 36 under Congress Hosts: the 2010 38th International Viola Congress held at the University of Cincinnati’s College, Conservatory of Music was inadvertently left out of the discussion. The co-hosts, Catharine Carroll and Masao Kawasaki ably organized a superlative Congress, and both were celebrated with the Founder’s Award in 2010.

The photo on the page 36 column two should read: Pictured clockwise: Taylor, Myers, Schotten, Konkol.

An Interview with violist Richard O’Neill

Page 55: a typo occurred in which the word “polyrhythm” was twice separated.

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Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 38, No. 1, Spring 2022

In Review

The 2021 Primrose International Viola Competition & AVS Mini-Fest

The 2021 Primrose International Viola Competition recently concluded with live rounds held on December 13-18, 2021, in Los Angeles, California, co-presented and hosted by the Colburn School in partnership with the American Viola Society. With stringent safety protocols implemented by the Colburn School, the 16th running of this competition, founded in 1979 by the AVS, was able to be held safely in person just as the Omicron variant was beginning to make its way across in the United States. The Colburn School has now graciously hosted the 2014, 2018 and 2021 versions of the Primrose Competition, providing the excellent support and world class facility that make it a premier competition destination for top-level competitors. The American Viola Society would like to specifically thank Colburn’s president, Sel Kardan, as well as the Colburn faculty, staff, and students for all the hard work they contributed to make the 2021 Primrose International Viola Competition (PIVC) a success. Prior to the announcement of the 2021 PIVC, a seven-member committee was formed with 5 members chosen by the Colburn School and 2 by the American Viola Society to determine repertoire and jury member selection and to answer questions as they arose from competitors. The AVS was ably represented on this committee by 1993 Primrose Winner and Past President Nokuthula Ngwenyama and AVS President Hillary Herndon. The jury selected for this year’s competition included Barry Shiffman, chairman, with panelists Andrés Cárdenas, Victoria Chiang, Daniel Heifetz, Mai Motobuchi, Dimitri Murrath, and Chauncey Patterson. The competition mathematician was Dr. Moshe Renert, an expert in competition voting systems.

past and present AVS board members—Elias Goldstein, chairman, and members Ames Asbell, Renate Falkner, Molly Gebrian, and Andrea Houde—convened in summer 2021 to select twenty-four finalists to progress on to the live rounds in Los Angeles. Entrants prepared three pieces for the pre-screening round: the first movement of Stamitz or Hoffmeister Concerto, a movement of solo Bach—either a Cello Suite Prelude, first movement of a Violin Sonata or the Preludio of Partita #3—and a virtuosic piece of the competitor’s choice. In the 2021 Primrose International Viola Competition live rounds, twenty-four competitors from ten countries performed in quarter-final, semi-final, and final rounds in Colburn’s Herbert Zipper Hall. After nearly two years with few live performances, hearing so many incredible performances by international rising stars of the viola was a very special treat for competition live round audiences. Those who could not attend in person were able to view the livestream via The Violin Channel page or Colburn School’s YouTube channel.

Orchestra of Colburn students, alumni, and local musicians led by Salonen Conducting Fellow Molly Turner.

This year’s competition attracted 108 applicants from around the world, and a pre-screening jury composed of

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Quarter-final rounds were held on Monday and Tuesday of the competition week, and each performer presented a short program including: 1) A full movement or movements of the one of the following works: Ligeti Solo Viola Sonata , Bach/ Kodaly Chromatic Fantasy , any Hindemith Solo Sonata, or any Reger Suite for Solo Viola 2) Performed with piano, a transcribed piece for viola (either by Primrose or the performer) or a Virtuosic piece 3) A piece for solo viola or viola and piano by a composer who identifies as Black, Indigenous or Person of Color The quarter final performances can be heard on the Colburn School YouTube channel. On Thursday, December 16, the eight semi-finalists performed the first viola part to Mozart’s String Quintet #3 in C Major, K. 515, movements III & IV with students from the Colburn School, as well as a complete major work for viola and piano. Performers could include another work of their choice to complete a program up to 50 minutes in length. The 2021 PIVC semi-finalists performed in two sessions in the order shown below: Morning session: Semi-finalists: Keoni Bolding, Nicholas Swensen, Brian Isaacs, and Natalie Loughran Afternoon session: Semi-finalists: Ursula Steele, Samuel Rosenthal, Mingyue Yu, and SoHui Yun In the final round, competitors were asked to perform either the Bartók or Walton Viola Concerto with the Colburn Orchestra. On Friday, as the three finalists prepared for Saturday’s live final round, the AVS launched its first AVS Mini-Fest, a small-scale festival to complement the competition activities. Organized by AVS Past President Michael Palumbo in collaboration with Gina Coletti of the Southern California Viola Society, the two-day event included an excellent slate of session offerings and featured several instrument vendors showing a wide range of high-quality student and antique violas. Friday activities included a pre-college masterclass by Minor

Wetzel of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, a spiccato workshop by Hillary Herndon, and a panel discussion on efficient practicing featuring Ames Asbell, Paul Coletti, and PIVC jury members Victoria Chiang and Mai Motobuchi. Jury members Andrés Cárdenas and Daniel Heifetz also provided sessions on combining university and performance careers and emotional projection in music, respectively.

PIVC Finalists (L-R): Nicholas Swensen, Natalie Loughran, and Samuel Rosenthal.

The final round of the Southern California Viola Society Youth Competition was held in the afternoon, featuring seven outstanding young performers invited to perform in person after a competitive pre-screening round. Davin Mar was named first prize winner for his performance of the Enescu Knozertstück for Viola and Piano. Second prize was shared between Arian Gael Cázares, who performed the Bruch Romanze and Samuel Tatsuki, who performed the Carl Maria von Weber Andante e Rondo Ungarese . Ian Kim and Logan Purser received Honorable Mentions for their performances of the Robert Schumann Adagio and Allegro , op. 70 and the JC Bach Viola Concerto in C minor , mvt 3, respectively. On Friday evening, festival attendees were treated to a wonderful recital by PIVC jury members Dimitri Murrath and Victoria Chiang. The program opened with a beautiful and heartfelt performance of the Frank Bridge Lament for Two Violas . Mr. Murrath provided the balance of the program, including a lively, compelling Suite No. 1 in G Major by J.S. Bach, expertly rendered by heart, as well as a powerful and tender Shostakovich Sonata, ably assisted by pianist Weicong Zhang. In between these two standards, Murrath and Zhang’s rapturous rendition of Adolphus Hailstork’s Two

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Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 38, No. 1, Spring 2022

Romances for Viola and Piano was a revelation; it is a work that deserves to be much more widely heard. Mr. Murrath’s very personal spoken remarks for each work also created an intimate and meaningful atmosphere amid still-uncertain times. Saturday’s mini-fest began with an inspiring and informative session on the SCVS annual ViolaFest model led by Gina Coletti and Mary Kelly, in tandem with a collegiate masterclass by Daphne Gerling. Other content programmed for Saturday included a session on developing a quartet career by jury chair Barry Shiffman, as well as Body Mapping workshop by Christina Ebersohl. The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the Primrose Competition’s live final round, which featured the three finalists performing the Bartók and Walton Concerto accompanied by the Colburn School orchestra. The round opened with two dynamic interpretations of the Bartók concerto— Nicholas Swensen’s powerful and energized performance was followed by Samuel Rosenthal’s more intimate, personal approach, creating much animated discussion amongst the audience members during the intermission. Natalie Loughran’s elegant and sensitive performance of Walton was equally compelling after the break, and with three technically and musically impressive performances to compare, the audience was left wondering who might be announced as the winner once the jury panel and competition mathematician completed their work.

After a lunch break and a beautiful recital by the winners of the SCVS Youth Competition, the awards ceremony opened with recognition of the jury panelists and organizers and a brief explanation of the complex scoring and weighting of different rounds of the competition. The three finalists sat side-by-side in the front row, cheering enthusiastically for one another as the prizes were announced. Nicholas Swensen was awarded Third Prize and Samuel Rosenthal took Second Prize, while Natalie Loughran was named for First Prize as well as the Audience Prize winner. Semi-finalist Keoni Bolding won the AVS Transcriptions Prize for Tosca Paraphrase , his own transcription of Act II of Puccini’s Tosca . Natalie Loughran was awarded the BIPOC Prize for her own arrangement of the second movement of William Grant Still’s Suite for Violin and Piano . As the ceremony wrapped up, with many of the competition finalists and semi-finalists milling about in the hall, hugging—or fist-bumping—and congratulating each other, the consensus among many attendees was that the future of the viola is in very good hands indeed. The next Primrose International Viola Competition is slated for June 2024 in Los Angeles, California in collaboration with the Colburn School and will be accompanied by a full, biennial AVS Festival.

PIVC First Prize winner Natalie Loughran.

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Feature Article

The Riddle in Walton’s Viola Concerto by Roger Benedict

What’s the Riddle ? Currently, the only available version of the solo part of William Walton’s Viola Concerto is taken from the 2002 Oxford University Press (OUP) William Walton edition, described by OUP as “a definitive and fully practical edition, based on the form in which the composer ultimately wished his music to be performed.” 1 In this edition, the solo viola part is based on British violist Frederick Riddle’s reinterpretation of Walton’s original, with many small but noticeable changes of expression and articulation. OUP did this on the basis that Walton had admired Riddle’s performances of the work and given instructions to the publisher to use Riddle’s annotated part when preparing a revised edition. The editor, Christopher Wellington, states in the publication’s foreword that Riddle’s version “conveys the nature of the work even more successfully than the original.” 2 But should such subjective statements have a place in a critical edition? How reliable is the evidence that Walton preferred Riddle’s version, when, in neither The Selected Letters of WilliamWalton (ed. Hayes), nor Susana Walton’s biography of her husband, does Riddle get a single mention? Is Walton’s admiration for Riddle overstated by Wellington and OUP? Walton was highly sensitive to criticism and readily accepted performers’ suggestions of changes to his works. Riddle “smoothed out” much of the solo line, arguably diluting the lively and nuanced rhythmic character of the original (heavily influenced, as the composer admitted, by Prokofiev and Hindemith). Does the Riddle version legitimately represent the last word on the solo part? Would it be more helpful for violists to have the original 1929 part to assess alongside Riddle’s to arrive at their own interpretation? The original part is printed as an alternative in the William Walton edition full orchestral score, but few violists will have access to this tome, for at the time of writing, it sells for £185 ($210).

A Born Genius The Concerto, premiered in 1929, brought the 26-year old Walton universal critical and public acclaim. Following the first performance, Eric Blom wrote in the Manchester Guardian , “[t]his young composer is a born genius” and said that it was “tempting to call the concerto the best thing in recent music of any nationality.” 3 It was conductor Thomas Beecham who suggested to Walton that he write a concerto for violist Lionel Tertis. Beecham was a champion of contemporary composers and Tertis, the leading viola player of the day, was the obvious choice to give its premiere. Walton sent Tertis the completed score in the spring of 1929, but the violist rejected it immediately without explanation, sending the score back by return of post. Walton recalled, “I was very, very hurt and disappointed and miserable . . . all this work for nothing.” 4 Tertis realized later that he made a mistake. He wrote in his autobiography, “With shame and contrition, I admit that when the composer offered me the first performance, I declined it …The innovations in his musical language, which now seem so logical and so truly in the mainstream of music, then struck me as far-fetched.” 5 Hindemith Saves the Day Without an alternative soloist in place, Walton considered turning the piece into a violin concerto. Fortuitously though, composer and viola player Paul Hindemith was due to be in London at the time of the scheduled premiere and agreed to give its first performance. Hindemith and Walton were already acquainted, and Walton was a great admirer of the older composer’s music. Hindemith’s Kammermusik no. 5—a viola concerto in all but name—had been a significant influence on Walton’s concerto. “I was surprised he played it. One or two bars are almost identical!” 6 Walton said.

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Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto no.1, premiered in 1923, was another influence. The two works share a similar structure and in both, the opening first movement material reappears at the close of the last movement, as can be seen in Examples 1 and 2. Walton’s opening melody is remarkably like the sognando (dreamy) first theme of the Prokofiev.

Feature Article prevented Walton from saying anything at the time. 11 But a letter from Walton to OUP in 1946 about Primrose’s version implies the composer was happy to accept his changes: “Bits and pieces have been shoved up an octave or are in octaves, etc. And more often than not with good effect.” 12 In the same letter, Walton even wondered whether he should recommend Primrose’s “various tricks”

to Yehudi Menuhin who was preparing the piece for performance. Publication In 1937, the Decca Record Company decided to record the concerto. The obvious

Example 1: Walton, Viola Concerto, I. Andante comodo, mm. 3–7.

candidate for soloist was Tertis, but he had recently announced his retirement. He suggested Riddle, whom Beecham would soon appoint as Principal Viola of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. For his recording and subsequent performances, Riddle made changes to the solo part; these were mostly matters of phrasing and bowing, rather than changes to, or additions of, notes. According to Christopher Wellington, Walton “is known to have found these changed articulations an improvement on the previously published ones, both his own and the Tertis version.” 13 Riddle was asked to submit his solo part to OUP for publication, and this part was incorporated into the 1938 published edition. The Riddle version of the solo part was the only one available with the piano reduction from 1938 until 1962, when a misunderstanding between OUP and Walton saw it removed from publication. Walton was always tinkering with his music and made major revisions of his works throughout his life. In 1962, he completely re-orchestrated the concerto, reducing the number of woodwind and brass, but adding a harp. These changes were not universally admired; critics felt that in updating it to his later, more suave style, the piece lost some of the character of the original. Renowned critic Ronald Crichton felt that “the smoothing and streamlining tone[d] down an acerbity that was very much part of the music.” 14 Walton didn’t forbid performances of the first orchestration but expressed a strong preference for this new version. He told OUP that “if anyone specifies the

Example 2: Prokofiev, Violin Concerto no. 1, I. Andantino, mm. 3–8.

Walton remained deeply grateful to Hindemith for playing the work, but said later, “his technique was marvelous, but he was rough—no nonsense about it. He just stood up and played.” 7 Lionel Tertis was at the premiere and was similarly critical: “The notes were all there, but the tone was cold and unpleasant.” 8 Tertis would make amends for his early rejection of the work by giving numerous performances of the concerto, much to Walton’s delight. After a performance in Germany, Walton wrote to the pianist Harriet Cohen: “[y]ou have no conception what Tertis has made out of the work. If you liked it before, you will pass out when you hear him play it. I nearly did myself!” 9 At another performance, in 1932, Edward Elgar was present, though the elderly composer was not impressed with the concerto. He “paced up and down behind the orchestra gallery during the performance, deploring that such music should be thought fit for a stringed instrument.” 10 Early Performers Lionel Tertis, Bernard Shore, and William Primrose were notable early performers of the work. But it is Frederick Riddle, the violist who first recorded the concerto, whose influence has proven the most lasting effect on the work’s published form, and consequently on later performances. Tertis, Primrose, and Riddle all made numerous changes to the solo part. Both Tertis and Primrose put several passages up an octave and added double stops to others, though Primrose claimed that he discovered much later than Walton had not liked his alterations. He felt it may have been an “innate delicacy of feeling” that had

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old version please advise them first that the composer infinitely prefers the new version.” 15 Consequently, most performances and recordings of the work from 1962 onwards have utilized the revised scoring. More recently, however, performers have re-visited the original orchestration, and at least one modern recording—made by Lawrence Power in 2007—has used that version. It garnered glowing reviews: “[A] new recording of the superior original orchestration is very welcome indeed . . . the richness of the original orchestration comes across with greater delicacy and impact than it has ever had before.” 16 Wellington believes “both scores have their individual merits; the 1929 score, which established the concerto’s original impact and reputation, and the 1962 revision . . . which reflects the composer’s later preferences in instrumentation.” 17 Wellington and OUP are happy to promote both orchestrations despite Walton’s strongly stated preference, but not both versions of the solo viola part. The publication of the revised version was complicated by a misunderstanding between Walton and OUP. When preparing the new orchestration in 1961, Walton asked OUP to add Riddle’s solo part to the new score. To help the process of rescoring, OUP had prepared a dummy score for him with the solo line already copied in; but it was the wrong one. It was the 1929 original rather than Riddle’s version. Further confusion ensued as Walton decided to make some alterations to that “wrong” solo line, for example adding octave double stops and putting some notes up an octave.

By the time Walton had noticed the mistake, it was too late—the new edition of the full score had gone to print. So, from 1964 (when they were published) until 2001, the solo part sold with the piano reduction, and the solo part in the full score, were from the 1929 edition, with about 30 added instructions and changes. The Riddle solo part was finally reinstated in the William Walton Edition, published in 2002. That part includes tempo indications and expression marks from both the 1929 and 1962 versions but doesn’t include any of the original articulation marks or slurs. Because of this, it offers players a rather confusing and incomplete picture of the work. Examples of the changes Riddle made are shown in Example 3 and 5–8, which compare the 2002 publication with the 1929 original. Adding and Subtracting Walton’s use of tenuto markings and separate bows in Example 3 arguably produce a more deliberate parlando (spoken) character than Riddle’s slurred version. The tenuto marking is used extensively by both Hindemith in Kammermusik no. 5, and by Prokofiev in his Violin Concerto no.1—as shown in Example 2 and Example 4—to create a similar effect. In bars 13 and 17 of Example 3, Walton’s rhythmic interplay between the gently rocking octaves of the solo viola (playing in simple time) and the lilting figure in the orchestra (playing in compound time) are both completely removed by Riddle.

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Example 3: Walton, Viola Concerto, I. Andante comodo, mm. 4–19.

Example 4: Prokofiev, Violin Concerto no. 1, I. Andantino, mm. 24–8.

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Example 5: Walton, Viola Concerto, I. Andante comodo, mm. 26–28.

For the passage in Example 5, Walton employs more separate bows than Riddle, maybe hinting at the dance band saxophone that often seems to be hovering in the background in this work. Riddle also adds slurs to a passage of driving semiquavers, arguably dampening its vigor and sense of momentum, as seen in Example 6.

The syncopated slurring that Riddle added also reappears in the scherzo (Example 7). Additionally, Riddle removes Walton’s four-note slurs in mm. 255–6 of this movement even though they would seem to make the arrival of the separate semiquavers at m. 257 more impactful.

Example 6: Walton, Viola Concerto, I. Andante comodo, mm. 61–8.

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While most of the changes relate to slurs and other articulations, there are also some minor changes of octave, and occasional additions of notes as in Example 8. Example 7: Walton, Viola Concerto, II. Vivo, con molto preciso, mm. 247–61.

Example 8: Walton, Viola Concerto, II. Vivo, con molto preciso, mm. 74–85.

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All That Jazz Walton was clearly influenced by what he heard around him in 1920’s London—dance band music, early jazz, the music of Stravinsky, and of course Hindemith and Prokofiev. As English music critic Frank Howes explains, ‘[h]is early years as a musician coincided with the post Armistice conditions which were marked by a furious passion for dancing, the vogue of jazz, a cynical wit and an anti-Romantic outlook.’ 18 Even though later critics, like Desmond Shawe-Taylor, observed that in the Viola Concerto “the lyric poet in Walton, who had so far been hidden under a mask of irony, fully emerged,” the work still shares much of the character of other works Walton composed at this time—the whimsical humor of Façade , the boisterous energy of Portsmouth Point , and the rhythmic complexity of Belshazzar’s Feast . 19 That there is lyricism in the work is not in question; but even in the most lyrical passages, surely Walton’s articulation and expression marks produce a more parlando , a more enunciated, character than Riddle’s. More Smoothing and Streamlining If Tertis—in the Kreisler mold—brought a somewhat old-fashioned approach to his interpretation, and Primrose—in the Heifetz mold—a somewhat virtuosic, player-centered view, then Riddle represented a “new” English style: a gentler, more considerate style of playing that would exert a powerful influence on generations of English violists. Wellington sums up Riddle’s style as “disciplined and balanced.” 20 But does Riddle’s smoothing over of the solo part have a similar effect on the work as the “smoothing and streamlining” that was so criticized in Walton’s 1962 re-orchestration of the piece? Does it compromise the youthful vigor of the original? Walton always accepted practical advice from soloists: the violin and cello concerti each came under the influence of a star soloist—Heifetz and Piatigorsky respectively— during the process of their composition. But Heifetz and Piatigorsky were offering pre-publication input during the composing of works written expressly for them, whereas Riddle was a performer making an already published and widely performed work his own. It is worth noting that while Walton had been an accomplished singer, he played no musical instrument. He said he had “no aptitude for musical instruments at all.” 21

Hindemith and Walton It is easy to overlook Paul Hindemith’s influence—as both performer and composer—on the success of the Viola Concerto . The disparaging comments about Hindemith’s playing style by both Tertis and Walton are frequently quoted, yet the premiere was undeniably a success. There is no evidence that Walton sought Hindemith’s advice on the solo part, despite Hindemith being a renowned viola player and the twentieth century’s most prolific composer for the instrument. Even if he had, it’s unlikely that Hindemith would have tried to persuade Walton to smooth it over; Hindemith’s own music of the 1920s (e.g. Kammermusik no. 1) was angular and acerbic, and he railed against “the wretched romantic way of rubato playing and ‘expression’” that was popular at the time. 22 It is clear Hindemith held Walton’s Viola Concerto in high regard. After attending a 1938 performance of it by Riddle in Italy, in a program which also included his own music and that of Arthur Honegger, he reported that “Honegger (a small nocturne) got a very good reception whereas by far the most respectable piece on the program—Walton’s viola concerto, conducted by him and violed [sic] not quite adequately by Mr. Riddle— made little impression on the Italians; such things are not in their line.” 23 Misgivings and Doubts Walton was notoriously insecure, and his insecurities seemed to increase with age. His humble background, his lack of proficiency on any musical instrument, and a feeling that he was overlooked by the British musical establishment all conspired to undermine his self-confidence. Fickle critics that had once excitedly praised the originality and mastery of the Viola Concerto soon started to describe Walton’s music as dated and unadventurous. Susana Walton recalls: “[h]e was always full of misgivings and doubts, and the critics exacerbated his insecurity.” 24 In addition, the seemingly unstoppable rise of his nemesis Benjamin Britten—prolific composer, brilliant conductor and pianist, darling of the critics—weighed heavily on him. Writing for the Viola So, did Walton’s insecurity make him more likely to go along with performers’ changes to his works? Did he choose Riddle’s version simply because the changes

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Riddle had made were less offensive than the liberties taken by Primrose and Tertis? Maybe Walton felt more of an affinity with Riddle, the quiet achiever: “At a time when the scene was dominated by the extrovert Lionel Tertis and William Primrose, Riddle represented a quieter, more inward approach, in some ways truer to the innate character of the instrument” claims Tully Potter. 25 Was Walton’s viola writing really lacking in clarity and detail? This writer believes that the young Walton wrote remarkably well for the viola, dazzlingly well for someone who claimed to know little of the instrument when he started “save that it made a rather awful sound” and who played no instrument himself. 26 It is not as if there is a general ambiguity or a paucity of markings in Walton’s scores—on the contrary, he was very specific in his indications as several writers have observed: “Every [score] bears the most scrupulous marks of expression, accent and phrasing.” 27 In the new “definitive” William Walton edition, Christopher Wellington makes some bold claims. He argues that Riddle’s version “conveys the nature of the work even more successfully than the original”—a rather subjective statement—and that he “succeeds in bringing out the lyrical and nostalgic character of the first statement, and at the same time organizes the bowings to deliver the soloist to the appropriate part of the bow (bars 4–22).” 28 It is a performer’s job, rather than the composer’s, to address issues of bow distribution, and this is a consideration in all the music we play, not just that by Walton. Wellington goes on to claim that “[g]rouping the viola’s octaves in threes rather than pairs [the passage shown in Example 3] is slightly more tranquil, less distracting.” 29 Though as mentioned above, this change by Riddle removes an interesting rhythmic interplay that is in keeping with the character of the rest of the movement and which was presumably the intention of the composer in grouping the notes as he did. Wellington asserts the changes add “technical expertise and a stylish dimension to the writing.” 30 Missing Riddle What is rather perplexing is that it is hard to find any mention of Riddle in Walton’s correspondence. In The Selected Letters of WilliamWalton (ed. Malcolm Hayes), Riddle is not mentioned at all. Of course, what is included in this volume is at the editor's discretion, but

other performers of the Viola Concerto (e.g. Hindemith and Menuhin) fare much better. There is also no mention of Riddle anywhere in Susana Walton's comprehensive biography of her husband. From reading Walton's letters, however, we see that he was quick to bestow praise on performers. In 1970, he wrote to Menuhin: “Your playing is absolutely astounding, in fact I am unable to conjure up adequate superlatives for your interpretation & performance—nor can I thank you enough for having brought to life a dream which I thought would never come true.” 31 We know quite a lot about what Walton thought of performances of the concerto by Menuhin, Hindemith, Primrose, and Tertis— but surprisingly little about Riddle, the player who had such a profound influence on the solo part. Walton is said to have expressed a preference for Riddle’s version, yet he did not notice that it was not Riddle’s version that was copied into his dummy 1962 score when revising the work. For a less exacting composer this might be understandable, but for Walton, “always a painstaking perfectionist,” it seems odd. 32 Walton may have liked Riddle’s interpretation in a general sense, but he didn’t recognize it when faced with it in printed form. Romantic Longing? While early critics praised the originality and rhythmic vitality of the work, and emphasized the influence of Prokofiev and Hindemith, more recent ones have sought to portray the piece as belonging to an English romantic tradition. Michael Kennedy writes “[i]n spite of its twentyish trappings—echoes of Gershwin here and there—the viola concerto belongs musically and spiritually to the late romantic tradition: it is essentially within the orbit of Bax, Elgar, and Ireland, a mature, not to say middle-aged, outpouring.” 33 Walton would probably have strongly disliked this statement—as Elgar had not taken kindly to the Viola Concerto , and Walton had little admiration for Bax. Gershwin, however, was a composer with whom he was always happy to be compared, according to Susana Walton. 34 Wellington is clearly influenced by this romantic view of the work, emphasizing its “lyrical and nostalgic” character; but this view has been challenged by some recent writers. 35 Robert Meikle investigates in detail the similarities in structure and harmonic language between Walton’s concerto and the concertos of Hindemith and

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