by Marian Moody
From June 8 - 12, 1999 I attended the International Viola Congress in Guelph, Ontario. This is only the second time that this Congress has been held in Canada, and it was a fantastic opportunity that I, being a violist, could not pass up. The whole week was filled with exciting events by violists of international calibre. The Congress was held in the River Run Centre, a new impressive performing arts centre adjacent to the downtown core of Guelph. True to its name, it is located right beside the Speed River which, along with the trains that shunt back and forth, is clearly visible through the large glass - encased foyer. Many of the events were held in this room and one almost had the feeling of being outside, without the oppressive heat, fortunately.
The Congress began with the Primrose Competition. This competition is open to all members of the Viola Societies under 28 years of age. There was some remarkable playing by the three finalists, any one of whom could been a first place winner. However, I thought the winner, Lawrence Power from London, England, had an exceptional talent, and I'm sure he will go far.
There was a large display of instruments and bows by luthiers and bow makers throughout the Congress, along with accessories and sheet music, displayed by Canadian and American music shops. There were also demonstrations of violas and bows (modern and Baroque) made by contemporary craftsmen. I found it difficult to differentiate between instruments in the large reverberant hall. But surprisingly (at least to me) I found it easier to tell the difference between bows. I think we sometimes forget to tell our students how important the bow is to sound production, but it was certainly noticeable here, especially as the bows were demonstrated by a very fine player. We also had the opportunity to test violas and bows for ourselves, although with about thirty other violists doing the same thing, it got a bit noisy!
Barbara Paull, an orthopedic physiotherapist, and Christine Harrison, a freelance violinist, gave a very interesting and thought-provoking series of lecture-demonstrations entitled Human Physiology and String Playing , in which they discussed musicians injuries (in particular, those of violists, since we were in the majority!) and how to prevent them, or heal them if the damage has already been done. I liked their ideas of thinking about muscles in opposing pairs. Their discussion of exercises to strengthen muscles opposite to the ones that we, as violists, usually use was particularly useful. It was amazing to see the strength of even the smallest woman when she used her viola-playing muscles; right off the scale. Violists are a tough bunch!
The varied nature of the Congress is illustrated by the titles of three of the lectures:
Making a living with the Viola - Alan de Veritch
The Royal Conservatory Music System in Canada - Julian Fisher
Making Repairs and Adjustments to the Viola Bow - Jaak Liivoja-Lorius.
John White, a professor of viola and former head of instrumental studies at the Royal Academy of Music, gave an interesting talk on Lionel Tertis and the English School of Viola Playing. Obviously Tertis had a huge influence on viola playing worldwide and brought about the standards that we now expect from violists.
There were many fine concerts given by violists throughout the Congress, embracing many different styles- from Bach to works for electronic viola. Canadian artists Robert Verebes, David Samuel and Steve Larson gave an afternoon concert. Well-known artists Rivka Golani, Harmut Lindemann and Michael Kugel performed complete recitals. The high school and university students did a great job of presenting multiple viola works that they had practised with Tom Tatton and Jutta Puchhammer only over the course of the Congress. Carlos Marķa Solare gave a lecture/ recital on Argentinean composers. I especially liked Le Gran Tango by Astor Piazzola. The highlight of the Friday afternoon concert was, for me, the premier performance of The Ride Of The Valkyries (arr. Ian Pillow) by the Bratsche con Brio with the assistance of several other violists. It was a performance the likes of which will probably never be heard again - very exciting and amusing!
Every violist had the opportunity to participate in the viola jam sessions. Ralph Aldrich kindly organized and conducted two multiple viola sessions. We also had another jam session in which Dan Golden introduced us to Klesmer music. In between numbers by his Klesmer band, Dan showed us how to improvise and support the tune in the appropriate style. It was a lot of fun and added to the eclectic nature of the Congress.
George Andrix and his Blues backup band serenaded us with another unique style of viola playing at the Banquet Awards dinner on Thursday night. It was perfect dinner music, although a bit difficult to hear over the chatter of the guests.
There were several viola masterclasses and concerts throughout the Congress. The highlight for me was the masterclass given by Michael Kugel to the winners of the Primrose Competition. Michael Kugel is a Russian - born virtuoso who, apart from his facility on the viola, presents a deeply musical as well as intellectual style of playing that one rarely hears today. Mr. Kugel's demonstrations and insights into the interpretation of Bach were masterful. His recital on the last evening was a wonderful climax to the whole Congress.
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