The Art and Practice of Scale Playing on the Viola Primrose

Scottish violist and teacher

William Primrose
Built-in	(1904-08-23)23 Baronial 1904 Glasgow, Scotland
Died	1 May 1982(1982-05-01) (aged 77) Provo, Utah
Occupation	Violist
Spouse(s)	Dorothy Friend, 1928–?, Hiroko Sawa[1]

William Primrose CBE (23 August 1904 – 1 May 1982) was a Scottish violist and teacher. He performed with the London String Quartet from 1930 to 1935. He then joined the NBC Symphony Orchestra where he formed the Primrose Quartet. He performed in various countries effectually the earth equally a soloist throughout his career. Primrose too taught at several universities and institutions. He is the author of several books on viola technique.

Biography [edit]

Early years [edit]

William Primrose was born in Glasgow, Scotland to John Primrose and Margaret-McInnis Whiteside Primrose. He was the oldest of their three children.^[2] His father, John Primrose, taught violin and was function of the Scottish Orchestra.^[3] His male parent bought Primrose his beginning violin in 1908,^{[2] : 7} when Primrose was only four years erstwhile.^[4] That same year, his begetter arranged violin lessons with Camillo Ritter, who had studied with Joseph Joachim and Otakar Ševčík.^[5] Primrose performed his first public concert on the violin in 1916, at the age of 12, playing Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto.^[3] During his babyhood, Primrose likewise enjoyed reading and playing chess in improver to studying music and performing.^{[two] : 23}

In 1919, Primrose's family moved to London, and he began to study violin at the Guildhall School of Music in London on scholarship,^[3] where he would later on exist named Boyfriend.^[6] Primrose graduated in 1924, having received its highest honour, a gilt medal, although he admitted that he skipped some of his classes considering the violin did non interest him.^[iii]

On the urging of the accompanist Ivor Newton, Primrose moved to Belgium to study nether Eugène Ysaÿe.^[3] from 1926 to 1929.^{[2] : 52} Ysaÿe heard Primrose play an Amati viola that his father had forbidden him to play, and suggested that Primrose pursue the viola instead of the violin.^{[half dozen]}

London String Quartet [edit]

Primrose became a professional violinist in 1924. In London, on October 2, 1928, William married Dorothy Friend, daughter of Arthur John Friend and Susanna Jane Luscombe. He moved from violin to viola in 1930 when he became the violist of the London String Quartet. He was joined in the group by Warwick Evans, John Pennington, and Thomas Petre. They toured throughout North and South America in the 1930s; withal, due to financial pressures of the Great Depression, they disbanded in 1935. Later the disbandment of the London String Quartet, Primrose took a diverseness of jobs; he performed in Berlin, at La Scala in Milan, and a number of concerts in England.^[iii]

NBC Symphony Orchestra [edit]

In 1937, NBC established their symphony orchestra nether Arturo Toscanini. Primrose was a violist for the orchestra, but he was never their master violist. In 1939, NBC suggested that Primrose class his own grouping, and the Primrose Quartet was formed. He played with the orchestra for four years until it was rumored that Toscanini would leave the Symphony in 1941.^[three]

While performing with the NBC Symphony, Primrose also made recordings with Jascha Heifetz and Gregor Piatigorsky.^[ane] However, they stopped playing together in 1964 due to Primrose'due south declining hearing and his increased absences due to his teaching career.^[7]

Soloist [edit]

Primrose made his debut as a violin soloist in 1923;^[5] nonetheless his soloist career playing the viola didn't have off until 1941 when he started touring with Richard Crooks. He accompanied Crooks on v tours in the side by side four years,^[5] playing in 32 concerts in 1941–1942. While touring with Crooks, Arthur Judson, an influential concert manager, sought out Primrose. He signed with Judson who furthered Primrose's soloist career. Primrose doubled his concert performances, playing in 64 concerts in 1943–1944.^[3]

In 1944, he was the soloist in the offset studio recording of Berlioz'due south Harold in Italy. That same year, he commissioned a viola concerto from Béla Bartók. This was left incomplete at Bartók's death in 1945, and had to expect four years for its completion by Tibor Serly. Primrose was the soloist in the globe premiere performance of the concerto, on ii December 1949. In 1950, Benjamin Britten wrote for him Lachrymae based on the song by Dowland.^[8]

Primrose was known for his tremendous technique. When he performed Paganini's violin caprices on viola, Mischa Elman is said to have exclaimed, "Information technology must exist easier on viola!" Primrose wrote many transcriptions and arrangements for viola, often technically dazzling, including "La Campanella" (from Paganini'due south second violin concerto) and the famous Nocturne from Borodin'due south second string quartet, the latter "out of jealousy" for the cello's long melodic lines.

He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1953, in recognition of his musical contributions.^[three]

Instructor [edit]

Primrose was also a teacher during his violist career. He taught in many countries across the world, including the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He taught at the University of Southern California from 1961 to 1965 with Jascha Heifetz. After didactics at USC, he moved to the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where he remained from 1965 to 1972. In 1971, Primrose went to the Tokyo University of the Arts and the Toho Gakuen School of Music. He occasionally taught at Juilliard School, Eastman Schoolhouse of Music^[3] and the Sydney Conservatory,^[6] In Commonwealth of australia, Richard Tognetti was 1 of his students.^[ix] Primrose was a invitee lecturer at Brigham Young University from 1979 to 1982.

Primrose wrote and contributed to several books on viola playing: Art and Practise of Scale Playing (1954), Technique is Retentivity (1960), Violin and Viola (with Yehudi Menuhin and Denis Stevens, 1976), and Playing the Viola (1988).^{[3] [4]}

Some of his notable students include Canadian violinist Albert Pratz,^[10] former principal of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Alan de Veritch,^[xi] the American composer David Campbell,^[12] and Olympic Music Festival founder and violist Alan Iglitzin.^[thirteen]

Other notable pupils include, Martha Strongin Katz, Karen Tuttle, Joseph de Pasquale and Cynthia Phelps.

Later years [edit]

Primrose had developed a hearing problem in 1946 which afflicted his power to hear certain notes. He was later diagnosed with cancer in 1977, from which he died in Provo, Utah on i May 1982.^[3] His large drove of annotated viola scores became the nucleus for the William Primrose International Viola Archive at the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young Academy. For his contribution to the recording industry, Primrose has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.

The Primrose International Viola Competition, created in 1979 in accolade of William Primrose, was the first international music competition for viola players.^[14]

The Primrose Amati viola [edit]

For the kickoff part of his career, Primrose played an Amati viola, formerly owned by his father.^[15] Primrose had noted that the viola had a wolf tone and did not project easily. He sold the Amati viola in 1951. The ex-Primrose Amati is now owned by Roberto Díaz, who is currently the president of the Curtis Institute of Music and recorded a CD of Primrose'southward transcriptions for Naxos Records. Prior to the recording, the viola was inspected and was plant to accept had adjustments of questionable workmanship, which were afterwards repaired.^[15]

Primrose was likewise known to have owned two violas by William Moennig Jr. of Philadelphia. Primrose used the "MacDonald" Stradivari on loan during the 1940s. His Pierre Vidoudez and Yu Iida violas are currently on display in the Primrose International Viola Annal at Brigham Young University'south Harold B. Lee Library in Provo, Utah.^[15]

The Primrose Guarneri viola [edit]

In 1954, Primrose purchased the 1697 Guarneri viola now known as the ex-Primrose.^{[xvi] [17]} This viola is one of seven known Guarneri family unit violas.^[18] It bears an original label of Andrea Guarneri who died in 1698, just experts believe that the work is that of his son Joseph Guarneri 'filius Andrea' who inherited his male parent'south workshop. The dorsum of the viola is Italian maple and the forepart is open up-grained spruce. Information technology has a deep aureate varnish with a subtle orangish tint.^[xix]

The viola was purchased by the Earl of Harrington in 1874. Information technology was acquired by the Rembert Wurlitzer Visitor in the 1950s and came to Primrose'southward attending. It became his solo musical instrument. Before Primrose, the musical instrument had never been owned past a professional person violist. In 1975^[17] or 1978 Primrose sold the Guarneri viola to Gary Vandosdale, a former student. It was and then sold in 1978 to Ulrich Fritze,^[19] who played the viola during his 30-year tenure as principal violist of the Berlin Philharmonic.^[xv] The viola was sold in 2012 by Tarisio "for over $4 million, the highest toll paid for a Guarneri family unit musical instrument at auction and the highest publicly recorded cost for a viola of whatever type".^[twenty]

Works [edit]

• The Fine art and Practice of Scale Playing on the Viola (1954)
• Technique is Memory. A method for violin and viola players based on finger patterns, etc. (1960)
• Walk on the north side: Memoirs of a violist (1978)

References [edit]

1. ^ ^{a b} Schonberg, Harold C. (4 May 1982). "WILLIAM PRIMROSE, 77, IS Expressionless; VIOLIST KNOWN FOR PURITY OF TONE". The New York Times . Retrieved xv Apr 2016.
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Primrose, William (1978). A Walk on the North Side: William Primrose, Memoirs of a Violist. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Printing. ISBN9780842513135.
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f thousand h i j k fifty} Dalton, David (Leap 2004). "Celebrating 100 Years: William Primrose's Life and Career" (PDF). Journal of the American Viola Society. 20 (1): thirteen–17. Retrieved eight Oct 2006.
4. ^ ^{a b} Walker, Michael (Fall 2003). "Resonating Beauty". BYU Magazine. Brigham Immature University.
5. ^ ^{a b c} Kenneson, Claude (1998). Musical Prodigies. Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press. pp. 262–268. ISBN9781574670462.
6. ^ ^{a b c} "William Primrose: Neat Viola Performer Donates Drove to "Y"". The Daily Herald. Provo, Utah. 20 February 1977. Retrieved xv April 2016.
7. ^ King, Terry (10 Jan 2014). Gregor Piatigorsky: The Life and Career of the Virtuoso Cellist. ISBN9780786456260.
8. ^ Stevenson, Joseph. "Benjamin Britten: Lachrymae, reflections on a song of Dowland, for viola & pianoforte, Op. 48". All Music.
9. ^ Hewett, Ivan (23 November 2011). "Richard Tognetti: the meridian dogs from Downwards Nether". The Telegraph . Retrieved 15 April 2016.
10. ^ King, Betty Nygaard; Maud, McLean. "Albert Pratz". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Retrieved xv Apr 2016.
11. ^ "Alan De Veritch: The Musician". The Life and Times of Alan de Veritch. 10 August 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
12. ^ Fusilli, Jim (20 May 2014). "David Campbell - Wall Street Journal". Wall Street Journal . Retrieved two June 2016.
13. ^ "Alan Iglitzin". Olympic Music Festival. The Olympic Music Festival. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
14. ^ "History". The American Viola Society. The American Viola Social club. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
15. ^ ^{a b c d} Bigelow, Claudine (2004). "No Time for Snobbery". Strad. 115 (1372): 792–797. Retrieved xviii April 2016.
16. ^ "William Primrose: All possessor's instruments". Cozio.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2003. Retrieved 3 March 2012. {{cite spider web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
17. ^ ^{a b} "The 'Primrose, Lord Harrington' Guarneri viola". Tarisio . Retrieved xvi Feb 2022.
18. ^ "The 'Josefowitz' Guarneri viola, c. 1690". Tarisio . Retrieved 16 February 2022.
19. ^ ^{a b} Bein, Robert (1983). The "Primrose": Andrea Guarneri Cremona, 1697. Chicago, Illinois: Bein & Fushi, Inc.
20. ^ "'Primrose' Guarneri viola of 1697". Tarisio . Retrieved sixteen February 2022.

External links [edit]

• Article on Primrose from BYU Magazine
• Primrose Annal at Brigham Young University
• AVS.htm William Primrose's Discography

lopezwhin1994.blogspot.com

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Primrose

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