Eastman School of Music - Score Yearbook (Rochester, NY)

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ON LEARNING A NEW PIECE I don't think I've ever played a violin sonata with more notes than the Verne Reynolds Violin Sonata - an average of sixteen notes per second, the average in- terval between notes a seventh, and sometimes a ninth - which accounts for a very calisthenic summer of 1971 during which I learned the piece. When you learn a new work and come across a very difficult spot, the first tendency is to try to cut corners and find a simpler way to do it - or even perhaps to complain to the composer. My experi- ence has taught me that with enough -g-ul ! practice and study in depth, almost with- out exception, the Composer is right. To interpret music is a grave responsi- bility and one in which professional mu- sicians are sometimes found wanting. They learn the notes and are satisfied with a more or less perfunctory rendi- tion. I-Iowever agonizing and excruciat- ing, it is far better to try to look for the inner spirit of the work, for there is nothing more satisfying than the mo- ment when you feel the music begin to come to lifeg when things that seemed unintelligible suddenly become urgent - even inevitable, when things that were CU Yerne Reynolds, Barry Snyder, Zvi Zeitlin 1i - ii-11 if Q commonplace are charged with meaning. It has to do with that which is some- times the most elusive in learning a new piece: the whole structure - like being able to see a rainbow from end to end. Qtherwise it is like the seven blind men with the elephant, each one visualizing just part of the body, as the elephant. The Sonata by Reynolds is a very suc- cessful work in that he manages through a much maligned idiom, namely dodeca- phony, to convey a very direct musical message. The form is quite traditional. In the first movement there are two contrasting subjects, Iboisterous and lyricalj. The second movement, a very lyrical and moody one, is entitled Malin- conia. The last movement, perhaps a lit- tle more difficult to follow on a first hearing, is a set of variations on a theme. Reynolds avoids the use of external ef- fects such as are used by avant-garde composers: he doesn't bang the wood of the instrument, he doesn't use Bartokian pizzicatos, not that. I have anything against Bartokian pizzicatos. I-Ie uses the most lyrical aspects of the instrument and treats the instrument very traditionally. Reynolds, on the other hand, goes back to the early classical style, and de- spite using the same material for both violin and piano, the work sounds quite idiomatic and not at all arbitrary. Barry Snyder and I came to a very sympathetic mutual feeling about the piece and were really able to enjoy play- ing it. This is another characteristic of the work, the more we got to know it, the greater our involvement and excite- ment in playing it. zvl ZEITLIN

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' -A-.4 :K--.. , s :itil .X t Q? 'V a 4 ,r fegysul ,ug A -ft- S YI . I inf :li . .jsthat it would fall K apart. We're in good hands. Mr. Wallis keeps telling us Christmas vacation is here and so far the year has established an un- rfspleasant-pattern. We have lost some of our finest. It seems that this anni- versary is denuding the school of all it's tradition, and sending it into a new erawithout anything to replace the older ideas. A reat void is ...formingg I ayty I g sCould.we writeof all the problems of the 50th Anniversary as just a bad year? It is frightening to think that this school can put on concerts as bad as we have this year with such amazing consistency. Of course lefg not convince ourselves thattit has all been bad Back in October the'Mu prografn with works by Kay and Schwantner came off very well. In fact, whenever the faculty were responsible for a performance things were under. control. . it thenjthat is wrong with this year? Why are we so down on it? Is it the schoolthat ,isn't coming through or its students? Une can hardly think of all the things said to be wrong with the year, and the school., Well, the students must be at fault, because no administration begresponsible for halfgthe thingsgoing on for not going onl around this place. After all, the River Campus people have had eight years to s assess the organization of this place. It must be going well. Surely they would never allow the seth Anniversary Festival to take place knowing that. rWe're the jewel in the crown of the university ll! When was the last time they bought a can of polish? Then there was Juan Orrego-Salas. Before he came to town people all fover pthieaischool were asking, Who is Juan Orrego-Salas? Salas then fcameto town, met with some of the world's greatest music critics, talked to students and faculty, and had his piece rehearsed and performed. Af- ter he left town, people were then saying to each other, Who is juan fifflrregoefvalas ? A The first symposium was a great success. Let's not discuss all the things the critics said about Eastman while they were here. A few things will suffice Harold Schonber came to the reception after the December 25 AMWM iid Game no Del'ii0l nl' J: CeOfZe 1 .J vw Lmfm :J Obes wf',t9 PI, , Rglfllll Ad Rell , JKKQMN' , :wht ,WUQM Md O M11 concert, grabbed a drink, and said, I'd better pour this down fast and get out of here before I meet a composer - or a conductor! I-le did stay, however, and had a very enjoyable talk with some students. Alan Rach was asked his opinion of the concert and he stated that he knewbetter than toffgo to such things, so he started on the reception at 8:15. After the worst musical fiasco in recent history, Dr. Shetler goes up to Martin Ber- heimer of the Los Angeles Times and sayS, That I5 fl? Eastmafl Soundllf' Oh, I see. said Berheimer. Dr. Shetler is a man o many ta llents. I i The critics generally agreed that the It must have been the weather. h h f Another problem for one should properly SGYS 21 Problem, was t e C O' ral situation. Remember jonathan Sternberg? whole affair was less than perfect. 45

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Q Qi 1 ith meaning, rich is some. arning a new - like being 1 end to end. en blind men .e visualizing elephant. is a very suc- ages through mely dodeca- .irect musical lraditional. ln re are two sterous and nent, a very ititled Malin- oerhaps a lit- w on a first 5 on a theme. E external ef- avant-garde 5 the wood of rse Bartokian Ve anything a. He uses the 9 instrument ment very hand, sees Wie' and de- .fial for soUf1d5 q uite ary. I to 3 Very bout the Ile ig 3 'oy Play' O em tic of g to k .t 3 nd excite' WI ZEITLIN The first movement is traditional as to form in that two contrasting thematic elements are introduced, developed, and returned. As the movement title, 'Dia- logue', suggests, there is a constant in- terchange between the two instruments. The 'Malinconia' is meant to provide a complete contrast to the boisterous qual- ity of the first movement. lt is slow mov- ing throughout except for a few mea- sures which offer some relief to the mel- ancholy. The tive 'Variations' of the last movement grow out of the interval ot the seventh and its inversion into seconds and ninths. All but the tourth variation are fast. There is no attempt to write effects. l am more interested in such things as singing qualities, colors, techniques, and rhythmic-percussive interplay. Verne Reynolds