The Viola Column v11 n2
THE RISE AND RISE OF THE SUZUKI VIOLA.
The Suzuki Viola School was given its first airing in Cork at the European Suzuki Workshop in 1985.
Edith Cede (Suzuki Teacher in Denmark) gave an informative lecture and demonstration. The seed had been sown; an awareness created. In Berlin at the International Suzuki Conference in 1987, a sapling with many flourishing branches became apparent. Watering holes had been established all over the world.
The Bishop of the Suzuki Viola School is the eminent Violist William Preucil (University of Iowa), who, together with his wife Doris (long standing Suzuki Violin Teacher) have developed and continue to develop the Suzuki Viola School. There are now 5 volumes of this amazing school, ranging in repertoire from material in Vols. 1, 2 and 3 of Suzuki Violin, and Vols. 6, 7 and 8 will follow shortly.
Preucil whom I met for the first time in Berlin has a marvellous sense of humour which the students adore. His classes are utterly enthralling. Preucil advocates a few slight variations on the Suzuki technique to suit the Viola. The elbow is not as low; there is still, however, the sensation of weight on the underside of the elbow giving power to the sound. He also prefers a more active first finger on the bow to add the extra pressure needed especially on the Viola. Holding the Viola well up on the left shoulder is advisable to keep the chest open and free to manoeuvre and to reflect the sound.
Tone, Preucil points out, has always been the discussion point of Violinists. How to make a better sound, how to make a bigger sound, how to make a richer sound. Now with the leadership of Dr Suzuki, Violinists have veered away from faster, faster, faster, higher, higher, higher to beautiful tone. We as Viola players can fit in nicely to this mould.
The Suzuki Viola School is young and growing and will shortly become rampant! I am delighted to be part of the “Violas rule OK” movement.
Sabine Goor
Sabine Goor is a Suzuki Viola/Violin teacher who lives in Dublin, Ireland. She has been studying Suzuki Pedagogy with Phillipa Issac in Cork for the last 4 years under the auspices of the European Suzuki Association. She will be travelling to Matsumoto this July for the International Suzuki Conference.