Lionel Tertis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lionel Tertis
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Born | 29 December 1876 West Hartlepool,  United Kingdom |
| Died | 22 February 1975 (aged 98) Wimbledon, London |
| Occupation(s) | violist |
| Instruments | Viola |
| Years active | 1900-1975 |
Lionel Tertis (born December 29, 1876 – died February 22, 1975) was a famous English violist. He was one of the very first viola players to become known all over the world. He was also a respected teacher who helped many students.
Contents
Becoming a Viola Star
Lionel Tertis was born in West Hartlepool, England. His parents had moved there from Poland. He first started learning the violin in Leipzig, Germany, and then at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London.
At the RAM, the principal, Alexander Mackenzie, suggested he try playing the viola instead. Another musician, Oskar Nedbal, also encouraged him. Tertis decided to switch to the viola. He quickly became one of the most famous violists of his time. He traveled all over Europe and the United States, performing as a solo artist.
Teaching and Inspiring Composers
From 1900, Tertis was a professor of viola at the Royal Academy of Music. He encouraged other musicians and his students to write new music for the viola. This helped to create many new pieces for the instrument.
In 1906, Tertis briefly joined the famous Bohemian Quartet. Later, he became the violist in the Gerald Walenn Quartet.
Many famous composers wrote music especially for him. These included Arnold Bax, Frank Bridge, Gustav Holst, Benjamin Dale, York Bowen, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Arthur Bliss, and William Walton. William Walton wrote his famous Viola Concerto for Tertis. However, Tertis found it hard to understand at first, so he didn't perform its first show. That honor went to Paul Hindemith. Tertis did perform the concerto later and played it many times.
His Special Viola and Retirement
From 1920 to 1937, Tertis owned a special viola made by Domenico Montagnana in 1717. He found it during a concert tour in Paris. It was in bad shape, without strings or a fingerboard. He bought it anyway because it was a large instrument, 17 1/8 inches, which he liked for its rich sound.
Because some people found such a large viola difficult to play, Tertis created his own "Tertis model" viola. This model was a bit smaller (16 3/4 inches) but still produced a beautiful, rich sound. In 1937, he sold his Montagnana viola to his student, Bernard Shore.
Tertis also played in a group called the Chamber Music Players with William Murdoch (piano), Albert Sammons, and Lauri Kennedy. He also helped Sidney Griller start the Griller Quartet in 1928.
In 1937, when he was at the peak of his career, Tertis announced he was retiring from performing concerts. He wanted to focus on teaching instead. He only performed as a soloist one more time in 1949. This special concert at the RAM helped raise money for a fund to encourage new viola music.
In 1950, he was given the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his contributions.
Tertis also wrote some of his own music and arranged many pieces for the viola that were originally for other instruments. For example, he arranged Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto for viola. He also wrote books about playing string instruments, especially the viola, and about his own life. These books include Cinderella No More and My Viola and I.
Lionel Tertis passed away on February 22, 1975, in Wimbledon, London. He was 98 years old.
His Lasting Impact
To honor Lionel Tertis, the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition was started in 1980. This competition helps new viola players show their talent.
In 2007, Roger Chase and pianist Michiko Otaki started "The Tertis Project." This was a series of concerts that featured music written for Tertis. They also released a CD called The Tertis Tradition in 2009.
In 2015, English Heritage placed a special blue plaque on his home in Wimbledon, London. These plaques mark places where famous people lived.
Many talented English violists were students of Lionel Tertis. Some of them include Rebecca Clarke, Eric Coates, Harry Danks, Watson Forbes, Raymond Jeremy, Frederick Riddle, and Bernard Shore.
His Compositions
Original Music
- Elizabethan Melody for viola and cello
- 15th Century Folk Song: 1452-Anonymous for viola, cello and piano
- Hier au soir for viola and piano
- Rêverie for viola and piano
- Sunset (Coucher du soleil) for viola (or violin or cello) and piano
- Three Sketches for viola and piano
-
- Serenade; later called A Tune
- The Blackbirds (1952)
- The River
- A Tune for viola and piano (published 1954); a new version of Serenade
- Variations on a Passacaglia of Handel for 2 violas (1935); based on a piece by Johan Halvorsen
- Variations on a Four Bar Theme of Handel for viola and cello
Arrangements for Viola
Lionel Tertis also arranged many pieces of music for the viola that were originally written for other instruments. These included works by famous composers like Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Frederick Delius, Edward Elgar, Gabriel Fauré, George Frideric Handel, John Ireland, Franz Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Recordings
Lionel Tertis made several recordings, both playing with groups and as a solo artist.
- With Albert Sammons: Robert Fuchs: Duet; Handel (arranged by Halvorsen): Passacaglia
- With Harriet Cohen (piano): Brahms: Sonata in F minor, Op.120/1
- With G. Reeves (piano): Delius (arranged by Tertis): (Violin) sonata 2 (1915) / Hassan - Serenade
- As a soloist: Sonatas by Brahms, Handel, Delius, and music by Bach, Mendelssohn. These were recorded between 1920 and 1933.
His Books
- My Viola and I (published in London, 1991)
- Cinderella No More (published in London, 1953)
More to Read
- John White, Lionel Tertis: The First Great Virtuoso of the Viola (Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2006)
- Tully Potter, "Chase Fulfilled", The Strad, August 1988.
See also
In Spanish: Lionel Tertis para niños
