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Viola Repertoire Composed by Mark Frank and Its Teaching Method

Author(s)

Zhaoyin Wang

Affiliation(s)

Xi'an Foreign Affairs College, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China

Abstract

Contemporary viola performance is in its heyday of development. Viola has a large number of solo and chamber ensemble works, as evidenced by the superb skills of the performance school represented by Lionel Tertis, William Primrose, Vadim Borisovsky, Yuri Bashmet and many other outstanding violists. But a century or so ago, things were almost entirely different. At that time, the viola, like the double bass, was eclipsed by the brilliance of the violin and cello, and it was difficult to forge its own path. It was not until after World War II that the viola began to gradually appear on the world stage as a solo instrument. The main reason for this process is that the viola-specific repertoire began to be composed. Of course, the production of a large number of repertoire also contributed to the production of systematic viola teaching method. Austrian composer and viola player Mark Frank (1881-1961) played an important role in this process. The innovation of this study is to supplement the data of this almost forgotten musician as much as possible in the existing musicological research and reproduce his life. This paper aims to give a brief introduction to the composer's stage music, symphony, chamber instrumental music and vocal music, and to analyze the teaching methods of viola in his works.

Keywords

Mark Frank; Viola; Composition Legacy; Textbook

References

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