Salt Lake City Instrument-Acoustics Workshop

Salt Lake City Instrument-Acoustics Workshop
The Violin Making School of America and the University of Utah School of
Music’s Chamber Music Program create a forum for discussion about string
instruments and sound
By Hasse Borup
Photos by Amy Leung and Lori Carter
Introduction
The second Instrument-Acoustics Workshop took place in the Salt Lake City Recital Hall
on April 14, 2006. The Workshop featured students from University of Utah School of
Music’s Chamber Music Program playing on instruments by students of the Violin
Making School of America. The main idea for the Workshop was for students at both
schools to have a constructive dialogue about instruments, sound and performance.
I got the idea for the workshop several years ago as a member of the Coolidge String
Quartet. Like most other young, professional musicians, I would constantly try out
instruments. I would bring the ones I liked to quartet rehearsal, most of the time only to
find out that the instrument did not work with the rest of the group. I eventually ended up
getting a beautiful violin by Samuel Zygmuntowicz (by recommendation of our mentors,
The Emerson String Quartet). However, through the process of trying violins, I learned a
lot about what to look for in an instrument—old or new.
A few other experiences helped inspire the concept of the workshop. The Coolidge
Quartet was from 1998-2002 fellowship quartet with The Guarneri String Quartet at The
University of Maryland. At some point violist Michael Tree asked us a favor: Hiroshi
Iizuka, the maker of one of Mr. Tree’s violas, had just completed a quartet of
instruments, commissioned by a donor as a gift to the Curtis Institute of Music. Mr. Tree
asked if we would come to Philadelphia and play the instruments before they were
handed over to the school. So, on our way to a concert in Boston, we made a stop in
Pennsylvania and played Mr. Iizuka’s instruments at a private mini-concert. The
collected sound of the instruments was just wonderful. To my great surprise, Mr. Iizuka
claimed to never before having heard four instruments of his played simultaneously. We
were thrilled—and so was he.
Later, the quartet performed a concert on the instruments in the collection at the National
Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. The
performance was part of the Violin Society of America’s annual symposium. We played
an early Haydn quartet on the set of Stainer instruments, a Mozart quartet on the set of
Amati instruments and a Beethoven quartet on the decorated set of Stradivarius
instruments. While it was an amazing experience—for us as players—I am not sure how
it really sounded (with minimal preparation on each set of instruments). But according to
many of the dealers and makers in the audience, it was a unique exhibit of the tonal
qualities of each featured maker, which would not have evident had they not been played
together. It goes without saying that the monetary value of the instruments involved was
staggering!
Through all these experiences, and by talking to performer and makers, I realized that we
often approach the issue of instruments and sound with a certain amount of prejudice:
performers many times chose instruments with their “eyes” rather than “ears,” and
makers can be so obsessed with technical details that the overall product suffers. I
thought, wouldn’t it be great to create a situation where both performers and makers
could listen, discuss and share knowledge about sound to mutual benefit?
When I was appointed to the faculty of University of Utah School of Music in 2005, I
was thrilled—for many reasons. One reason was that the Violin Making School of
America (VMSA) is located in Salt Lake City. So, at the top of my “to do”-list was to
call VMSA founder, Mr. Peter Prier. A brilliant mind and true visionary, Mr. Prier
founded VMSA in 1972 and created one of the premiere places in the world to study the
art of violin making. This school has seen the graduation of many of today’s successful
makers, such as Samuel Zygmuntowicz. With an increasing number of top-performers
choosing to play high quality, modern instruments rather than older ones (such as
members of The Emerson Quartet, The Alban Berg Quartet, The Orion Quartet and
Christian Tetzlaff, to name a few) acquiring one, is now a clear trend.
When I mentioned the idea of a combined workshop to Mr. Prier, he was immediately
supportive and helpful. We quickly realized that Salt Lake City was one of the few
places in the world where this concept would be feasible: within a few kilometers we had
a high-level School of Music and a Violin Making
School. It was time to make a workshop.
Basic Parameters for Discussing Sound
Since, at some level, we would be comparing the
sound of different instruments, it was important not
just to use words such as “better” or “worse,” but
rather talk about the sound in quantifiable terms.
Using words such as “dark, full, shrill,” etc. would
give us a better premise for a learning environment.
Luckily, Mr. Prier had previously developed a tonechart for his students to describe sound, in order to
better discuss improvement and changes.
Hasse Borup and Peter Prier
Furthermore, at the beginning of the workshop, I asked players, makers and the audience
the following question: if you could chose only two characteristics in the sound of any
instrument, what would they be?
After some discussion, the consensus (among most) was “volume” and “clarity.” As
Guarneri String Quartet violinist Arnold Steinhardt once pointed out to me: “If the
audience can’t hear what you are playing, you may just as well pack up and go home. If
the instrument has the loudness and clarity, you—the player—provide the quality and
sweetness!”
With these parameters defined, we were ready to hear some instruments.
Violin Making School of America’s Tonechart
Switching Instruments
The first group to play, performed
the first movement of Schubert’s C
major Cello Quintet. They played
the exposition on their own
instruments, in order for us to hear
how they sounded in a relatively
comfortable “environment.” After
establishing this “reference-point”
we immediately switched instruments. Mr. Prier had chosen five high-end instruments
(from his shop) that would give us an idea of the sound you can get for about 4 million
dollars…. The group again played the same excerpt and we opened the discussion. First,
we heard the reaction from the players. All of them seem to be in agreement that the
sound was deep, well rounded and complex. Danae (violist) was not entirely happy with
the response from her instrument and Blake (cellist) thought his instrument sounded a bit
“thin” or lacking in bass. Violinists Brooke and Joann were thrilled with the depth and
ease of their instruments. From the audience, we heard similar reactions: a deep, golden,
balanced sound. Georg (maker) pointed out that, compared to the sound of their own
instruments, the sound of the high-end instruments had more complexity, more overtones
and was matched throughout the entire register.
Hasse Borup and Peter Prier switching instruments
It was time to switch instruments again. This time we replaced the multi-million dollar
“wonders” with instruments that had barely been finished. Some had been completed
only a week prior to the workshop. All instruments were by VMSA-students or faculty.
The group again played the Schubert-excerpt. After the play-through, we started with
immediate observations from the audience: many of the student-makers (and myself
included) were astonished by the sheer volume of the sound. All instruments could be
heard clearly and precisely with no trouble at all. Especially in the lower to middle
register, did the volume of the sound help the group project overall. The comments from
the players were equally interesting: within the group, the experience had obviously been
different than from the audience-side. Brooke (first violin) felt the sound of her violin
was not very deep and she couldn’t hear her colleagues very well. The other players
raised some of the same concerns. These comments led to a more general discussion
about the “fairness” of comparing week-old instruments to 300-year old instruments. Mr.
Prier pointed out that the Stradivarius, Montagnana and the Rocca had been played
continuously for centuries, thus gradually making the structure of the wood “conform” to
the basic sound of the instrument—the main “ingredient” for a complex, deep sound.
While that is true, and an obvious reason why old instruments trade for very high prices,
we had met our initial criteria: the sound of the brand new instruments had clarity and
volume! The players had to provide the quality.
In connection with this discovery, I mentioned a process that can help speed up this
acoustical “aging” of an instrument. By playing minor seconds, in chromatic succession,
in Fortissimo (very close to the bridge with slow bow), from low to high register, it is
possible to “open up” the sound and “deepen” the tone. To demonstrate, I played a G
major scale on one of the week-old violins. I then played it in the fashion described
above (illustrated below), “grinding” the sound and looking for maximum vibration in the
wood. While this exercise is absolutely horrific to listen to, the result was immediately
clear to the audience: when I again played the G major scale, the sound had already
“matured”!
“Sound-aging” exercise
Georg Meiwes had brought a “white” violin—a violin not yet varnished. I played it for
the audience, demonstrating that the basic qualities of the instrument are already
established before the varnish is applied. It was a beautiful, open and clean sound.
Hasse Borup with the “white” violin. Why do we need the varnish?
Bows—Are They Really as Important as The Instrument?
With the Bow Making School of America (BMSA) sharing roof with the Violin Making
School of America, it was a natural “segue” to devote the second half of the workshop to
the effect the bows have on the sound of a chamber group.
Second generation of the Prier family, Mr. Paul Stewart Prier explained what to look for
in a bow. As an “aggressive” player you should go for a softer bow, and as a “lyrical”
player you should go for a stiffer bow. In other words, balance out your natural
tendencies. He also explained how some bows “click” with an instrument: when a
particular bow extracts the best quality sound from an instrument. This phenomenon is
hard to predict (other than by playing) but is very evident when it happens. The wood (or
composite material) of the bow somehow perfectly matches the instrument. To illustrate
this fact, I played three of my bows in succession: a Wunderlich bow which produces a
medium loud sound; a (soft) Cuniot-Hury bow which produces a sweet, rounded sound;
and finally a (stiff) Victor Fetique. It was quite evident that the Fetique “clicked” with
the Zygmuntowicz: the sound came out with little effort and filled the room.
Paul S. Prier exchanging bows with Katie and Amanda
Switching Bows
For this part of the workshop, the Mount Olympus Honors String Quartet played the first
movement of Mozart’s string quartet K. 465, “Dissonance”: a piece that requires
exquisite articulation and sound, and is therefore an excellent “vehicle” to test the effects
of different bows.
Again, to create a reference point, the group started out by playing their own equipment.
Immediately following the play-through, Mr. Prier, Jr. handed the quartet a different set
of bows. This time, the change was “blind.” Only he knew what the bows were. After
the run-through it was time for discussion. What did we hear? We started with
comments from the performers. The members of the quartet all seemed to agree that they
heard each other clearly and with precise articulation. Katie and Amanda (violinists)
were especially excited about the way the bows made their instruments sound. The
violist and cellist also felt good about the change. The reaction from the audience was
quite excited: most of the makers and audience members agreed that the sound with the
second set of bows was full, complex and clear. The combined volume of the group was
markedly bigger than at the first run-through and all instruments were heard clearly. To
everyone’s astonishment, it seemed as the change of bows had a bigger effect on the
sound than when we switched the set of instruments! Who would have thought?
Mr. Prier, Jr. revealed the identity of the bows: the two violin bows were by Maire and
Peccatte (combined value of $ 100,000) and the viola and cello bows were composite
bows from the BMSA (combined value of $ 1,100)!
Lastly, the quartet played the Mozart-excerpt again, using all composite material bows.
After the run-through, the comments were unanimous: while it was not quite as
interesting a sound as the second run-through, the sound was big, clear and complex. The
articulation and response made the sound of the group very vibrant and exciting. It was
clear to both players and audience, that this type of bow can be a very affordable solution.
Final Thoughts
Talking about sound can be complicated, due to the subjective nature of the topic.
However, by setting up the basic parameters in the beginning of the workshop (what to
look for in an instrument/bow, etc.) we had been able to have a more factual discussion
about the topic. In the concluding discussion between performers and makers, it was
clear that the biggest “surprise” was the effect the change of bows had on the sound of
the quartet. Also, that the change from very expensive instruments to brand new (highquality) instruments did not diminish the volume of the group. The sound was maybe
less complex, but the basic principle had been met: the new instruments provided the
players with volume and clarity. The rest was up to the players…
With the “formal” part of the workshop completed, there was an “open” session where
student-makers and student-performers exchanged observations, tried instruments and
talked. It was a great occasion for all participants to have a dialogue about sound—so
important to all involved. The general feeling was, that the performers were excited to
have viable alternatives to very expensive, older equipment, and the makers had been
able to directly compare their work to the old master instruments. A valuable learning
experience, and a workshop-concept that in the future will be directly incorporated in the
syllabi at both the Violin Making School of America and University of Utah School of
Music.
Peter Prier explains about string instruments and sound
Checking out the instruments after the workshop
“Cello-rama”
Instruments Played at the Workshop
Violins:
Antonio Stradivarius, “ex Borwick,” 1702 ($ 2,500,000)
Lorenzo Storioni, 1791 ($ 425,000)
Domenico Montagnana, 1738 ($ 365,000)
Michael Larsen, 2005 ($ 6,000)
Georg Meiwes, 2006, white violin
San Hun Lee, 2006 ($ 4,800)
Charles Woolf, 2006 ($ 7,800)
Samuel Zygmuntowicz (Guarneri del Gesu copy), 1992 ($ 45,000)
Violas:
Matteo Albani, 1690 ($ 115,000)
Georg Meiwes, 2005 ($ 6,000)
Cellos:
Joseph Rocca, 1833 ($ 350,000)
Johannes Tononi, 1703 (685,000)
Chung Shu, 2006 ($ 9,000)
Charles Woolf (Montagnana copy), 2006 ($ 18,000)
Bows played at the Workshop
Violin bows:
N. Maire ($ 34,000)
F.N. Voirin ($ 24,000)
F. Pecatte ($ 65,000)
JonPaul “Bravo” Violin (composite) ($ 415)
F. Wunderlich ($ 1,000)
P. Cuniot-Hury ($ 5,500)
V. Fetique ($ 10,000)
Viola bows:
JonPaul “Legacy” (composite) ($ 415)
JonPaul “Bravo” (composite) ($ 670)
Cello bows:
JonPaul “Bravo” (composite) ($ 670)
JonPaul “Arpege” (composite) ($ 900)
Chamber Groups from University of Utah School of Music
Schubert Quintet:
Brooke Bennet, Joann Larsen, violins
Danae Wardell, viola
Melissa Crowther, Blake Lawlor, cellos
Mount Olympus Honors String Quartet:
Katie Waltman, Amanda Chamberlain, violins
Daniel Chapman, viola
Megan Matthew, cello
Violinist Hasse Borup has concertized throughout Europe and the United States,
including solo performances in Venice, Cremona, Paris, Charlottesville, and Copenhagen.
As a member of the prize-winning Coolidge Quartet, he has performed to critical acclaim
on radio and television in Asia, Australia, Europe, Central America, and the United
States. He has also performed in concert with the Guarneri and Emerson String Quartets.
Hasse Borup was recently appointed Assistant Professor in violin and chamber music at
the University of Utah School of Music in Salt Lake City. He received a Doctor of
Musical Arts degree from University of Maryland in addition to his degrees from the
Royal Danish Conservatory of Music and the Hartt School of Music.
More information:
University of Utah School of Music, www.music.utah.edu
Violin and Bow Making School of America, www.prierviolins.com