Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of illustrations
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 The Tertis Family
- 2 Early Career
- 3 The Great War
- 4 The Chamber Music Players
- 5 American Tours
- 6 Return to the Royal Academy of Music
- 7 The Elgar and Walton Concertos
- 8 The BBC Orchestra, Delius, Bax and Vaughan Williams
- 9 A Shock Retirement
- 10 The Richardson–Tertis Viola
- 11 The Second World War
- 12 Promoting the Tertis Model Viola
- 13 Return to America and Eightieth Birthday Celebrations
- 14 Second Marriage and Last Appearance
- 15 TV Profile and Ninetieth Birthday
- 16 Final Years
- Notes
- Appendix 1 Tertis’s Violas
- Appendix 2 The Tertis Model Viola
- Appendix 3 Tertis’s Writings and Talks
- Appendix 4 Tertis’s BBC Appearances
- Appendix 5 Tertis’s Honours
- Appendix 6 Music with Tertis Connections
- Appendix 7 The Tertis Bequest
- Appendix 8 The Tertis Legacy
- Discography
- Bibliography
- Index
Appendix 8 - The Tertis Legacy
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 March 2023
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of illustrations
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 The Tertis Family
- 2 Early Career
- 3 The Great War
- 4 The Chamber Music Players
- 5 American Tours
- 6 Return to the Royal Academy of Music
- 7 The Elgar and Walton Concertos
- 8 The BBC Orchestra, Delius, Bax and Vaughan Williams
- 9 A Shock Retirement
- 10 The Richardson–Tertis Viola
- 11 The Second World War
- 12 Promoting the Tertis Model Viola
- 13 Return to America and Eightieth Birthday Celebrations
- 14 Second Marriage and Last Appearance
- 15 TV Profile and Ninetieth Birthday
- 16 Final Years
- Notes
- Appendix 1 Tertis’s Violas
- Appendix 2 The Tertis Model Viola
- Appendix 3 Tertis’s Writings and Talks
- Appendix 4 Tertis’s BBC Appearances
- Appendix 5 Tertis’s Honours
- Appendix 6 Music with Tertis Connections
- Appendix 7 The Tertis Bequest
- Appendix 8 The Tertis Legacy
- Discography
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Whenever I listen to Tertis's playing, I am always struck by the volcanic force of his musical personality. That magnificent and heroic tone, that sometimes uncompromising approach to tempo, those daredevil fingerings … these are qualities which keep me absolutely riveted no matter how many times I listen to his recordings. He must have been a man of tremendous passion and conviction, and I would dearly love to have met him. Fortunately he has left us a great musical legacy, and as with other giants of the past, I can only imagine the communicative power of a live Tertis performance. Alongside his artistry, Tertis's tireless campaign on behalf of his beloved instrument is in itself a great inspiration, generating as it did an enduring energy throughout his own long life, and providing a model of commitment and integrity to the rest of us.
— Martin OutramThe Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and Workshop
Patron: Mrs Lillian Tertis • Administrator: John Bethell MBE
In 1977 a small group of friends met to discuss how best to honour the memory of Lionel Tertis. It was very quickly agreed that they should form a committee to establish an international viola competition. Initially the Royal Philharmonic Society agreed to administer it, and many distinguished musicians and prominent figures in the arts became patrons.
It was not possible to organize a competition in London at that time but one member of the committee, Ruth, Lady Fermoy, proposed that they should invite to their next meeting John Bethell, who had recently administered the International Double Bass Competition on the Isle of Man. The idea appealed to him, and the first Lionel Tertis International Competition and workshop was held in Port Erin in 1980.
The Competition owes a great debt of gratitude to John Bethell and his splendid team of voluntary helpers in the Arts Centre. In Lillian Tertis's words, ‘No thanks can ever be adequate for all they have done for the instrument, for viola players, and for the wonderful tribute to the memory of my husband.’
The original Executive Committee that planned the inaugural competition consisted of John Bethell (Chairman), Myers Foggin, Bernard Shore, Harry Danks, Ruth, Lady Fermoy, Mrs Lillian Tertis and John White. Members of the present Executive Committee (2006) are John Bethell (Chairman), Sarah-Jane Bradley, Martin Outram, Tully Potter, Mrs Lillian Tertis and John White.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Lionel TertisThe First Great Virtuoso of the Viola, pp. 362 - 367Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2006