Knowra Lionel Tertis Lionel Tertis Lionel Tertis (1876–1975) was an English violist and teacher who helped establish the viola as a major solo concert instrument through performance, advocacy, and instrument development.
Viola : The bowed string instrument tuned an octave below the violin and played between violin and cello in orchestras. Tertis’s performances made this instrument a prominent solo voice.
Tertis model viola : A viola design associated with Lionel Tertis, developed to provide a broad, powerful tone without an exceptionally large body. Tertis promoted this design to strengthen the instrument’s sound while keeping it playable.
John White (violist) : English violist, composer, and writer who studied with Lionel Tertis. White carried Tertis’s performance tradition into teaching and viola scholarship.
Viola Concerto (Walton) : A concerto for viola and orchestra composed by William Walton and first performed in 1929. Tertis’s refusal of the original dedication forms part of the work’s early history.
Viola repertoire : Music written or arranged for the viola as a solo, chamber, or orchestral instrument. Tertis commissioned and championed works that enlarged the solo repertoire.
Viola technique : The physical methods used to produce sound and play music on the viola. Tertis’s bowing and expressive approach shaped modern viola performance practice.
William Primrose : Scottish violist celebrated as one of the leading viola soloists of the twentieth century. Primrose succeeded Tertis as a major public advocate for the viola.
Viola Sonata (Dale) : A large-scale sonata for viola and piano by Benjamin Dale, composed in the early twentieth century. Tertis’s performances helped establish this demanding sonata as a major viola work.
William Walton : English composer whose works include the Viola Concerto, first performed in 1929. Tertis initially declined Walton’s concerto, prompting its dedication to him to be withdrawn.
Bow stroke : A controlled movement of a bow across a string that produces and shapes a note. Tertis cultivated a distinctive, singing tone through his bow use.
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