Description

WILLIAM PRIMROSE (GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, 23 AUGUST, 1904 – PROVO, UTAH, USA, 1 MAY 1982)

He was born in Glasgow, Scotland to John Primrose and Margaret-McInnis Whiteside Primrose. He was the oldest of their three children. His father, John Primrose, taught violin and was part of the Scottish Orchestra. His father bought Primrose his first violin in 1908, when Primrose was only 4 years old. That same year, his father arranged violin lessons with Camillo Ritter, who had studied with Joseph Joachim and Otakar Ševčík. Primrose performed his first public concert on the violin in 1916, at the age of 12, playing Mendelssohn violin concerto. During his childhood, Primrose also enjoyed reading and playing chess in addition to studying music and performing. In 1919, Primrose’s family moved to London, and he began to study violin at the Guildhall School of Music in London on scholarship, where he would later be named Fellow. Primrose graduated in 1924, having received its highest honor, a gold medal, although he admitted that he skipped some of his classes because the violin did not interest him. On the urging of the accompanist Ivor Newton, Primrose moved to Belgium to study under Eugène Ysaÿe from 1926 to 1929. Ysaÿe heard Primrose play an Amati viola that his father had forbidden him to play, and suggested that Primrose pursue the viola instead of the violin. Primrose became a professional violinist in 1924. He moved from violin to viola in 1930 when he became the violist of the London String Quartet. After the disbandment of the London String Quartet, Primrose took a variety of jobs; he performed in Berlin, at La Scala in Milan, and a number of concerts in England. In 1937, NBC established their symphony orchestra under Arturo Toscanini. Primrose was a violist for the orchestra, but he was never their principal violist. In 1939, NBC suggested that Primrose form his own group, and the Primrose Quartet was formed. He played with the orchestra for four years until it was rumored that Toscanini would leave the Symphony in 1941. Primrose made his debut as a violin soloist in 1923; however his soloist career playing the viola didn’t take off until 1941 when he started touring with Richard Crooks. Primrose doubled his concert performances, playing in 64 concerts in 1943–1944. In 1944, he was the soloist in the first studio recording of Berlioz’s Harold in Italy. That same year, he commissioned a viola concerto from Béla Bartók. Primrose was known for his tremendous technique. When he performed Paganini’s violin caprices on viola, Mischa Elman is said to have exclaimed, “It must be easier on viola!”. Primrose was also a teacher during his violist career. He taught in many countries across the world, including the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He taught at the University of Southern California from 1961 to 1965 with Jascha Heifetz. After teaching at USC, he moved to the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where remained from 1965 to 1972. In 1971, Primrose went to the Tokyo University of the Arts and the Toho Gakuen School of Music. He occasionally taught at Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music and the Sydney Conservatory, In Australia, Richard Tognetti was one of his students. Primrose was a guest lecturer at Brigham Young University from 1979 to 1982. Primrose had developed a hearing problem in 1946 which affected his ability to hear certain notes. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 in recognition of his musical contributions. He was later diagnosed with cancer in 1977. William Primrose died from cancer in Provo, Utah on 1 May 1982. The Primrose International Viola Competition, created in 1979 in honor of William Primrose, was the first international music competition for viola players.

TRACKLIST

1. Caprice No. 17 (Paganini) with Harry Isaacs, piano HMV DB1585 CA 15241
2. None by the lonely heart (Tchaikovsky) Columbia DX665 CAX 7177 1934-06-02
3. La Campanella (Paganini-Primrose) with Harry Isaacs, piano Columbia LX 607
4. Allegretto in the Style of Boccherini (Kreisler) Victor 10-1098-A
5. Sarasateana (Zimbalist) Tango Part 1 Victor 10-1441-A
6. Sarasateana (Zimbalist) Polo Part 2 Victor 10-1441-B
7. Sarasateana (Suite of Spanish Dances) 3. Malaguena Victor 10-1442-A
8. Sarasateana (Suite of Spanish Dances) 4. Zapateado Victor 10-1442-B
9. Solfeggietto (K. P. E. Bach); Tambourin (Rameau-Kreisler) Victor 10-1098-B
10. Komm süsser Tod (Bach-Tertis) with Vernon de Tar, organ Victor 11-9117 49-0293
11. Caprice No. 5 & 13 (Paganini) Columbia DX 665 7323M
12. Suite for Viola and Piano (Bloch) Lento-Allegro-Moderato with Fritz Kitzinger, piano Victor M 575
13. Suite for Viola and Piano (Bloch) Allegro Ironico (Scherzo) with Fritz Kitzinger, piano Victor M 575
14. Suite for Viola and Piano (Bloch) Lento with Fritz Kitzinger, piano Victor M 575
15. Suite for Viola and Piano (Bloch) Molto Vivo with Fritz Kitzinger, piano Victor M 575
16. Passacaglila (Handel-Halvorsen) with Jascha Heifetz, violin Victor 11-8151
17. Ave Maria (Schubert) Columbia CAX 7666
18. Nocturne in Eb Op. 9 No. 2 (Chopin-Sarasate) Columbia WAX 2816 7742
19. Gavotte, from Partita in E major (Bach-Kreisler) Columbia WAX 2817
20. Tempo di Minuetto (Pugnani-Kreisler) with Gerald Moore, piano Decca F 1597