Lionel Tertis (29 December 1876 – 22 February 1975) was an English violist and one of the first viola players to find international fame. December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 2 days remaining. ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... February 22 is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the Queen (King) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate... The viola (in French, alto; in German Bratsche) is a string instrument played with a bow. ...

Tertis was born in West Hartlepool, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants,^[1] and initially studied the violin in Leipzig and at the Royal Academy of Music in London. There he was encouraged by Alexander Mackenzie, the Principal, to take up the viola instead. Under the additional influence of Oskar Nedbal, he did so and rapidly became one of the best known violists of his time, touring Europe and the USA as a soloist. Composers such as Arnold Bax, Frank Bridge and William Walton wrote pieces specially for him. West Hartlepool refers to the western part of the modern borough of Hartlepool in north-east England. ... The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. ...   [] (Sorbian/Lusatian: Lipsk) is the largest city in the federal state of Saxony in Germany with a population of over 504,000. ... The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) is a constituent college of the University of London, and is one of the leading music institutions in the world. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Sir Alexander Campell Mackenzie was a British composer, son of an eminent Edinburgh violinist and conductor, was born on the 22nd of August 1847. ... Oskar Nedbal, 1901, portrait by Å echtl and Voseček studios Oskar Nedbal (March 26, 1874 – December 24, 1930) was a Czech composer and conductor of classical music. ... Sir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax, KCVO (November 8, 1883 — October 3, 1953), was an English composer and poet. ... Frank Bridge (February 26, 1879 – January 10, 1941) was an English composer. ... Sir William Turner Walton, OM (March 29, 1902–March 8, 1983) was a British composer whose style was influenced by the works of Stravinsky, Sibelius and jazz. ...

In 1906, Tertis was temporarily in the famous Bohemian Quartet to replace the violist/composer Oskar Nedbal. 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Bohemian Quartet (known as the Czech Quartet after 1918) were an Czech string quartet that was founded in 1891. ... Oskar Nedbal, 1901, portrait by Šechtl and Voseček studios Oskar Nedbal (March 26, 1874 – December 24, 1930) was a Czech composer and conductor of classical music. ...

He also owned a 1717 Montagnana from 1920 to 1937^[2] which he took a chance on acquiring. According to his memoirs, it was "shown to me in an unplayable condition, without bridge, strings or fingerboard.... No case was available -- it was such a large instrument 17? inches -- so my wife came to the rescue by wrapping it in her waterproof coat, and that is how it was taken across the English Channel." Tertis preferred a particularly large viola in order to get an especially rich tone from his instrument. Troubled by the awkwardness of an 18 inch viola, he created his own Tertis model, which provides many of the tonal advantages of the larger instrument in a manageable 16-3/4 inch size. He also arranged several pieces not originally for the viola for his instrument, such as Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto. Domenico Montagnana (1686-1750) was an Italian Master luthier based in Venice, Italy. ... In music, an arrangement refers either to a rewriting of a piece of existing music with additional new material or to a fleshing-out of a compositional sketch, such as a lead sheet. ... Sir Edward Elgar Sir Edward Elgar, 1st Baronet, OM, GCVO (2 June 1857 â€“ 23 February 1934) was an English Romantic composer. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Along with William Murdoch (piano), Albert Sammons, and Lauri Kennedy, Tertis formed the Chamber Music Players.^[3] William David Murdoch (10 February 1888 – 9 September 1942), always known as William Murdoch, was an Australian musician. ... Albert Edward Sammons (23 February 1886 – 24 August 1957) was an English violinist. ...

Tertis was the author of a number of publications about string playing, the viola in particular, and his own life. They include Cinderella No More and My Viola and I.

Lionel Tertis died in Wimbledon, London. Wimbledon (pronounced ) is a suburb of London, part of the London Borough of Merton and located seven miles (11. ...

References

1. ^ Concise Dictionary of National Biography
2. ^ ID: 3487, Type: viola. Cozio. Retrieved on 2006-08-22.
3. ^ Murdoch, William David (1888 - 1942). adbonline. Retrieved on 2007-01-24.

The Dictionary of National Biography (or DNB) is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... August 22 is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Other reading

• John White, Lionel Tertis: The First Great Virtuoso of the Viola (Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2006)
• Tully Potter, "Chase Fulfilled", The Strad, August 1988.