The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-03-11
Community Concert
Continued from PAGE One)

Community Concert
Continued from Page One)
Of 1851 he played during the open
ing week of the Festival of Bril-
tain, returned 10 the Adeburgh
Festival, and joined the group OF
distinguished artist-performers At
the Casals Festival in Perpignan
where he recorded four major
chamber works by Mozart for Co
iumbia.
PopViarixsd Viols
William Primrose is known as
the man who has popularized the
viola as q solo concert instrument.
His fame and position are aek-
novledged.
The magazine Newsweek says:
Critics, on the subject Of violists,
are in solid agreement: william
Primrose is the greatest" Time
Magazine halls him IS "the worlds
finest viola player" The New
York World!Telegram spoke OF
him as 1.-THE worlds foremost vio-
list"
1.-THE extraordinary Mr.. Prim.
rose" as critic DIN Downes of
the New York Times calls him
was born in Glasgow, Scotland.
The violin, not the viola, was his
first instrument and he was only
ten when he made 4 first public
appearance in the Mendelssohn
Violin Concerto.
EduestisN Set
At sixteen Landon Ronald heard
him and was % impressed that
he arranged for the Corporation
of the City Of London 10 finance
Primrose's education at the Guild
hall School OF Music, OF which
Ronald was then principal. In 1873
Primrose made his London debut,
playing with the Royal Albert
Hall Orchestra.
ALI this time, however, Prim.
rose nourished passion for the
viohin's bigger contralto sister
the viola. The beautiful mellow
tone of the instrument attracted
him HreSistibly and IN secret he
would try out his fathers wonder.
full Amati viola (the very one
Primrose has today which was
kept-suppo sedy-out OF reach.
Aptitude hstsd
II was Ysaye who finally brought
matters 10 4 head. The great vii
inist heard Primrose play the vic.
la, agreed that he had 4 special
aptitude for the instrument, and
encouraged him to follow his
hearts desire.
The words OF the master were
law IN the Primrose household and
the youth was allowed to give up
the violin and to stake his future
on the Amati viola!
His new career, aalSpiciOusay BE-
gun was interrupted by a cable
from the London String Quartet.
The group, then in the United
States, was faced with 4 crisis.
The violist was Nl-a big tour was
booked. Could Primrose sail At
once! He could and he did!
Quartet Work
Primrose remained with the
London String Quartet from 1880
until 1895. During that time he
toured Europe, South America and
the length and breadth Of the
United States.
After the quartet diSb1nded he
returned 10 London for his debut
as solo violist under Sir Thorn as
Beecham.
In 1887 the new NBC Symphony
was being formed in New York by
Toscanini; the solo instrumental
lists were hand-picked and the
posts were considered prizes.
While looking for a head Of the
viola section, officials Of NBC
heard a recording OF Primrose
playing a Paganini Caprice.
To MIC Symphony
Never before had they heard
such brilliant viola playing. They
immediately wired Primrose to
come to New York and head the
viola section. Primrose came
this time to stay permanently IN
America. Five full, fascinating
years followed, interspersed with
essays into the field OF solo per-
Torrance.
In 1912 Primrose left the orch
estra to devote ali bis time to
solo work. At last he was doing
what he wanted to do most, and
judging by the immediate public
response, what American music
lovers had wanted him to do.
For almost q decade vlolist
Primrose has been in information
al demand. He is recognized az
an unique figure in the concert
] world.