Professional Documents
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a personal
perspective on
viola teaching
BRUNO
BRUNO GIURANN
GIURANNA
B
RUNO GIURANNA IS INSISTING THAT I ORDER said, Who wrote this beautiful music? They said, Bruno has
linguine with my scallops. He explains carefully to be a musical genius. He was four and started the violin at
that because of their flat shape they absorb sauce five. Music was in his genes, though. His mother, Elena Barbara,
better than the spaghetti the restaurant is offering was a composer whose operas were performed at La Scala and
on the menu. Its dinner time and Ive just touched San Carlo, and who taught counterpoint to composition students
down in Sarasota, Florida, to visit his La Msica festival (see at the Rome Conservatoire. His father, Mario Giuranna, was a
The Strad, July 2013) and interview him for his 80th birthday. conductor, assistant to Franco Ghione, but died in 1936 aged
Im hungry and very happy to take his advice - and the proffered only 37.
glass of wine. Giurannas first violin teachers were Vittorio Emanuele,
Over the course of my week in Sarasota, being around Mario Corti and Remy Principe, who all had different influences:
Giuranna and the other musicians, I realize that much of what I Each one gave me something, each at the moment I needed it.
learn about this internationally treasured viola soloist, chamber From Emanuele, who studied in Paris and was a clear example of
musician, conductor and pedagogue is encapsulated right there in the French school, I learnt that special use of the bow - the clean,
that moment. The concern for others; the attention to detail; a precise attack. In later years he became severe and I was
certain fastidiousness; an aesthetic but rational sensibility; and a becoming afraid of playing, of making mistakes. With hindsight,
love of good food. Giuranna empathizes with his teacher: I dont teach teenagers
Between the jovial group meals, socials for the sponsors, now - but I remember when I did. Its difficult to have contact
rehearsals, performances, chauffeuring colleagues, his daily with them - they are not boys any more, and theyre not yet men.
hour-long walk and viola practice, we get a chance to talk about Emanuele had problems with this change of age.
his life and career, and specifically his teaching. Giuranna was His next teacher came at the right time: Corti was a peaceful
born in Milan in 1933. In the family history, one day I heard my man, at the end of his career, and I found it was possible to play
mother accompanying a violinist in the Pizzetti Sonata and I and even make a mistake without it being a tragedy. If Id had >
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BRUNO GIURANNA
him from the beginning, it would not have been productive, but
at that moment it was fantastic. Principe taught Giuranna In my life I never tried to
between the ages of 18 and 20 and provided a different effect
again: He taught me how to practise. He concentrated on the left
do anything, ever. Im very
hand, never considering a single note or finger, but always the privileged that whatever
group, which brought an organisation of the left hand. He wrote
many exercises - far too many, so I made a concentrated system. happened just came to me
And after studying with him I developed it in my own way. This
was a focused time for Giuranna: When I started studying the
to develop that on the viola. He later had lessons with Giovanni
way Principe showed me, I was practising ten hours a day -
Leone, violist of the Chigiana Quintet.
which I would not suggest to anyone. You can obtain the same
results practising less and better, but at that moment I wanted to So does a player choose their sound? Giuranna explains
do well. that often its more a default, and its up to the teacher to help
change this: When we play, we project an image that we have
of the sound that is inside ourselves, whether its conscious or
THE SWITCH TO VIOLA WAS NOT AUTOMATIC - and not. The difficulty for the teacher is that often a student has
it certainly wasnt love at first play: I remember my first the tendency to play on the fingerboard too much, because the
experience of the viola. I did not like it. I was 14 or 15 and we string speaks more easily, but they dont have much definition
had an obligatory viola exam in the eighth year. This strange or power. However, they get used to it and thats the image
sound did not appeal to me at all. It was only a few years later, they have. You can say, This is not enough if you want to
after my violin diploma, that I had the idea that I wanted to project something in a big hall, so you have to do something
become stronger in my playing. That happened in the summer at else. Then they have to accept that until they get used to it
the Academy Chigiana, which I entered on the violin. I came out they probably wont like what they hear, that there are noises
captivated by the sound of the viola. under the ear. In classes, I get the student to produce that
He was already performing professionally in I Musici while sound and ask them if it could be used in a performance. They
still a student and started teaching at the age of 24 (see normally say no but then I ask the others who are watching,
Giurannas Career, right). It all seems to have come very easily and they say yes. Students dont want to do it until they are
to him, though: In my life I never tried to do anything, ever. Tm convinced by observing the reaction of others. >
very privileged that whatever happened just came to me. I wasnt
trying to play more solo concerts or chamber music or do more
or less teaching. It just happened like that. I was always clear
how fantastic it was to change and not spend months only
playing solo. The destiny of the soloist is solitude. I remember GIURANNA'S
Six-year-old Giuranna
the trips I did with the Italian String Trio were like parties of joy. with his violin: he CAREER
I alternated that with concertos. Then you do teaching, began lessons aged five
which somehow brings you back to 1933 born 6 April in Milan
normal life. Changing hotel every 1938 starts private violin
night is not a normal life. lessons with Vittorio
At the point that he made the Emanuele
shift to viola, the profile of the 1950 graduates from
instrument was far from where its Conservatorio Santa Cecilia,
come to now: The viola must be Rome, on violin
played loud - that was the aesthetic
1951 co-founds I Musici
world I was brought into. I didn't
have one viola player to inspire me 1952 graduates from
to make a viola sound - nothing that Conservatorio Santa Cecilia,
convinced me. It was a good thing. I on viola
had to go through the challenge of 1954 gives world premiere
finding my own sound. With the of Giorgio Federico Ghedini's
viola its not simple - you have to Viola Concerto with the
decide whether you are going to be a Italian Radio Symphony
tenor or contralto. Do you want a dark Orchestra under Herbert
or bright sound? Paradoxically, he von Karajan in Rome
was inspired in his conception of viola 1957-65 professor at
sound by violinist Leonid Kogan: I Conservatorio 'Giuseppe
was taken to a concert in Rome by my Verdi', Milan
teacher when I was around 15. Id 1959-1975 member
never heard anything like that on the of Italian String Trio
violin - the sound quality and the
1965-78 professor
impression that each note was like a big
at Conservatorio
pearl. I worked out for myself how
Santa Cecilia, Rome
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BRUNO GIURANNA
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