NOTES FOR PRIVATE MUSIC TEACHERS
Prepared by the Federation of Australian Music Teachers’ Associations.

THESE NOTES prepared by the Federation of Australian Music Teachers’ Associations, hereinafter referred to as “the Federation” are published in order to give music teachers in private practice, both those who are new to the profession and those of sane experience, guidance in professional matters.

1. The Standard Conditions

Many points raised in these Notes are covered by the STANDARD CONDITIONS FOR PRIVATE MUSIC TUITION. These are set out in Appendix I. The use of these Conditions will settle many possible difficulties and is strongly recommended. A copy fo these Conditions should be given to new pupils or their parents before lessons are commenced, preferably at the first interview; in the case of present pupils, a copy should be sent with the first account rendered after the adoption of the Conditions, together with a note that in future they will apply to all lessons.

2. The Course/Term of Lessons

Some teachers teach by the “term” of 10 or 12 lessons, more or less coinciding with a child-pupil’s school term. This limits the possible number of lessons per annum to about 30 to 36. It is difficult to earn in that time an income sufficient to keep one for 52 weeks; it is also difficult to teach a pupil effectively on as little as 15 to 18 annually, especially as the break between one “term” and the next often causes some loss of progress which must be regained before further progress can be made.

It may be considered that private music tuition should be entirely separated from the school term. It could be given by the Course/Term of ten lessons, each Course/Term to commence one week after the end of the previous one or as soon as possible thereafter, allowing for holiday periods. Under this system each pupil may receive 40 to 45 lessons per annum, to the great benefit both of teacher and pupil. A suggested form of letter announcing the change-over to such a system is given in Appendix II.

Lessons should be of such duration as the teacher, in consultation with the pupil or parents, considers appropriate to the pupil’s age and capacity, and the fee should be adjusted accordingly.

HOLIDAYS: The pupil or parents should be notified that lessons will be suspended during such periods in the summer and at usual public holidays as the teacher shall announce; and also during any further period of which the pupil gives at least four weeks’ notice of absence from home and inability to attend lessons. (This is covered by the Standard Conditions).

3. Fees

The amount which a teacher is able to charge must be governed by several factors, the district in which the teacher practises and the demand for his services, but there is an economic limit below which no teacher can afford to teach, irrespective of district. It is advisable and now usual to make fees due and payable in advance, and this should be made clear in the teacher’s prospectus and statanents of account. A suggested form of letter announcing an increase of fees is given in Appendix III.

4. Theory and Musicianship

The Federation sees no reason why theoretical tuition should be charged at a lower rate than instrumental tuition. There is, however, often insufficient time for both theoretical and practical instruction to be given in the same lesson, except so far as theoretical points arise during practical work. Where separate theoretical tuition is necessary the teacher should not hesitate to tell the pupil or parents that it cannot be covered by the payment for practical instruction, and if the teacher is unable to give separate theory lessons another Accredited teacher should if possible be recommended.

5. Missed Lessons

All Accredited teachers are advised to adhere to the following recommendations: “When a student does not attend for a lesson, with or without notice; this usually causes direct financial loss to the teacher. The Federation, therefore, recommends private teachers to charge for such missed lessons, unless the circumstances, in the teacher’s opinion, warrant seme special concession”. (See (c) and (d) in STANDARD CONDITIONS).

Such concessions should normally be made only in the case of genuine illness or other compelling reason for non-attendance.

6. Notice to Discontinue Lessons

Before any lessons are commenced, the pupil (or parent) should be expressly informed that half a term’s notice of discontinuance is required, preferably at the beginning of a course/term of lessons, and that failing such notice, payment of fees for the period will be requested. (See (g) in STANDARD CONDITIONS) .

7. Specialisation

Accredited Teachers should not accept pupils for musical subjects in which they have not been Accredited.

8. Progress Reports

Many teachers find it useful to give a Report on the pupil’s progress at the end of each course of lessons. A concise form of Report is given in Appendix IV. It is suggested that the Report be sent to the pupil or parent at the end of each course, together with the account for the coming course.

9. Examinations and Competitive Festivals

A pupil should not be entered for an examination or competitive festival without the approval both of the pupil (or parent) and the teacher. If parents do not wish their child to be entered the teachers should, of coures, respect their wishes; but otherwise the teacher should make it clear to them that they must accept his opinion as to what examinations and festivals are suitable at that stage of the child’s studies and development.

10. Debt Recovery

Where fees are not paid in advance, a teacher occasionally has difficulty in obtaining payment. Action through a Court is not well adapted to comparatively small claims, as the legal expenses may far exceed the amount of the debt and are not usually fully recoverable from the debtor. Even when judgement has been obtained it is often hard to enforce payment.

11. Publicity and Advertising

The private music teacher should lose no legitimate opportunity of publicity, and this may take the form of personal contacts, concert work, participation in the musical life of the community, advertising in the press or local church magazine, etc. The teacher should have a prospectus printed stating the terms upon which he is willing to teach. (See paragraph 16).

Attention should be paid to professional etiquette. It is, of course, unprofessional to offer one’s services to a pupil known to be already talking lessons from another teacher but such a pupil may be accepted if he approaches one, having given due notice to the earlier teacher.

Press advertisements should be confined to facts such as name, degrees and diplomas, address and telephone number and subjects taught.

Accreditation and Membership of a Music Teachers’ Association should be mentioned, using the words “Accredited as a Private Music Teacher for (instrument) through the Federation of Australian Music Teachers’ Associations”.

Announcements of examination and festival results may be published from time to time in the local press. “Trade” or “Classified” Directories need a little care. Inclusion is valueless unless:

(a) the Directory has a considerable circulation in your own area,(b) you are permitted to state the exact subjects taught. (The Pink Pages Supplements to the Telephone Directory will not usually permit (b).

Be wary of unsolicited letters from Directories claiming to have national circulation; if you return their forms completed, you may later receive a demand for a substantial fee for inclusion in some publication which may be quite useless to you. If in doubt, call at your Reference Library, and ask the librarian what local directories would be recommended.

After considering all these suggestions the teacher must remember that private Recommendation is the best and most satisfactory of all advertisements. One’s own good work will ultimately achieve most in publicising one’s professional activities.

12. The Teacher’s Records

These can most conveniently be kept in a loose-leaf binder, completed sheets being removed and filed away from time to time. The necessary records comprise three sets of papers:

(a) A Record sheet for each pupil, on which should be entered name, address, telephone, age, fee, date of starting tuition, usual lesson-day and time, notes of examination results and other achievements, and the teacher’s assessment of progress made. It must also give dates of all lessons set out in courses of ten, giving name and cost of all music supplied, examination fees paid etc.
(b) An Appointments Dairy, one week to a page.
(c) A cash record with two cash columns for receipts and payments. The dates of rendering accounts and receiving payment should be noted, and short particulars given of all professional expenses incurred.

13. Nuisance

A teacher who teaches in his own home must face the fact that neighbours sometimes object to the sound and should therefore take all reasonable steps to prevent one’s teaching and playing from becoming a nuisance, which may be defined as “any substantial interference with the comfort or convenience of the occupiers of adjoining property”. The studio should be in that part of the house where the sound is least likely to be heard by neighbours, and in particular a piano should not be placed against a division wall; teaching and playing should not be carried on late at night; discretion should be used about leaving windows open; some form of soundproofing should be used if necessary (See Paragraph 14), and in short, teachers should be careful not to lay themselves open to the accusation of being inconsiderate to their neighbours. If these precautions are of no avail and an action for nuisance is threatened, a solicitor should be consulted.

14. Restrictions on the Use of Property

When buying or renting a house or studio where it is proposed to teach, the solicitor should be asked to make sure that there are no enforceable convenants or Town Planning or other regulations preventing or restricting such use of the property. This should be done before any contract is signed or deposit paid.

15. Sale of Teaching Practices

The person selling undertakes to introduce to the purchaser all present pupils and to recommend than to continue as pupils (but it must be understood that it is not possible to enforce this continuity). The person also undertakes not to compete as a teacher for a given period within a given radius of the place where the practice is carried on. The purchaser undertakes to pay a percentage (usually 25%) of fees actually received from pupils introduced to the vendor during a period of 12 months following the sale; alternatively, if it is desired to have an immediate settlement, the sum can be mutually estimated and paid at once. If a substantial sum is to be paid the agreements should be prepared by a solicitor, and in any event the undertakings should be in writing. It may be added that it is seldom worth paying a considerable sum for a teaching practice unless the purchaser is also acquiring, as purchaser or tenant, the premises where the practice has been carried on or other premises in the very near neighbourhood.

16. The Teacher’s Prospectus

It will be apparent that a prospectus can be kept very brief if the Standard Conditions mentioned in paragraph 1 are adopted; it need contain no more than the necessary details of the teacher’s name, address, qualifications, subjects taught, fees, and a notification that ‘Mr./ Mrs./Miss1 accepts pupils on the Standard Conditions of the Federation. Teachers who do not adopt the Standard Conditions must also incorporate in the Prospectus such other provisions as they wish to apply. A simple form which will meet most teachers’ requirements is given in Appendix V.

17. Income Tax Allowances

A Schedule of deductions from private teachers’ professional incomes which are usually allowed by the Taxation Department is given in Appendix VI.

18. Insurance

Private teachers, like all self-employed persons, should make some provision for retirement pensions; the younger they start, the lower the premium, but middle-aged people also will find that something useful can be done at a moderate cost. A personal quotation from an Insurance Company will be given to teachers who write giving their date of birth, age at which pension is to start and whether provision is to be made for dependants. There is a small but real risk to a teacher being held responsible for injuries caused to pupils through accidents arising on the teacher’s premises. This risk is covered by many Household Insurance policies, and if you teach in your own home you should ask your Insurance Company to state whether your own policy covers this risk for music pupils. If not, it can usually be added to the policy at a very small additional premium. Separate policies can also be taken out, but for these the premium will usually be higher, so that it is much more economic to have the risk included in your Household policy.

19. Certificates of Accreditation

These certificates may be obtained from the Federation through State Music Teachers’ Associations upon written application to State Music Teachers’ Associations except in New South Wales where the Conservatorium issues the certificate.

20. Directory

A Directory of Accredited Teachers may be obtained from the State Music Teachers’ Associations or from the Conservatorium.

APPENDIX I

The forms given in this and the following Appendices can be modified as the teacher desires. It would often be appropriate to add encouraging remarks about the pupil’s progress.

Standard Conditions for Private Music Tuition

(a) TUITION will be given by the Course/Term of ten Consecutive weekly lessons, each Course to commence in the week following the end of the previous Course.
(b) FEES for each Course are to be paid not later than the first lesson of that Course.
(c) HOLIDAYS: Lessons will be suspended during periods in the summer and at the usual public holidays as announced by the teacher; and also during any further period as to which the pupil gives at least 4 weeks’ notice that he will be away from home and unable to attend for lessons.
(e) A PROGRESS REPORT should be given by the teacher from time to time.
(f) EXAMINATIONS AND COMPETITIONS: The teacher will not
enter the pupil for any examination or competition without the pupil’s consent; but the teacher’s opinion as to what examinations and competitions are suitable at each stage of the pupil’s progress should be accepted by the pupil.
(g) NOTICE to discontinue lessons must be given not later than the first lesson of any Course/Term; otherwise the fees for half of the Course/Term will become payable.
(NOTE: Reference to pupils in these Conditions includes the parents or guardians of child-pupils where the context allows).
(d) LESSONS Missed through the pupil’s non-attendance will be charged for, unless the circumstances, in the teacher’s opinion warrant a special concession. Lessons cancelled by the teacher will be carried forward.

APPENDIX II

(Draft of suggested letter announcing change-over to Course system).

Dear …
On the advice of the Federation of Australian Music Teachers’ Associations, I am making some changes in my teaching arrangements as from (September) next. Tuition will be given by the course of ten 30-minute lessons, each Course/Term to begin the week after the previous course ends.

The fee per course/term will be $ … payable in advance. Lessons will not be given during (January) or for short periods at the usual public holidays, and I would like you to inform me well beforehand of any other periods when you (your child) will be away on holiday. These changes will result in still better progress being made by pupils, since they ensure greater continuity of teaching. I regret to have to ask you to meet an increase in the fees, but I am sure you will realise that the continuing increase in the cost of living makes it inevitable. Please do not hesitate to come and see me if you would like to discuss the matter.

Yours sincerely,

APPENDIX III

(Draft of suggested letter regarding increase in fees where there is no change in the term system).

Dear …

I have reluctantly decided that I must increase the amount of my fees. As fron … the amount will be $ … per course of ten … minute lessons payable in advance. It is with regret that I do this, and I am sure you will appreciate that the continuing increase in the cost of living has made it inevitable. Please do not hesitate to make an appointment to see me if you would like to discuss the matter.

Yours sincerely,

APPENDIX IV

(Space for teacher’s name and address)

PROGRESS REPORT for the period ending … 19

Student’s name …

Signed …
Accredited Private Music Teacher through the Federation of Australian Music Teachers’ Associations

APPENDIX V

(Form of Prospectus for use where the Standard Conditions are not adopted).

Mr. John Brown (add degrees and/or diploma)
21 Brown Street,
SMITHSVILLE

Tel: …

LESSONS IN (Piano)

FEES: $ … per Course of ten lessons of … minutes, payable in advance.

Lessons missed through the pupil’s failure to attend are charged for unless circumstances, in the teacher’s opinion, warrant a special concession. Lessons cancelled by the teacher will be carried forward.

APPENDIX VI

Schedule of permissible deductions from the professional income of private music teachers for Income Tax purposes.

NOTE: It must be understood that the following is in general terms and much depends on the actual circumstances and negotiations with the Taxation Departmsnt. In cases of difficulty the assistance of a qualified accountant will often be found of great help.

1. Expenses wholly and exclusively incurred for the purpose of carrying on the practice.
2. The rent of a studio can be claimed in full, if this does not include living accommodation. If living accorrmodation is included in the total rent then the proportion of rent relating to this should be omitted from the claim.
3. Studio expenses such as local rates, lighting, heating, cleaning and insurance against fire, burglary and similar risks (or a proportionate part of all-these where the practice is carried on at home).
4. Studio repairs, repairs and maintenance of instruments and of studio furniture. Tuning of instruments.
5. Postage, printing, stationery, telephone and advertisements in connection with the teaching practice.
6. Interest paid on Bank overdraft, where the loan was raised to purchase an asset for use in the profession.
7. Salary of assistants and deputy. (Where paid to members of the teacher’s family the Taxation Department may require to be satisfied that the payments are made bona fide for services rendered).
8. The cost of renewals of instruments or an allowance for wear and tear, but not both, and not the cost of buying a new instrument unless it is in replacement of an old one. The cost of building up a library of music, etc., cannot be deducted, but an allowance may be claimed for the cost of replacing worn-out music.
9. Bad debts, proved to be such to the satisfaction of the tax authorities but not a general reserve against debts -that are expected to prove bad in the future.
10. Losses due to theft, burglary and fire, so far as attributable to the practice and not covered by insurance.
11. Expense incurred in travelling from one studio to another, but not between the teacher’s residence (if one does not teach there) and the studio.
12. Wear and tear allowance on a motor car where it is used for the purpose of the practice, or a proportionate amount where there is some private use, and the expense of running a car on a similar basis.
13. Subscriptions to the Music Teachers’ Associations.
14. In general the above deductions will also apply to salaried employment where tax is deducted at source. However, in such cases the Taxation Department applies the additional test that the expenditure must be necessarily incurred, as well as wholly and exclusively, to be deductible.

The Unanswered Question: Six Talks at Harvard (The Charles Eliot Norton Lectures) By: Leonard Bernstein

“Leonard Bernstein’s Norton Lectures on the future course of music drew cheers from his Harvard audiences and television viewers. In this re-creation of his talks, the author considers music ranging from Hindu ragas through Mozart and Ravel to Copland, Schoenberg, and Stravinsky.”

Author’s Note: “The pages that follow were written not to be read, but listened to; and the fact that they do now exist in book form seems to me a moving testimony to the fidelity and creative involvement of numerous colleagues. … Yet here it all is, thanks to the persistence and inventiveness of the Harvard University Press editorial staff …”

“Brahms and His World” By: Frisch, Walter

Unlike some recent volumes on Brahms, which have served mainly to bring together miscellaneous papers read at conferences, this collection seeks to locate the composer more directly in the context of his personal, professional, and musical environment. The volume consists of three parts.

In Part I essays by six prominent scholars explore different aspects of Brahms’ relationship to his world. The topics include time, memory, and concert life in Brahms’ Vienna (Leon Botstein); Brahms’ complex personality, studied by a leading psychoanalyst (Peter Ostwald, M.D.); Brahms and Clara Schumann (Nancy B. Reich); Brahms and the New German School (David Brodbeck); Brahmss pianos (George S. Bozarth and Stephen H. Brady); and Brahmsian influences on his contemporaries (Walter Frisch).

Part II presents commentary on Brahmss music culled from some of the most important critics of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Most of this material has never appeared in English before. Included are excerpts from the earliest published survey of Brahms’ works, written in 1862 by Adolf Schubring; reviews by the powerful Viennese critic Eduard Hanslick; analyses of the symphonies by Hermann Kretschmar; and an analysis of Joseph Joachims Hungarian Concerto by Donald F. Tovey.

Part III offers substantial portions from memoirs about Brahms written by contemporaries who in themselves were leading musical figures. These excerpts, most translated into English for the first time, are taken from Hanslick and from the composers Alexander Zemlinsky, Karl Weigl, and Gustav Jenner, the latter being Brahms’s only private pupil in composition. An appendix provides a list of all known musical works dedicated to Brahms.

When you study music, the most important thing to learn is Strict Counterpoint.

Writing variations is something good for the beginner.

Usually the best ideas flow from the hand or mind without any particular effort, these are the ideas that will endure in your compositions.

Never begin working the out of a composition before the whole thing has taken definite form as an outline either on paper or in your head. When ideas come to you, go for a walk, then you will discover that the thing you thought was a complete thought, was actually only the beginning of one.

In the sonata form, the piece must have a logical structure. It is not enough to have a good idea here and there. The sonata is not when one has merely combined several ideas through the outward form of the sonata, but that, on the contrary, the sonata form must emerge of necessity from the idea.

When you are composing a piece, your bass should be vibrant, not sleepy or lazy. Your harmonies should sing and not be weak.

Harmony should not only be the accompaniment of the piece, but help and allow the idea to develop, so to speak, to help it emerge clearly and powerfully.

In regular composition, and song writing, the determining role of the melody and of clearly perceived basses created in good counterpoint should be a must.

When you examine a piece, read only the vocal line separately and or the bass separately, so this way you can see if your melody is dreary or your bass boring. The determining role of the melody and of clearly perceived basses created in good counterpoint should be a requirement. The accompaniment should be a equal, even independent, element and sometimes to move it canonically in relation to the voice.

The canonic form never develops into the controlling element, but only as a means of increasing the charm of the vocal melody. And the melody will always break the form when its powerful and sublime flow so dictates.

Combining variety (diversity) with unity can be difficult. It is accomplished by transforming the basic motive more or less recognizably through rhythmic alterations; through displacement into other chordal inversions, and through exact or retrograde inversions, thereby you create themes and melodies of the most extreme contrast.

Extension of the subsidiary motives can be done by means of augmentation.

To compose a long adagio is the most difficult of all.

Unified modulation does not in any way preclude the use of even the most distant keys. Quite the contrary these keys become distant only by virtue of the fact that another key governs; this is what gives them their expressive power. They say something different; they are like the colors of a painting that contrast with the background color and are simultaneously contained and intensified by it.

To learn modulation imitate the masters. If Beethoven, Mozart or Haydn go from C Major to E Major, you do the same. In regard to the overall course of the modulation, with the exception of the individual divergences, the guiding principle is “The straight path is the best path”.

You must learn how to work. You must write a lot, day after day, and not think that what you are writing always has to be something significant. As far as songs go, you will write many songs before a usable one emerges.

It is rare that a piece, once it has been completed, becomes better through revision; usually it gets worse.

You should not always trust your ideas. The pen is not only for writing, but also for deleting. But be very cautious. Once something has been written down it is hard to get rid of. But if you have come to the conclusion that it will not do; even if it’s good in itself-then don’t think about it for long; simply strike it out! How often one attempts to save such a passage and thus ruins the entire thing, not to mention becoming a slave to the idea instead of being the master. Sometimes passages like this also serve to conceal the troublemaking elements whose presence you might have intuited but would have not looked for it there at all. Corrections usually should have to do with particular details of the composition.

Clearly imitation is the best way to understand how music is written and structured. A beginning composer should follow the methods of composition which are set by the masters like Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, etc,. This way you can understand the structure and apply this to your own work. Every composer takes ideas from other composers, its not that your going to use that idea note for note in your piece. On the contrary, it’s the way you manipulate or change the idea and develop it, which reveals the genius in a composer and his composition. When you compose, it is good for a beginner to copy or follow a particular structure of a piece or a style of a composer; this way you can discover how a composition is created or constructed and apply this to your own ideas. By doing this you will eventually break out of that mold and with a clear understanding develop your own style of composition or a ingenious variation of an older one with unprecedented new insight.

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Talks with Great Composers By: Arthur M. Abell

Between 1890 and 1917, Abell engaged in lengthy, candid conversations with the greatest composers of his day: Johannes Brahms, Giacomo Puccini, Richard Strauss, Engelbert Humperdinck, Max Brunch, and Edvard Grieg about the intellectual, psychic, and spiritual tensions of their creative endeavors. This book is the result of those conversations, and is, quite simply, a masterpiece that reveals the agony, triumphs, and the religiosity inherent in the creative mind.

Excerpt: “All truly inspired ideas come from God, and the consciousness of being inspired by him. Your religiosity will make you more conscious and aware of that fact, and of the fact that God is nearer to you than others in your craft, and that you can consort with him without fear.

The contact of inspiration through God cannot be done merely by will power working through the conscious mind, which is an evolutionary product of the physical realm and perishes with the body. It can only be accomplished by the soul-powers within - the real ego that survives bodily death. Those powers are quiescent to the conscious mind unless illumined by Spirit.

To realize that we are one with the Creator, as Beethoven did, is a wonderful and awe-inspiring experience. Very few human beings ever come into that realization and that is why there are so few great composers or creative geniuses in any line of human endeavor. All this should always be contemplated before commencing to compose. This is the first step. When the urge to compose is present, appeal directly to the Maker and ask Him three most important questions pertaining to our life here in this world - whence, wherefore, whither [woher, warum, wohin]? This appeal will immediately manifest feelings of vibrations that will thrill your whole being. These are the Spirit illuminating the soul-power within, and in this exalted state, you can clearly see what is obscure in your ordinary moods; then you feel capable of drawing inspiration from above, as Beethoven did. These vibrations assume the forms of distinct mental images, after you have formulated your desire and resolve in regard to what you want - namely, to be inspired so that you can compose something that will uplift and benefit humanity - something of permanent value. Straightaway the ideas will flow upon you, directly from God, and not only should you see distinct themes in you mind’s eye, but they also will be clothed in the right forms, harmonies and orchestration. Only with divine inspiration will finished product be revealed to you, measure by measure.

Most of the time you have to be or will be in a semi-trance condition to get such results - a condition when the conscious mind is in temporary abeyance and the subconscious mind, which is part of Omnipotence, that the inspiration comes; and to be careful, however, not to lose consciousness, otherwise the ideas will fade away. That is the way Mozart composed, and when asked what the process was with him while composing, he replied: “The process with me is like a vivid dream”. He then went on and described how ideas, clothed in the proper musical setting, streamed down upon him. God and His Omnipotence, His awe-inspiring grandeur, His glory, and above all his closeness to you are things that should be pondered on just before commencing to compose. It is most stimulating and inspiring process to think along those lines before entering that trance-like state in which inspirations come.

The dream-like state is like entering a trance-like condition - hovering between being asleep and awake; you are still conscious but right on the border of losing consciousness, and it is at such moments that inspired ideas come. Then it is of the utmost importance to put the ideas down on paper immediately. Then they are fixed and cannot escape; and when you look as them again, they conjure up that same mood that gave them birth. This is a very important law. Themes that occur this way usually are the ones that will endure.

Spirit is the light of the soul. Spirit is universal. Spirit is the creative energy of the Cosmos. The soul of man is not conscious of it’s powers until it is enlightened by Spirit. Therefore, to evolve and grow, man must learn how to use and develop his own soul forces. All great creative geniuses do this, although some of them do not seem to be as conscious of the process as others. Beethoven was aware of the fact that he was inspired and he left records to that effect.

All true inspiration emanates from God, and can reveal Himself through that spark of divinity within - through that psychologists call the subconscious mind. Any composer capable of entering into that state can create immortal works, only in believing in which no less an authority than Jesus, Himself, says, in John 14:10 “The Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works, and in the 12th Verse of the same chapter, He adds, “He that believeth Me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do”. All these things mentioned here have a direct bearing on the mental, psychic and spiritual processes when attempting to compose. The powers from which all truly great composers like Mozart, Schubert, Bach and Beethoven drew their inspirations is the same powers that enabled Jesus to perform His miracles. We call it God, Omnipotence, Divinity, the Creator, etc. It is a power of All that created our earth and the whole universe, and Jesus taught us that we can appropriate it for our own upbuilding right here and now and also earn Eternal Life. Jesus is very explicit in Matthew 7:7, saying, “Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you”. There would not be so much good music paper wasted in fruitless attempts to compose if those great precepts were better understood. That is why atheists works are utterly lacking in inspiration. Their works are purely cerebral. The great Nazarene knew that law also, and He proclaimed it in John 15:4, “The branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine.” No atheist has ever been or will be a great composer. Jesus taught us that there is true supreme hope for all. He came not as the great exception, but as the great example for us to emulate. Adherence to can create nothing but divine values and an alliance with the Creator, that is capable of a life on earth full of inspiration and masterpieces of music to accompany that life for others to witness. This is the secret of inspiration; which is the ability to synchronize the conscious and subconscious minds, just as Jesus did, but on a much higher level.

Inspiration is of such importance in composing, but by no means all that there is to it. Structure is just as consequential, for without craftsmanship, inspiration is a ‘mere reed shaken in the wind’ or ’sounding brass or tinkling cymbals’. Great compositions are not the fruits of inspiration alone, but of severe, laborious and painstaking toil. No composition will live long unless it has both inspiration and craftsmanship, which Beethoven had to a superlative degree. There also must be in relation, with inspiration and craftsmanship, a natural aptitude, where ideas come to you with more or less no conscious effort, with a sense of comfort and relative ease, like a aspiration being fulfilled. But parallel to that, as seen in Beethoven’s sketchbooks, comes the proof that he toiled incessantly in order to leave us such masterpieces. Only with your religiosity, God’s inspiration, and the utilization of all three, can one achieve mastery of classical music composition and achieve true fame and immortality, which is what oblivion constantly tries to challenge. This is the proven universal formula for success in music and any and all other endeavors of human life.

Another aspect of this art which is extremely vital and demands great emphasis, is privacy. It should be unthinkable of attempting to compose unless you are sure you will not be interrupted or disturbed. The Muse is a very jealous entity, and she will fly away on the slightest provocation.

A composer who wishes to write worth-while music must devote his whole time and energy to that one occupation.

A composer in order to study, learn and absorb all that the masters have to offer, and put to use that knowledge in his own works, must have the capacity to judge objectively an individuality that differs from his own.”

B. Tishenko a former student of Shostakovich and a head figure of the Composers Union in St. Petersburg. (www.composers.ru)

I was asked to translate this letter by a music student of the University of Queensland some time ago. I am not a professional translator so I was wondering if you may have any suggestions for improvement. The Russian text of the letter was located in the first couple of pages of the viola sonata. Unfortunately I do not remember nor can I locate the publisher. Maybe you could help with this too?

“Letter from Leningrad”

By: Boris Tishenko
Notes and translation by: Sergei V. Korschmin

The task of drawing parallels between the personality of an artist and his work is a difficult but necessary one. Difficult because it is easy to fall victim to vulgar flat assimilations, and necessary because it is evident that a composer’s creation is a humanistic (personal) self portrayal and because understanding an author’s humanism helps to unravel the secrets of his composition. While analysing the “persona” aspects of this music, one relies on the external and visible characteristics, leaving behind the boundaries of what is the material and internal side of a musical work and what is verbally indescribable. Also, it is difficult to discuss this Sonata because it has not yet been performed. [Shostakovich died on August 9, 1975. This letter was written on September 11, 1975. The Viola Sonata, Op. 147 was Shostakovich's last work. It was dedicated to the violist Fyodor Druzhinin. Work was premiered in Leningrad on October 1, 1975.]

Sollertinsky (right) with close friend Dmitri Shostakovich

Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich - legendary man. A person of immense stature and scale of thought, his vastness of thinking resembling Michelangelo, Shakespeare and Cervantes, great philosophers of antiquity. He never philosophised in abstracts; all was lifelike, concrete. His kindness, his ability to feel people’s pain and his protest against evil had very personal characteristics. A highlight of his vast personality is his modesty. This is what Dmitri Dmitrievich wrote about Ivan Ivanovich Sollertinsky [Ivan Ivanovich Sollertinsky (1902 - 1944) was a Russian polymath of the Soviet period. He was an expert in theatre and Romance languages, but is best known for his musical career. He was a professor at the Leningrad Conservatory, as well as artistic director of the Leningrad Philharmonic. In these capacities he was an active promoter of Mahler's music in the Soviet Union. From 1927 he was a close friend of Dmitri Shostakovich. In the wake of Shostakovich's first denunciation in 1936, Sollertinsky was called, "the troubadour of formalism" by Pravda. Shostakovich dedicated his Second Piano Trio to Sollertinsky after his death in Novosibirsk on 11 February 1944.]:

“I thought of him as a man of extraordinary qualities; it is, awkward, for the ordinary and average, and when in 1921 one of my friends introduced me to Sollertinsky, I very quickly became shy, because I found difficulty in keeping friendship with such an extraordinary person.”

This is not a joke: indeed Dmitri Dmitrievich thought of himself as an ordinary man. We see 15 year old teenagers experiencing this feeling while most are usually full of high opinions of themselves. This nature-given quality he preserved through all his life, whilst many of us work very hard to develop it. This is only possible for a devout man - a very rare sacred quality, and Ivan Ivanovich, closest friend of Dmitri Dmitrievich, enjoyed his boundless love. Shostakovich’s love was an important engine of his artistic might; artistic might was also the reason for his being loved. Proof of his love and his remarkable ability to listen and admire music of others is evident in his Viola Sonata. In it exists, thinned to the limits, music-associative series; Shostakovich in his late works used musical quotations. A smart and tactful quotation exists in the finale of the Viola Sonata: the characteristic point from Beethoven’s 1st movement of the “Mondschein” Sonata Op.27., No.2, only transcribed from triple into quadruple metre. This sad and tender mood is central to the (viola) sonata. It also has different beginnings - effectual and remonstrative. In front of us, walking past like shadows, are Shostakovich’s favourite composers: firstly Alban Berg, in his tender fifth pizzicatos in similar fifths, begins his violin concerto dedicated to “Dem Andenken eines Engels” and Louis Krasner. This intervallic formula of fifth time to time reappearing in the Shostakovich sonata calls for multi-staged associations. In the second material, in his diminished triads, the effectiveness of tearing triplets is similar to beginning of Mahler’s 5th Symphony (Allegro), and in the end of the section the “breaking-away” triplet with semiquaver unequivocally recalls in our memory the “fate motif” from Beethoven 5’s motif, that generally journeys through many compositions.

The beginning of Mahler’s 5th Symphony and triplets from the first theme of the 4th Symphony by Tchaikovsky directly relate to this ominous formula. Rachmaninov brought this motif in the romance “Fate” [Sud'ba] Op.21, No.1; it lives in the timpanies in R. Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen”; and this ring of association closes with the finale of Shostakovich’s 15th Symphony, where he quoted Wagner’s fate motif.

It is possible to find more and more threads of associations, for example in the second movement, written in the spirit of the tender duple scherzo of the 7th Symphony’s second movement and Prelude in fis-moll, from the 24 Preludes and Fugues Op.87; in glimpses of Mahler-like ascending quart grace-note and accented mordent; [Mordent - (from It. mordere, to bite) Musical ornament shown by a sign over the note. There are upper and lower mordents. In German Mordent means only the lower mordent. Upper Mordent in German is "Pralltriller".] and second material with open strings, seventh and fifth in accompaniment sound of slight peasantry - somewhat coarsely-tender. In the middle of the movement after the Violas fast forth, is the piano with very familiar and threatening musical signal in octaves.The intervals of fifths and especially fourths are very important in the viola sonata.

Marina Ivanovna Tsvetaeva (October 9, 1892 - August 31, 1941) was a Russian poet and writer. Dmitri Shostakovich set six of Tsvetaeva

In Shostakovich’s music in general, intervals of fourths are multi-meaningful. It is a fourth of tenderness - tenderness influenced by Tsvetaeva’s cycle; and spiky, playful and mischievously moving fourths and other leaps. All of these kind of fourths you can see in the sonata. However, most of all of the fourths of tenderness (at the beginning of the 3rd movement, finale); tenderness without sentimentality, are high-principled and Beethoven-like (hence, “Mondschein” Sonata).

In thinking, and I am not over-stretching this thought, that the programme of the viola sonata is in supreme affirmation of love and human warmth. In the soul sterilising sorrows, torture, and sickness after the hell of war, people need tenderness and kindness. That is why this instrument of soft, tender and deep sound, the viola, and this sonata is the conclusion to Shostakovich’s triangular string sonata cycle, following the Cellos and Violins. Shostakovich is in general a very “stringed” composer: 15 string quartets, string quintet and trio, string 14th Symphony. He never selected wind chamber ensembles, like Stravinsky, Hindemith, and even Mozart. With all of his originality, Shostakovich avoided specifics. Without fear I argue that in “stringency”, Dmitri Dmitrievich, classic of classics, shows self-abnegating kindness. The programme of his music, of course, does not screen itself from “absolute” music; quotes and musical allusions have aesthetical character. That is a sign of humble admiration before those whom he in his quotes “gives word” with all of this he always remained himself. Maybe his affection and love of the music of others made his own music non-comparable to that of others.

Picasso

Velazquez

All in all he is not afraid of quotation, like Picasso was not afraid to paint on the subject of Velázquez’s [Diego Velázquez - (1599-1660) was a Spanish painter who was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of Spain. His work was highly admired in his day, but was most influential many centuries after his death, which it proved a model for the Realist and Impressionist artists, in particular Manet.] “Les Meninas”. Kindness, sincerity, perfection of absolute thought, suspended from the bustle and freedom of apophthegm, are the characteristics of the viola sonata as it is of its author’s character.

Sonata for viola and fortepiano Op.147 is dedicated to Fyodor Seraphimovich Druzhinin and will be premiered very soon. Without a doubt, Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich’s new composition will make the world a better place.

B. Tishenko, 11 September 1975 year.