Lionel Tertis

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Lore & Background

Lionel Tertis, CBE (29 December 1876 – 22 February 1975), was an English violist of Polish-Jewish heritage, born in West Hartlepool. He initially trained as a pianist, leaving home at thirteen to earn a living, and later studied violin at Trinity College of Music, the Leipzig Conservatorium, and the Royal Academy of Music. At the Royal Academy, its principal encouraged him to switch to the viola, a move reinforced by the influence of Oskar Nedbal. Tertis quickly became one of the first violists to achieve international fame, touring Europe and the United States as a soloist. He served as Professor of Viola at the Royal Academy from 1900, greatly expanding the instrument’s repertoire by urging colleagues and students to compose for it. Composers including Arnold Bax, Frank Bridge, Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Arthur Bliss, and William Walton wrote pieces for him; Walton’s Viola Concerto was among them, though Tertis did not give its premiere, finding the work initially difficult. He owned a large 1717 Montagnana viola, measuring 17⅛ inches, which he acquired in Paris in 1920, and later designed his own Tertis model at 16¾ inches to offer similar tonal richness in a more manageable size. Tertis performed Strauss’s *Don Quixote* with Pablo Casals in 1934. He retired from the concert platform in 1937, appearing only once more in 1949 to raise funds for viola composition. He was appointed CBE in 1950. Tertis also composed original works and arranged pieces such as Elgar’s Cello Concerto for viola, and authored publications including *Cinderella No More* and *My Viola and I*. He died in Wimbledon, London, at age 98.

Reader's Guide

Lionel Tertis's significance lies in his role as a pioneer for the viola as a solo instrument. Before him, the viola was largely confined to orchestral and chamber music; Tertis's international career as a soloist demonstrated its potential. His teaching at the Royal Academy of Music and his encouragement of composers created a substantial body of original works for the viola, including concertos by Walton and others. Walton's Viola Concerto was written for Tertis, though he did not give the premiere because he found it difficult to comprehend; Paul Hindemith premiered it. Tertis first performed the work in 1930. His own Tertis model viola addressed practical issues of size while preserving tonal richness. The Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, established in 1980, continues his legacy. Many of his students became leading violists, and his transcriptions and arrangements, such as that of Elgar's Cello Concerto, further expanded the repertoire. His memoirs and writings, including 'Cinderella No More' and 'My Viola and I', document his life and philosophy.

Did You Know?

• Errington began studying the viola with Lionel Tertis in 1934, travelling to Surrey for his lessons.
• At his first lesson, Tertis told Errington: 'Well, you make quite a pleasant sound but it's all "flautando" - you must work for your sound, don't sound like a poor fiddler.'
• Errington was known as 'The Tertis of the North.'
• Errington played a Lionel Tertis Model (Cocker) viola from 1943.
• Tertis died in Wimbledon, London, at age 98.