My Turn

The Art of Editing—Musical Ownership

Fingerings and bowings in string music are edited with two primary goals in mind: to achieve technical ease and to express musical nuance. I grew up near Boston and was very blessed to have studied violin there with two wonderful teachers. Both were masterful musicians, but with uniquely different approaches to editing.

Ruth Posselt was a marvelous concert artist who started her career at a very young age. She had incredible musical ideas that she realized effortlessly in her playing. The bowings and fingerings that she recommended to her students, although sophisticated, were often very challenging. What she asked her students to do was rarely accomplished with the success that she enjoyed.

Nevertheless, being exposed to her musicianship was an extraordinary education. Her husband, Richard Burgin, was concertmaster and associate conductor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO). Posselt accepted me into her studio when I entered the eighth grade, and I worked primarily with her through high school.

Burgin and Posselt had children, and Posselt preferred not to tour for long periods of time, so I was able to maintain a fairly regular schedule of lessons. On the occasions when she was away, I would have a lesson or two with Burgin, who retired as concertmaster in 1964, the same year that I graduated from high school. He then accepted the position of professor of violin at Florida State University, and I decided to pursue undergraduate studies there. Continuing to hold the position of associate conductor with the BSO, he was away periodically while the orchestra was touring. At those times, Posselt would teach his students.

With regard to editing, Burgin was much more of a pragmatist. One particular amusing instance comes to mind. He was on tour with the BSO, and I took a concerto into a lesson with Posselt. She edited the first movement and, as was her custom, the suggested bowings and fingerings were difficult. The next week, I played the movement for Burgin. “We can't use these fingerings,” he said, and he re-edited the movement. The next week he was away again, and I played the work for Posselt, who promptly put the other markings back in. Being shy, I offered no clue as to why the changes had occurred. Once again, a week later, I played the movement for Burgin, who became rather agitated when he noticed that I had reverted to the former editing.

He asked me, “Where did you get these fingerings, and why aren't you using what I gave you?” I finally confessed that his wife had suggested them. He sighed and said, “Now I understand! You have to realize that Miss Posselt is a phenomenal artist. If she hears something, she just makes it happen. For the rest of us mortal violinists, we must first achieve accuracy and clarity of notes and musical ideas. After this, we can branch out to more daring things. Put my edits in with hers and if you play this for her again, make her happy and attempt hers. But keep this conversation between you and me!” I am happy to say that, eventually, I incorporated some of her ideas, some of his, and many of my own.

Inevitably, students of Burgin would hear each other play the same works. We noticed that the editing was often very different, and we asked why. He pointed out that our hands were all totally different. He gave an example, stating that what suited my large hand with long fingers and what suited his fatter hand with short fingers meant that he could not use some fingerings that I could. Differing strengths in bow technique also would influence bowing recommendations. What a genius! He was careful to assess what each of his students brought to the table and fed us accordingly. The education in editing that we received was one of the most important aspects of our study with him.

Occasionally, I am asked to listen to and critique professional violinists and students of other teachers. I rarely find these players straying from the printed recommendations for fingerings and bowings. This fact becomes the focus of our conversations. I encourage them to take ownership of their musicianship. I devote much time with my students toward this end.

As string educators, it is important that we impart sound musical advice to our students. However, we also have an obligation to teach technique so that our students can realize musical success, not with printed bowings and fingerings but by freely showing their individual technical strengths and musical preferences.