JAVS Summer 2026

Bezrukov and Oznobishchev

Figure 4. Georgyi Bezrukov (n.d.).

Seemingly more widely used today is the set of pedagogical books Viola Technique Fundamentals ( Osnovy tekhniki igry na al’te ) from 1973, together with the supplementary volume Scales and Arpeggios (1988), jointly written by Georgyi Bezrukov and Konstantin Oznobishchev. These publications represent an important pedagogical source from the late Soviet period and appear to constitute the most comprehensive resource of their kind. Unfortunately, little information is available regarding either author or their pedagogical philosophy. Bezrukov is mentioned briefly in several sources as a celebrated performer, teacher, and editor from Moscow, and is remembered primarily for directing a viola ensemble. 18 Oznobishchev remains even more obscure, with the only available information indicating that he served on the viola faculty at the Gnessin Academy in Moscow. 19 grades 5 and 7, during the first year of uchilishche (equivalent to college), or even later. 20 They reinforce the view that viola studies should be built upon at least four years of violin training within the common Soviet methodological framework for violin instruction. 21 This approach, formalized by A. Yampolsky and known as Yunyj Skripach ( The Young Violinist ), is described and In the preface to the 1973 volume, the authors reiterate the idea that students should transition to viola between

analyzed in detail in Y. Dyo’s 2018 dissertation at Temple University. 22

Whereas the 1940s viola methods by Reitikh and Ryvkin addressed early stages of familiarity with musical notation and the physical characteristics of upper-string instruments, the books by Bezrukov and Oznobishchev target more advanced students. They begin with issues specific to the viola, including the alto clef, different mensura , and distinct approaches to sound production, all applied to longer and shorter bow strokes. Although the etude collection was first published more than a decade before the scale book, the later edition of the etudes instructs students to study both volumes simultaneously. 23 Additional recommendations by the authors include using the fundamental exercises of Schradieck and Ševčík as a daily warm-up before proceeding to the scales and etudes, as well as studying the books alongside standard repertoire rather than separating technical work and literature into different terms, as was sometimes practiced by Soviet pedagogues. 24 Together, these two books—amounting to approximately 250 pages—contain original etudes as well as material drawn from both familiar and lesser-known Soviet and European sources. The etudes are uniformly short, generally under one page in length, allowing each to be

32

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 42, Summer 2026 Online Issue