JAVS Summer 2026

studied thoroughly within a relatively efficient timeframe. Collectively, they address a broad range of technical aspects of viola playing, with the exception of certain extended techniques that were rarely incorporated into Soviet curricula at the time. Particular emphasis is placed on features characteristic of solo, chamber, and orchestral Soviet/Russian repertoire, including enharmonic writing, fingerings reflecting Russian aesthetics of shifting and sliding, sophisticated legato and non-legato bow strokes, and other forms of instrumental expression. The discrepancy between the potential historical importance of Bezrukov and Oznobishchev’s books and the limited recognition they have received in pedagogical scholarship is difficult to explain. It is reasonable to assume that had these same works been written by Borisovsky, Druzhinin, Bashmet, or even Kramarov, they would have attracted significantly greater attention and acknowledgment. Nicolaj Teran’s brief 2021 article on current directions in viola pedagogy in Russia and the former Soviet states grants these books greater recognition and places them within a broader context, though not to a fully satisfactory extent. 25 It is therefore worth examining, and providing an English translation of, the contents of both the 1988 scale book (Figure 5) and the 1988 second edition of the etude collection (Figure 6). As the tables demonstrate, the two books follow parallel technical trajectories, and corresponding sections from each can readily be paired for simultaneous study. For example, the opening pages of the scale book, which address first and half positions, align with etudes nos. 1–7 from the etude collection, while the whole-tone scale exercises on page 21 of the scale book support work on etudes nos. 70–72, which focus on widening (extending) the left-hand frame through whole-tone-based figures. Even the final chapters of both books, addressing chords and harmonics, correspond in a cohesive manner and support gradual, holistic technical development. Many of the topics addressed in these two books overlap with material found in numerous influential pedagogical sources for upper strings from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The following features, however, receive distinctive treatment in the works of Bezrukov and Oznobishchev and merit attention both in comparison

with other pedagogical sources and in the context of preparation for Russian and Soviet repertoire:

• Emphasis on enharmony and identical fingering patterns across tonalities. The principle that a passage in D-flat major may employ the same fingering as an equivalent passage in C-sharp major—or even in their respective minor tonalities—when carefully adapted, is demonstrated throughout both books. This approach can be particularly useful in preparing orchestral repertoire • Bow distribution markings. The preface to the etude collection includes a glossary of specialized symbols used throughout the book, many of which relate to contact point and bow distribution. These markings are reminiscent of those employed by Carl Flesch, though they provide more detailed indications than the conventional frog– middle–tip distinctions (see Figure 8). • Practicality and economy. As noted previously, the etudes are concise, and the scale book similarly favors short sets of exercises rather than the more extended sequences found in the works of Flesch or Ševčík. This structure enables a manageable and consistent daily technical routine, which may prove more motivating for students. Additional manifestations of this practical and economical approach—arguably reflective of Soviet everyday-life realities—include concise yet informative instructions preceding each exercise or etude, as well as numerous Kreutzer-like rhythmic and articulatory variants attached to scales and etudes, designed to maximize technical coverage. • Accompaniment and ensemble study. Some etudes include an accompanying part for a second viola, typically intended for the teacher, thereby providing stronger harmonic or rhythmic context. Other etudes contain two or even three parts of equal difficulty intended for simultaneous performance by multiple students, likely reflecting the importance of studio classes within Soviet instrumental education. from late nineteenth-century Russia, where enharmonic sequences occur frequently.

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

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