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For further information contact Catherine & Warrick Dobbie –Email: contactus@musicteachers.com.au or Ph: 0412 642 048 ticket from his friend and colleague. (It so happened that the concert didn’t eventuate due to some disagreement regarding the choice of conductor.) We moved to London from the north of England when I was seven years old, at which time Sascha offered to teach me the violin, lending me a fractional sized violin that I believe he had used in his youth. My mother would take me to Sascha’s flat in South London, at 60 St Quintin Avenue where would have my lessons. This seemed like a normal occurrence to me as was blissfully unaware of the privilege that was receiving. I might have made better progress if I had understood Sascha’s Russian accent which was not helped by the fact that he always had a cigarette hanging out of the side of his mouth. As it was, I found that holding the violin under my chin was very uncomfortable and when practising, I would resort to holding it downwards in my lap (shades of things to come with the treble viola da gamba). I met my waterloo with vibrato after which, to my immense relief, and perhaps to Sascha’s as well, the lessons ceased. One thing that sticks in my mind was Sascha’s obvious frustration when he would knock my bow off the string! However, other wonderful memories include hearing Sascha at our house accompanied by my mother at the piano or playing solo Bach, for which he was famous.

When the Russian virtuoso string players of the day visited England, Sascha would hold court at the Royal Festival Hall in London. remember when Nathan Milstein came, Sascha took me round to the artists room where there were crowds of people clamouring to be let in. As Sascha approached, it was like the parting of the Red Sea. We were duly let in and Sascha told me to sit in a corner and watch and listen. Milstein, having received a standing ovation from the audience, was sitting with his head in his hands. The two men embraced, after which Milstein asked, ‘Was it all right, Sascha?’ Sascha took Milstein’s violin and suggested some different fingerings and bowings which were duly discussed. When the hoards were let in, there was much gushing of compliments such as ‘Darling, you were wonderful’; however, such was the hypocrisy of certain members of the human race when outside the artists room, the comments sometimes told a different story.

Sascha also introduced me to Mstislav Rostropovitch who had heard at his debut in London at the Royal Festival Hall. I had previously been lucky enough to pass the audition for the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and we went on a tour of Russia, Sweden, Finland and Germany in 1961. The first concert in Russia was in the Tchaikovsky Hall, Moscow. In the royal box were David and Igor Oistrakh, Dmitri and Maxim Shostakovitch and Mstislav Rostropovitch. After the concert, we had a ceremony akin to the royal trooping of the colour.

I had been introduced to Rostropovitch the year before. To my amazement, I found myself encased in a bear hug by Rostropovitch – ‘How is Sascha?’ I found out that Sascha had a relation who had conducted the orchestra in which Rostropovitch had performed as a soloist.

I went to boarding school at the age of nine. Neither Uncle Sascha or my mother were prepared to have their teaching messed up so I started a new instrument which was to be (instrumentally speaking) the love of my life. After one term’s tuition from the school cello teacher, I was summoned to play to Sascha. He clutched his head in dismay and exclaimed, ‘Get her to a teacher’. I wanted to stay at that particular boarding school so the result of this was that I learnt at school during term time and ‘unlearnt’ in the holidays from the fine cellist, John Shinebourne. On reflection, I truly believe that these were the origins of my becoming a confirmed diagnostic instrumental teacher.

I remember when my cousin, Michael Lasserson, was visiting Moscow, that he and his wife looked on the honours board at the Conservatoire, expecting to see Sascha’s name and list of prizes. Sadly, his name had been expunged as it had been presumed in 1914 when he was obliged to stay in London, that Sascha was a spy. Michael compiled and edited a most valuable book of reminiscences of Sascha’s students, Sascha Lasserson: Portrait of a Teacher, first published by Kahn and Averill in 2005. Included are letters, excerpts from violin repertoire such as the first movement of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, violin studies, and Sascha’s warm-up and finger independence exercises. But more particularly, the book contains a detailed description of Sascha Lasserson as a teacher, artist and a fine human being. It offers much insight into the history and lineage of violin playing throughout the Western world.

As I said in the beginning, I am indeed fortunate to have been born into a family of such accomplished musicians. As an instrumental teacher, I will always be grateful for the example of Sascha’s unwavering gentleness in his relationships with his students, and his ability to pinpoint and correct the errors in his student’s approach to the violin.

Miriam Morris is a teacher of the viol, cello and piano at all levels. She was a long-time AMEB examiner. Her latest publication, The Art of Playing the Viol, is available at www.saraband.com.au/PlayingtheViol.html She recently presented on ‘Making the Switch to a New Instrument’ at the AUSTA National Conference.