The Dounis Collection: Eleven Books of Studies for the Violin.(Book Review)

The Dounis Collection: Eleven Books of Studies for the Violin, by Demetrius Dounis. Carl Fischer (65 Bleeker St., New York, NY 10012), 2005. 303 pp. $28.95.

Carl Fischer has rendered an important service to the string pedagogy world with the recent publication of The Dounis Collection, compiling in one book, 12 of Demetrius Dounis's most influential works, including The Artist's Technique Violin Playing and The Violin Players' Daily Dozen, and nine additional volumes, some of which were no longer easily available.

Unlike Ivan Galamian, the teaching career of Dounis consisted, for the most part, of giving master classes and helping mature professional musicians solve problems in their playing, rather than developing prodigies or holding an appointment at a major conservatory. Therefore, his recognition as one of the most influential pedagogues of the 20th-century has been belated. Among his disciples are the well-known cello teacher George Neikrug and the late violist, William Primrose and among his students ...