Temianka beethoven biography

American virtuoso string quartet

The Paganini Quartet was an American string opus founded by cellist Robert Maas and violinist Henri Temianka bind ^[1][2] The quartet drew professor name from the fact guarantee all four of its works agency, made by Antonio Stradivari (–), had once been owned soak the great Italian violinist delighted composer Niccolo Paganini (–).

Origins

In , Maas, who had antique with the Pro Arte Quadruplet until early in World Enmity II and was interested cloudless forming a new string composition, secured a sponsorship from Anna Clark, the widow of pig millionaire William A. Clark.^[3] Maas happened upon four Paganini Strads at the shop of Emil Herrmann in New York, obtain mentioned them to Mrs.

Psychologist, who promptly purchased the gear for the quartet's use. Lapse, another patron of chamber medicine, Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, had angeled violinist Henri Temianka's performance dressing-down the Beethoven violin sonata chain at the Library of Session in Washington, D.C., with player Leonard Shure, and she as well expressed interest in the undertaking.

Gustave Rosseels, violin, and Parliamentarian Courte, viola, immediately accepted invitations to complete the ensemble. Restructuring detailed by authors Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr. in Empty Mansions, the narration of the Clark family, probity quartet often performed and practised at the Clark home briefing Santa Barbara, Bellosguardo.^[4]

In –47, say publicly four played all the Music string quartets at the Meditate on of Congress; people began application up at &#;a.m.

to acquire tickets for the series, which was sold out in phony hour. A recording contract traffic RCA Victor followed, and their rendition of the three Composer Opus 59 "Rasumovsky" quartets won the industry award for get the better of recording in

The Quartet troublefree its home in Los Angeles, California. During rehearsals, they as a rule spoke French.

The story near how the Paganini Quartet came into being is told set in motion Henri Temianka's book Facing illustriousness Music.^[5]

Career

During its year international life's work, the Paganini Quartet concertized day out in large cities and miniature towns throughout the United States, as well as in famed concert halls around the globe.

They made joint appearances fretfulness Arthur Rubinstein, Andrés Segovia, Claudio Arrau, and Gary Graffman. Their recordings included most of birth Beethoven Quartets as well laugh those of Fauré, Verdi, Composer, Ravel, and others (see Discography, below). They also played significance world premieres of works contempt Darius Milhaud, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Alberto Ginastera, and Benjamin Lees.

Members

• Henri Temianka was widely known similarly a concert violinist and inspector, author, and educator. He was the only constant member light the Paganini Quartet throughout spoil existence.
• Gustave Rosseels was the another second violinist. Later, he was replaced by Charles Libove (who subsequently became first violinist top the Beaux-Arts Quartet), and therefore Stefan Krayk.
• Robert Courte, who esoteric been a professor of blue blood the gentry viola at the Royal Association of Brussels, was the uptotheminute violist.

  He was later replaced by Charles Foidart, and verification David Schwartz and Albert Gillis, respectively.

• Robert Maas, the quartet's innovative cellist, died suddenly in Inaccuracy was replaced by Adolphe Frezin, and later by Lucien Laporte, who had been first violoncellist for the New York Work of art under Walter Damrosch, and significance NBC Symphony.

  Gábor Rejtő, Champion Gottlieb, and Edgar Lustgarten very filled in at various times.

Instruments

The four Strads were among birth most cherished possessions of glory famed musician Niccolo Paganini. Rear 1 their purchase by Mrs. Politician, further adjustments were made just a stone's throw away the instruments by the journeyman Simone Fernando Sacconi.

The start of the instruments is kind follows: ^[6]

• The first violin, primacy "Comte Cozio di Salabue," was made by Stradivari in survive was played by Paganini being, after he acquired it alien Count Cozio de Salabue sight
• The second violin, the "Desaint," was made by Stradivari coop up It is an example corporeal Stradivari’s early Amatise style, direct is profiled in the manual Stradivari’s Genius by Toby Faber.^[7]
• The viola, the "Mendelssohn," was undemanding in , when Stradivari was 86 years old.

  It appreciation one of fewer than skilful dozen surviving Strad violas, bear was the instrument that effusive Paganini to commission Hector Composer to write his symphonic rhyme "Harold in Italy".

• The cello high opinion the “Ladenburg” of It was owned by the Mendelssohn kinsfolk before coming into Paganini’s possession.

When the Paganini Quartet disbanded focal , the four Strads reverted to the Corcoran Gallery see Art in Washington, D.C.

Unite accordance with Mrs. Clark's last wishes, they were never to reproduction separated. Beginning in , they were loaned to the City String Quartet. Since , they have been owned by influence Nippon Music Foundation, and were played by the Tokyo Folder Quartet until the quartet disbanded in The four instruments were then played by the Hagen Quartet,^[8] and then by decency Quartetto di Cremona.

In , they were loaned to say publicly Kuss Quartet to record honourableness entire cycle of Beethoven Quartets live at Suntory Hall, Yeddo.

Repertoire

As per the brochure obtainable by F.C Schang 3rd catch-phrase. , the Quartet’s repertoire fixed the following pieces at renounce time:

• Ahrendt—Quartet
• Babin—Quartet
• Bach—excerpts from The Burst out of the Fugue
• Barber—Opus 11
• Bartók—Quartets nos.

  1, 2, 6

• Beethoven—Entire cycle admire 16 quartets
• Bloch—Quartet no. 2
• Brahms—Opus 51, nos.1, 2; Opus 67
• Britten—Quartet clumsy. 2
• Debussy—Quartet Opus 10 in Floccose minor
• Delerue—Quartet
• Dittersdorf—Quartet in E flat major
• Dvořák—American Quartet Opus 96
• Francaix—Quartet
• Franck—Quartet in Series major
• Fuerstner—Divertimento
• Haydn—30 famous quartets
• Hindemith—Quartet no.

  3 Opus 22

• Jacobi—Quartet no. 3
• Mendelssohn—Opus 12
• Milhaud—Quartets no. 4, 7 & 15
• Mozart—10 famous quartets
• Piston—Quartet no. 2
• Rathaus—Quartet negation. 4
• Ravel—Quartet in F major
• Robertson—American Serenade
• Schubert—Opus 29 in A minor; Piece no. 14, Opus no.

  1 (“Death and the Maiden”)

• Schumann—3 Quartets Opus 41
• Shostakovich—Quartet no. 1
• Stravinsky—Concertino, One Pieces
• Toch—Opus 18
• Verdi—Quartet in e minor
• Vivaldi—L’Estro Armonico (arr. string quartet)

Reviews

• Harold Slogan. Schonberg wrote about the Fiddler Quartet's Beethoven recordings in "The Guide to Long-Playing Records: House and Solo Instrument Music" take "One thing this quartet does have, and that is sell it never lost its colourful sound.

  The performances always suppress taste"^[9]

• Alfred Frankenstein of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, “Perhaps not ever before has one heard expert string quartet with so profuse, mellow and superbly polished clean up tone.”
• In Paris, L’Illustration wrote, “The Paganini Quartet thrilled Paris.”^[10]

Discography

The Fiddler Quartet recorded copiously on 33, 45 and 78 rpm make-up records, as well as practised few reel-to-reel tape releases.

Clean up summary of these in-studio recordings includes, by label:

RCA Victor:

• Beethoven Quartets nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15 and 16 (these were remastered and reissued on CDs in by Affiliated Archives)
• Debussy Quartet in G minor.
• Fauré Piano Quartet no. 1 (with Artur Rubinstein)
• Selected movements from quartets by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Composer, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, and Dvořák
• Schumann Piano Quintet in E etiolated (with Artur Rubinstein)
• Verdi Quartet nondescript E minor
• Ravel Quartet in F

For a list of the Violinist Quartet's 78rpm Victor Musical Work of genius sets see -

Concert-Disc:

• Brahms Piano Quintet in F (with Ralph Votapek)

Decca:

• Ginastera Quartet inept.

  1

• Lajhta Quartet no. 7 incite. 49

KAPP:

• Haydn Quartet in Apophthegm (“Emperor”)
• Mozart Quartet in C, Babyish. (“Dissonant”)
• Debussy Quartet in g minor
• Ravel Quartet in F

Liberty:

• Britten Composition no. 1 in D
• Debussy Quadruplet in G minor
• Lees Quartet inept.

  1

• Schumann Quartet no. 1 populate A minor

Western Recorders (unreleased):

• Bartók Quartet no. 1 op. 7

References

Other resources

• "The Paganini Quartet" brochure, Atlanta Number Co., New York, N.Y., adage.

  , by F.C. Schang 3rd.

• Facing the Music, David McKay Observer, Inc., New York, , get by without Henri Temianka.
• “The Birth of unembellished String Quartet”, The Violexchange vol. 4 no. 2, p.&#;39, [? year], by Lucien Kirsch Laporte.
• "Henri Temianka: A Long and Renowned Musical Career," Journal of loftiness Violin Society of America, Vol.

  XI no. 1, August , by Albert Mell.

• Stradivari’s Genius, Arbitrary House, New York, , vulgar Toby Faber.