Brodsky Quartet (Adolph Brodsky Manchester)
Encyclopedia
The Brodsky Quartet was the second String quartet
established and led by violin
ist Adolph Brodsky
.
It was established on 1895 in Manchester
, after Brodsky left New York
and came to the English city to teach at the Royal Manchester College of Music
, and direct the Hallé Orchestra
.
Brodsky played first violin, Rawdon Briggs played second violin, Simon Speelman played the viola
, and Carl Fuchs played the cello.
Brodsky and Fuchs, who both admired Edward Elgar
, had the opportunity to meet him in February of 1900, when Hans Richter introduced them following a performance of the Enigma Variations
Richter conducted in Manchester. Fuchs asked Elgar to compose a string quartet for the Brodsky Quartet. Several years later, in 1918, Elgar completed his String Quartet in E minor
, Op. 83 and dedicated it to the Brodsky quartet.
However, at the time the Quartet's member were around seventy years of age and the work premiere was given in London by the "British String Quartet", led by Albert Sammons.
Brodsky had formed the first Brodsky Quartet
in Leipzig
in 1889.
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
established and led by violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist Adolph Brodsky
Adolph Brodsky
Adolph Davidovich Brodsky was a Russian violinist.He enjoyed a long and illustrious career as a performer and teacher, starting early in Vienna, going on to Moscow, Leipzig, and New York City and finally Manchester. During its course he met and worked with composers such as Tchaikovsky and...
.
It was established on 1895 in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, after Brodsky left New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and came to the English city to teach at the Royal Manchester College of Music
Royal Manchester College of Music
The Royal Manchester College of Music was founded in 1893 by Sir Charles Hallé who assumed the role as Principal. For a long period of time Hallé had argued for Manchester's need for a conservatoire to properly train the local talent. The Ducie Street building, just off Oxford Road, was purchased...
, and direct the Hallé Orchestra
The Hallé
The Hallé is a symphony orchestra based in Manchester, England. It is the UK's oldest extant symphony orchestra , supports a choir, youth choir and a youth orchestra, and releases its recordings on its own record label, though it has occasionally released recordings on Angel Records and EMI...
.
Brodsky played first violin, Rawdon Briggs played second violin, Simon Speelman played the viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, and Carl Fuchs played the cello.
Brodsky and Fuchs, who both admired Edward Elgar
Edward Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos...
, had the opportunity to meet him in February of 1900, when Hans Richter introduced them following a performance of the Enigma Variations
Enigma Variations
Variations on an Original Theme for orchestra , Op. 36, commonly referred to as the Enigma Variations, is a set of a theme and its fourteen variations written for orchestra by Edward Elgar in 1898–1899. It is Elgar's best-known large-scale composition, for both the music itself and the...
Richter conducted in Manchester. Fuchs asked Elgar to compose a string quartet for the Brodsky Quartet. Several years later, in 1918, Elgar completed his String Quartet in E minor
String Quartet (Elgar)
The String Quartet in E minor, Op. 83, was one of three major chamber music works composed by Sir Edward Elgar in 1918. The others were the Violin Sonata in E minor, Op. 82, and the Piano Quintet in A minor, Op. 84. Along with the Cello Concerto in E minor, Op...
, Op. 83 and dedicated it to the Brodsky quartet.
However, at the time the Quartet's member were around seventy years of age and the work premiere was given in London by the "British String Quartet", led by Albert Sammons.
Brodsky had formed the first Brodsky Quartet
Brodsky Quartet (Adolph Brodsky Leipzig)
The Brodsky Quartet was a String quartet led by Adolph Brodsky. It was established on 1884, while Brodsky was professor at the Leipzig Conservatoire. The founding members, aside from Brodsky were Ottokar Nováček , Hans Sitt and Leopold Grützmacher .In 1885, Hans Becker replaced Nováček and...
in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
in 1889.
External links
- Adolph Brodsky Bio Biography of Carl Fuchs with pointers