Lindsay Quartet
Encyclopedia
The Lindsay String Quartet (or The Lindsays) was a British
string quartet
from 1965 to 2005.
The quartet first performed at the Royal Academy of Music
in 1965 to compete for a prize and set out to make the string quartets of Bartók
and Beethoven
the centre of their repertoire. In 1967, the quartet was appointed to be Leverhulme Scholars at Keele University
, and in 1970, it changed its name from the Cropper to the Lindsay String Quartet, naming itself after Lord Lindsay, the founder of Keele University. 1971 brought a change in second violin to Ronald Birks. The quartet gained a Gramophone Award
for the Late Beethoven Quartets in 1984. Roger Bigley left the quartet in 1985 to be replaced by Robin Ireland. Bigley then became assistant principal viola of the BBC Philharmonic orchestra before becoming assistant head of strings at the RNCM.
In 1974, they became Quartet-in-Residence at Sheffield University
and five years later held a similar position at Manchester University
, where they performed a regular concert season, directed seminars, and coached chamber ensembles. The quartet presented festivals each year at the Studio Theatre in the Crucible Theatre
, Sheffield
, which featured many famous local and international musicians, and travelled widely throughout the world.
In 2005, after 39 years, the quartet announced their intended retirement the following year. They then performed a very successful series of farewell concerts throughout the world, culminating in four final concerts in their home town of Sheffield in July 2005. Individual members are now pursuing separate musical ideas.
The quartet have produced an extensive list of recordings, including a highly acclaimed Beethoven cycle, and substantial parts of the Haydn, Mozart, Schubert and Dvorak repertoires.
Leader Peter Cropper is the Artistic Director of Music in the Round
, a charitable organisation he founded in the 1980s, that promotes chamber music concerts in Sheffield and nationally. The Lindsays formed the core of Music in the Round's acitivity for over twenty years, until their retirement.
BEETHOVEN: String Quartets Nos.12-16 & Grosse Fuge CD DCA 601, 602, 603 & 604
BEETHOVEN: String Quartets (The New Cycle):
BRAHMS / SCHUMANN:
Piano Quintets (with P. Frankl) CD DCA 728
MENDELSSOHN : String Quartet No. 6 & BRAHMS : String Quartet No. 2 CD QS 6173
HAYDN: The Seven Last Words CD DCA 853
HAYDN: String Quartets “Sun” Op.20 - Nos.1, 3 & 4 CD DCA 1027
HAYDN: String Quartets “Sun” Op.20 - Nos.2, 5 & 6 CD DCA 1057
HAYDN: String Quartets Op.33 - Nos.1, 2 "The Joke"& 4 CD DCA 937
HAYDN: String Quartets Op.33 - Nos.3 "The Bird",5 & 6 CD DCA 938
HAYDN: The 3 String Quartets Op.54 CD DCA 582
HAYDN: The 3 String Quartets Op.55 CD DCA 906
HAYDN: The 3 String Quartets Op.64 (part 1) CD DCA 1083
HAYDN: The 3 String Quartets Op.64 (part 2) CD DCA 1084
HAYDN: The 3 String Quartets Op.76 (part 1) CD DCA 1076
HAYDN: The 3 String Quartets Op.76 (part 2) CD DCA 1077
Haydn: String Quartets Op.50 Nos. 1-3 CD GLD 4007
Haydn: String Quartets Op.50 Nos. 4-6 CD GLD 4008
MOZART: Quartet K387 / String Quintet K516 CD DCA 923
MOZART: Quartet K458 "The Hunt" / Horn Quintet / Oboe Quartet CD DCA 968
MOZART: Quartet K428 / String Quintet K515 CD DCA 992
MOZART: Quartet K421 / String Quintet K593 CD DCA 1018
MOZART: Clarinet Quintet/String Quintet K464 CDDCA 1042
MOZART: Quartet K465 / String Quintet K614 CD DCA 1069
RAVEL & DEBUSSY: String Quartets / STRAVINSKY: 3 Pieces CD DCA 930
SCHUBERT:String Quintet (with Douglas Cummings - cello) CD DCA 537
SCHUBERT:String Quartets Nos.8 & 13 "Rosamunde" CD DCA 593
SCHUBERT:String Quartets Nos.12 & 14 "Death and the Maiden" CD DCA 560
SCHUBERT:String Quartet No.15 CD DCA 661
TIPPETT: String Quartet No.4 / BRITTEN: String Quartet No.3 CD DCA 608
"THE BOHEMIANS"
JANACEK: The 2 String Quartets "Kreutzer Sonata" & "Intimate Letters" / DVORAK: Cypresses CD DCA 749
SMETANA: The 2 String Quartets / DVORAK: Romance & 2 Waltzes CD DCA 777
DVORAK: String Quartets Nos.10 & 14 CD DCA 788
DVORAK: String Quartets Nos.12 "The American" & 13 CD DCA 797
DVORAK: Bagatelles / String Quintet "The American" CD DCA 806
DVORAK & MARTINU: Piano Quintets (with Peter Frankl - piano) CD DCA 889
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
string quartet
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...
from 1965 to 2005.
The quartet first performed at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
in 1965 to compete for a prize and set out to make the string quartets of Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
and Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
the centre of their repertoire. In 1967, the quartet was appointed to be Leverhulme Scholars at Keele University
Keele University
Keele University is a campus university near Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as an experimental college dedicated to a broad curriculum and interdisciplinary study, Keele is most notable for pioneering the dual honours degree in Britain...
, and in 1970, it changed its name from the Cropper to the Lindsay String Quartet, naming itself after Lord Lindsay, the founder of Keele University. 1971 brought a change in second violin to Ronald Birks. The quartet gained a Gramophone Award
Gramophone Award
The Gramophone Awards are one of the most significant honours bestowed on recordings in the classical record industry, often referred to as the Oscars for classical music. The winners are selected annually by critics for the Gramophone magazine and various members of the industry, including...
for the Late Beethoven Quartets in 1984. Roger Bigley left the quartet in 1985 to be replaced by Robin Ireland. Bigley then became assistant principal viola of the BBC Philharmonic orchestra before becoming assistant head of strings at the RNCM.
In 1974, they became Quartet-in-Residence at Sheffield University
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
and five years later held a similar position at Manchester University
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
, where they performed a regular concert season, directed seminars, and coached chamber ensembles. The quartet presented festivals each year at the Studio Theatre in the Crucible Theatre
Crucible Theatre
The Crucible Theatre is a theatre built in 1971 and located in the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. As well as theatrical performances, it is home to the most important event in professional snooker, the World Snooker Championship....
, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, which featured many famous local and international musicians, and travelled widely throughout the world.
In 2005, after 39 years, the quartet announced their intended retirement the following year. They then performed a very successful series of farewell concerts throughout the world, culminating in four final concerts in their home town of Sheffield in July 2005. Individual members are now pursuing separate musical ideas.
The quartet have produced an extensive list of recordings, including a highly acclaimed Beethoven cycle, and substantial parts of the Haydn, Mozart, Schubert and Dvorak repertoires.
Leader Peter Cropper is the Artistic Director of Music in the Round
Music in the Round
Music in the Round is a charitable organisation based in Sheffield, UK. Its aim is to provide quality chamber music concerts at affordable prices, and provide accessibility to all members of the community...
, a charitable organisation he founded in the 1980s, that promotes chamber music concerts in Sheffield and nationally. The Lindsays formed the core of Music in the Round's acitivity for over twenty years, until their retirement.
Members
- Peter Cropper (first violin)
- Ronald Birks (second violin)
- Roger Bigley/Robin Ireland (viola)
- Bernard Gregor-Smith (cello)
External links
- Beethoven String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 130 - 5. Cavatina
- Beethoven op. 131 string quartet # 14 (1/5)
- Beethoven op. 131 string quartet # 14 (2/5)
- Beethoven op. 131 string quartet # 14 (3/5)
- Beethoven op. 131 string quartet # 14 (4/5)
- Beethoven op. 131 string quartet # 14 (5/5)
ASV Lindsay String Quartet Discography
BEETHOVEN: String Quartets "Rasumovsky" No.7, Nos.8 & 9 CD DCA 553, 554BEETHOVEN: String Quartets Nos.12-16 & Grosse Fuge CD DCA 601, 602, 603 & 604
BEETHOVEN: String Quartets (The New Cycle):
- Opus 18, Nos. 1, 2 & 3 CD DCA 1111
- Opus 18, Nos. 4/5. Opus 14. CD DCA 1112
- Opus 18, No. 6. Quintet Op.29. CD DCA 1113
- Opus 59, "Razumovsky" Nos. 1 & 3 CD DCA 1114
- Opus 59, No.2 and Opus 74. CD DCA 1115
- Opus 95, Opus 127. CD DCA 1116
- Op.130 & Grosse Fuge Op.133 CD DCA 1117
- Op.132 & Quintet Op.104 CD DCA 1118
- Op.131 & Op.135 CD DCA 1119
BRAHMS / SCHUMANN:
Piano Quintets (with P. Frankl) CD DCA 728
MENDELSSOHN : String Quartet No. 6 & BRAHMS : String Quartet No. 2 CD QS 6173
HAYDN: The Seven Last Words CD DCA 853
HAYDN: String Quartets “Sun” Op.20 - Nos.1, 3 & 4 CD DCA 1027
HAYDN: String Quartets “Sun” Op.20 - Nos.2, 5 & 6 CD DCA 1057
HAYDN: String Quartets Op.33 - Nos.1, 2 "The Joke"& 4 CD DCA 937
HAYDN: String Quartets Op.33 - Nos.3 "The Bird",5 & 6 CD DCA 938
HAYDN: The 3 String Quartets Op.54 CD DCA 582
HAYDN: The 3 String Quartets Op.55 CD DCA 906
HAYDN: The 3 String Quartets Op.64 (part 1) CD DCA 1083
HAYDN: The 3 String Quartets Op.64 (part 2) CD DCA 1084
HAYDN: The 3 String Quartets Op.76 (part 1) CD DCA 1076
HAYDN: The 3 String Quartets Op.76 (part 2) CD DCA 1077
Haydn: String Quartets Op.50 Nos. 1-3 CD GLD 4007
Haydn: String Quartets Op.50 Nos. 4-6 CD GLD 4008
MOZART: Quartet K387 / String Quintet K516 CD DCA 923
MOZART: Quartet K458 "The Hunt" / Horn Quintet / Oboe Quartet CD DCA 968
MOZART: Quartet K428 / String Quintet K515 CD DCA 992
MOZART: Quartet K421 / String Quintet K593 CD DCA 1018
MOZART: Clarinet Quintet/String Quintet K464 CDDCA 1042
MOZART: Quartet K465 / String Quintet K614 CD DCA 1069
RAVEL & DEBUSSY: String Quartets / STRAVINSKY: 3 Pieces CD DCA 930
SCHUBERT:String Quintet (with Douglas Cummings - cello) CD DCA 537
SCHUBERT:String Quartets Nos.8 & 13 "Rosamunde" CD DCA 593
SCHUBERT:String Quartets Nos.12 & 14 "Death and the Maiden" CD DCA 560
SCHUBERT:String Quartet No.15 CD DCA 661
TIPPETT: String Quartet No.4 / BRITTEN: String Quartet No.3 CD DCA 608
"THE BOHEMIANS"
JANACEK: The 2 String Quartets "Kreutzer Sonata" & "Intimate Letters" / DVORAK: Cypresses CD DCA 749
SMETANA: The 2 String Quartets / DVORAK: Romance & 2 Waltzes CD DCA 777
DVORAK: String Quartets Nos.10 & 14 CD DCA 788
DVORAK: String Quartets Nos.12 "The American" & 13 CD DCA 797
DVORAK: Bagatelles / String Quintet "The American" CD DCA 806
DVORAK & MARTINU: Piano Quintets (with Peter Frankl - piano) CD DCA 889