Philharmonia Quartet
Encyclopedia
The Philharmonia Quartet was an English
string quartet
musical ensemble
founded during the early 1940s out of the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, though some of its members had collaborated during the 1930s in earlier ensembles. The formal career of the quartet ended in 1952. It is not to be confused with the Philharmonia Quartet, Berlin, founded by Daniel Strabawa and other members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
in 1985 (often referred to as the Philharmonia Quartet), nor with the Philharmonic Quartet
.
Henry Holst
2nd violin:
Ernest Element
viola:
Herbert Downes
violoncello:
Anthony Pini
, had been leader of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from 1923 to 1931. By 1931, Herbert Downes (1909-2004), a student of Paul Beard and Carl Flesch
, held the viola desk in the Henry Holst Quartet. In 1935, Downes was leading his own quartet. Anthony Pini (1902-1989) had recorded the Schubert
C major Quintet and the Brahms
B flat major Sextet (No. 1) with the Pro Arte Quartet
(for HMV
) during the 1930s. In 1940 Herbert Downes moved to the BBC Scottish Orchestra and from there to the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and from 1945-1974 became principal viola of the Philharmonia Orchestra
. Henry Holst and Anthony Pini were together with Louis Kentner
in a 1941 Columbia Records
account of the Dvořák
Dumky Trio, and again with Solomon in the Beethoven
Archduke Trio in 1943. The Philharmonia Quartet was performing at Manchester
in 1945 (the year in which Holst began teaching at the Royal College of Music
). It gave the premiere of the William Walton
A minor Quartet at the Prague
Spring Festival in 1947, and thereafter repeated it at home (e.g. Aberdeen
Chamber Society, February 1948). Its performance in the Brahms F minor Quintet with Clifford Curzon
was considered 'exhilarating'. Its 1945 Columbia Records
78rpm recording of the Mozart
clarinet quintet with Reginald Kell
(the earlier of Kell's versions) was highly praised.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
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...
musical ensemble
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
founded during the early 1940s out of the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, though some of its members had collaborated during the 1930s in earlier ensembles. The formal career of the quartet ended in 1952. It is not to be confused with the Philharmonia Quartet, Berlin, founded by Daniel Strabawa and other members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
The Berlin Philharmonic, German: , formerly Berliner Philharmonisches Orchester , is an orchestra based in Berlin, Germany. In 2006, a group of ten European media outlets voted the Berlin Philharmonic number three on a list of "top ten European Orchestras", after the Vienna Philharmonic and the...
in 1985 (often referred to as the Philharmonia Quartet), nor with the Philharmonic Quartet
Philharmonic Quartet
The Philharmonic Quartet was an English string quartet musical ensemble founded during the period of the First World War and remaining active until the early 1940s, by which time none of the original members were present in the group.- Original members :...
.
Personnel
1st violin:Henry Holst
2nd violin:
Ernest Element
viola:
Herbert Downes
violoncello:
Anthony Pini
Origins
The gathering of these four very distinguished musicians resulted in some of the most dynamic chamber concertizing immediately at the end of the war. Henry Holst (b. 1899), a pupil of Axel GadeAxel Gade
Axel Gade was a Danish violinist, composer and conductor. He was the son of Niels Wilhelm Gade.-Notable works:*Violin concerto No. 1 in D major *Violin concerto Op. 10, No...
, had been leader of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from 1923 to 1931. By 1931, Herbert Downes (1909-2004), a student of Paul Beard and Carl Flesch
Carl Flesch
Carl Flesch was a violinist and teacher.Carl Flesch was born in Moson in Hungary in 1873. He began playing the violin at seven years of age. At 10, he was taken to Vienna, and began to study with Jakob Grün. At 17, he left for Paris, and joined the Paris Conservatoire...
, held the viola desk in the Henry Holst Quartet. In 1935, Downes was leading his own quartet. Anthony Pini (1902-1989) had recorded the Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
C major Quintet and the Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
B flat major Sextet (No. 1) with the Pro Arte Quartet
Pro Arte Quartet
The Pro Arte String Quartet was founded in Belgium in 1912, and transferred permanently to Madison, Wisconsin in 1941. After becoming the Court Quartet to Queen Elizabeth of Belgium, the Pro Arte began the first of many international tours in 1919. Bartok, Milhaud and Honegger entrusted the...
(for HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
) during the 1930s. In 1940 Herbert Downes moved to the BBC Scottish Orchestra and from there to the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and from 1945-1974 became principal viola of the Philharmonia Orchestra
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke...
. Henry Holst and Anthony Pini were together with Louis Kentner
Louis Kentner
Louis Kentner was a Hungarian, later British, pianist who excelled in the works of Chopin and Liszt, as well as the Hungarian repertoire....
in a 1941 Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
account of the Dvořák
Antonín Dvorák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
Dumky Trio, and again with Solomon in the 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...
Archduke Trio in 1943. The Philharmonia Quartet was performing at 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...
in 1945 (the year in which Holst began teaching at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
). It gave the premiere of the William Walton
William Walton
Sir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera...
A minor Quartet at the Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
Spring Festival in 1947, and thereafter repeated it at home (e.g. Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
Chamber Society, February 1948). Its performance in the Brahms F minor Quintet with Clifford Curzon
Clifford Curzon
Sir Clifford Michael Curzon, CBE was an English pianist.-Early life:Clifford Michael Siegenberg was born in London to Michael and Constance Mary Siegenberg...
was considered 'exhilarating'. Its 1945 Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
78rpm recording of the Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
clarinet quintet with Reginald Kell
Reginald Kell
Reginald Clifford Kell was a British clarinetist.-Career:Born in York, England, Kell was the first prominent player to apply vibrato consciously and consistently to his tone, in which respect he modelled himself on his colleague the oboist Léon Goossens...
(the earlier of Kell's versions) was highly praised.
Recordings
(Columbia Records, 78rpm)- Mozart: Clarinet Quintet, with Reginald Kell (DX 1187-90). (1945)
- Mozart: Quartet in C major K 465 (DX 1524-1526).
- Mozart: Quartet in B flat major K 458 (DX 1025-1027).
- Schubert: Quartet in D minor 'Death and the Maiden'. (DX 1089-1092)
- Schubert: Quartet in A minor op 29 (DX 1349-52).
- Beethoven: Quartet op 59 no 1 (DX 1067-71).
- (more)
Sources
- C. Fifield, Ibbs and Tillett, The Rise and Fall of a Musical Empire (Ashgate Publishing, 2005).
- T. Potter, Herbert Downes - Obituary, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 26 January 2005. http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/obituary/0,12723,1398600,00.html - E. Sackville-West and D. Shawe-Taylor, The Record Year 2 (Collins, London 1953).
- Aberdeen chamber concert 1 Feb 1948 http://www.aberdeenchambermusic.org/document/acmc2007progsfinalchron.doc