Végh Quartet
Encyclopedia
The Végh Quartet was a Hungarian
string quartet
founded in 1940 and led by its first violinist Sándor Végh
for 40 years. The quartet was based in Budapest
until it departed Hungary
in 1946. It is particularly known for its recordings of the Beethoven (recorded twice - 1952 mono and 1972-4 stereo) and Bartók cycles. The quartet disbanded in 1980.
In 1978 Philipp Naegele
replaced Sándor Zöldy, and Bruno Giuranna replaced Georges Janzer.
, a pupil of Jenő Hubay
and Zoltán Kodály
at Budapest
Academy, led the Hungarian Quartet
from its foundation in 1935 until 1937, when he ceded the first violin desk to Zoltán Székely
, and went to the second in the place of Péter Szervánsky: Denes Koromzay was the viola and Vilmos Palotai the 'cello. Székely was a friend of Bela Bartok
, and the group became rapidly known by giving the premiere performance of the Bartok 5th Quartet, which it studied with the composer. By 1938, the group had been heard in every major city of Western Europe. In 1940 Végh left to found his own quartet.
The Vegh Quartet was founded in Budapest and was based there during the War, but left Hungary in 1946 and settled in Paris. They won the Grand Prix at Geneva at its first international music festival 1946.The 1952 recording of the Beethoven quartets was made in Boston, Massachusetts. The personnel of the quartet remained the same for almost 40 years. Then, in 1978 the second violin and viola left the group. (The original violist, Georges Janzer, and his wife, cellist Eva Czako, went on to teach at the Indiana University School of Music, alongside Mrs. Janzer's childhood teacher, Janos Starker. The Janzers also made a number of recordings of chamber music with the legendary Belgian violinist Arthur Grumiaux
.) They were both replaced, but after two more years the ensemble was disbanded.
(*These reissued in a joint remastering by Dr John Duffy & Andrew Rose, October 2008, for Pristine Audio, PACM061. Personnel: Végh, Zöldy, Janzer, Szabo. See http://groups.google.com/group/rec.music.classical.recordings/browse_thread/thread/d902266b7de7e7fe)
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
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...
founded in 1940 and led by its first violinist Sándor Végh
Sándor Végh
Sándor Végh was a Hungarian, later French, violinist and conductor. He was best known as one of the great chamber music violinists of the twentieth century.- Education :...
for 40 years. The quartet was based in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
until it departed Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
in 1946. It is particularly known for its recordings of the Beethoven (recorded twice - 1952 mono and 1972-4 stereo) and Bartók cycles. The quartet disbanded in 1980.
Personnel
The personnel from 1940 to 1978 were:- Sándor VéghSándor VéghSándor Végh was a Hungarian, later French, violinist and conductor. He was best known as one of the great chamber music violinists of the twentieth century.- Education :...
(violin) - Sándor Zöldy (violin)
- Georges Janzer (viola)
- Paul SzaboPaul SzaboPaul John Mark Szabo is a Canadian politician. He is a former member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Mississauga South for the Liberal Party.-Early life and education:...
(cello)
In 1978 Philipp Naegele
Philipp Naegele
Philipp Otto Naegele was a United States-based violinist, violist and scholar.He was born on January 22, 1928, the youngest son of the well-known painter Reinhold Naegele in Stuttgart, Germany...
replaced Sándor Zöldy, and Bruno Giuranna replaced Georges Janzer.
Origins
Sándor VéghSándor Végh
Sándor Végh was a Hungarian, later French, violinist and conductor. He was best known as one of the great chamber music violinists of the twentieth century.- Education :...
, a pupil of Jenő Hubay
Jeno Hubay
Eugen Huber , better known by his Hungarian name Jenő Hubay , was a Hungarian violinist, composer and music teacher.-Early life:Eugen Huber was born into a German family of musicians in Pest, Hungary...
and Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is best known internationally as the creator of the Kodály Method.-Life:Born in Kecskemét, Kodály learned to play the violin as a child....
at Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
Academy, led the Hungarian Quartet
Hungarian Quartet
The Hungarian String Quartet was a musical ensemble of world renown, particularly famous for its performances of quartets by Beethoven and Bartók...
from its foundation in 1935 until 1937, when he ceded the first violin desk to Zoltán Székely
Zoltán Székely
Zoltán Székely was a violinist and composer.Székely studied violin with Jenő Hubay and composition with Zoltán Kodály at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest. He composed mainly chamber music...
, and went to the second in the place of Péter Szervánsky: Denes Koromzay was the viola and Vilmos Palotai the 'cello. Székely was a friend of Bela Bartok
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 the group became rapidly known by giving the premiere performance of the Bartok 5th Quartet, which it studied with the composer. By 1938, the group had been heard in every major city of Western Europe. In 1940 Végh left to found his own quartet.
The Vegh Quartet was founded in Budapest and was based there during the War, but left Hungary in 1946 and settled in Paris. They won the Grand Prix at Geneva at its first international music festival 1946.The 1952 recording of the Beethoven quartets was made in Boston, Massachusetts. The personnel of the quartet remained the same for almost 40 years. Then, in 1978 the second violin and viola left the group. (The original violist, Georges Janzer, and his wife, cellist Eva Czako, went on to teach at the Indiana University School of Music, alongside Mrs. Janzer's childhood teacher, Janos Starker. The Janzers also made a number of recordings of chamber music with the legendary Belgian violinist Arthur Grumiaux
Arthur Grumiaux
Arthur Grumiaux was a Belgian violinist who was also proficient in piano.-Youth:Grumiaux was born in Villers-Perwin, Belgium to a working-class family, and it was his grandfather who urged him to begin music studies at the age of only 4...
.) They were both replaced, but after two more years the ensemble was disbanded.
Recordings
- Beethoven: Quartets, recorded 1952. (A modern review: http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=4968)
- Kodály - String Quartet No. 2, Op. 10, issued 1954. (Decca LP LXT2876: London LP LL-865)*
- Smetana - String Quartet No. 1 in E flat, issued 1954. (Decca LP LXT2876: London LP LL-865)*
(*These reissued in a joint remastering by Dr John Duffy & Andrew Rose, October 2008, for Pristine Audio, PACM061. Personnel: Végh, Zöldy, Janzer, Szabo. See http://groups.google.com/group/rec.music.classical.recordings/browse_thread/thread/d902266b7de7e7fe)
- Mozart - Quartets no 14 in G major K 387 'Spring': no 15 in D minor K 421 (417b): no 17 in Bb major K 458 'Hunt': no 18 in A major K 464: no 21 in D major K 575: no 23 in F major K 590. Studio recordings in Paris, 1951-1952. (Archipel 2 CD set)
- Mozart - Adagio & Fugue in C minor K546. (Les Discophiles Francais LP)
- Brahms - Quartet no 1 op 51 no 1: Clarinet Quintet (with Antoine-Pierre de BavierAntoine-Pierre de BavierAntoine-Pierre de Bavier, often referred to as Antoine de Bavier, was a celebrated twentieth-century Swiss clarinettist and orchestral conductor....
). - Brahms - Quartets no 2 in A minor op 51 no 2: no 3 in Bb major op 67, recorded 1954. (Decca Heritage CD 475 6155)
- Bartok - 6 Quartets, recorded 1954-1956.
- Beethoven Quartets, complete in Stereo version, 1972-4. (Telefunken) (A modern review: http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=3144)
- Bartok - 6 Quartets, recorded 1970s.
- Schubert - Quartet no 15 in G major D 887 (Op. posth. 161). (Orfeo CD)