Fitzwilliam String Quartet

[richardfinegold]

The selection of a Haydn Quartet as the BaL lead me to thinking. When I started collecting recordings in the 70s, if I had been asked to name the best British String Qt Ensemble, I would have named the above. They were my introduction to the Shostakovich Quartets, still have done the best cycle of that Composer imo, and I have really enjoyed the relatively few other recordings of theirs that I have heard. My question is, and I'm hoping that my British friends may have some insight, is why they didn't have more of a recording presence? I thought they could play rings around the Lindsays, for example, who had so much more the discography that one expects from a world class ensemble.

[visualnickmos]

Damn good question - wish I knew the answer!

[Tony Halstead]

Damn good question - wish I knew the answer!

I am a friend and colleague of Alan George, viola player and founder member of the Fitzwilliam 4tet. I will contact him and ask him if he wishes to make a contribution to this thread.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Alan George is the sole survivor of the quartet that made those Shoster recordings and other goodies back in the 70s/80s. I heard them give an early, totally shattering performance of the 15th quartet in 1975.

Hate to say it but on recent live samplings I think they're struggling to match this standard now.

[richardfinegold]

Alan George is the sole survivor of the quartet that made those Shoster recordings and other goodies back in the 70s/80s. I heard them give an early, totally shattering performance of the 15th quartet in 1975.

Hate to say it but on recent live samplings I think they're struggling to match this standard now.

I hve a Brahms Clarinet Quintet featuring the current incarnation that is very good, and brought the question to my mind

[Richard Tarleton]

Saw them in Swansea's Brangwyn Hall not too long ago, great concert. My only disc is their Haydn Seven Last Words.

[visualnickmos]

I think the Fitzwilliam Quartet's recorded legacy must surely be the Shostakovich string quartets. For me at least, the benchmark - and possibly always will be.

[Gordon]

Yes, agreed that the Shostakovich SQ set was a milestone beginning in 1975 and ending in 1977.

In the 1970 and 80s they did record the Brahms Clarinet Quintet [see above post] and quartets by Franck, Delius, Sibelius, Borodin and Tchaikovsly [both Kingsway], Schubert string quintet [Kingsway] and the Wolf Italian Serenade.

They also recorded some early [Op18] and late Beethoven [Op132, Kingsway] and happen to have been present [with a change of 1st violin] for the last ever Decca recording session at Kingsway in December 1983 recording Op130/133. This performance and others like Op132 are available on CD from Decca and more recently Eloquence - 480 561 9. Others are: 480 566 2 and 480 345 4.

Decca's recordings seem to peter out in 1986 with some unpublished ones eg Op131. Perhaps they are due a complete Decca box although Eloquence seems to have done them all. See www.fitzwilliamquartet.org/recordings.html for lists of Eloquence/Decca's and more recent recordings of a wide repertoire.

The cellist Ioan Davies was the father of counter-tenor Iestyn Davies. Only the 2nd violin seems to remain active in the modern quartet.

[Stanfordian]

I think the Fitzwilliam Quartet's recorded legacy must surely be the Shostakovich string quartets. For me at least, the benchmark - and possibly always will be.

It's a wonderful achievement by the Fitzwilliam. I have the complete set by the Emerson, Eder and Pacifica but I'm not sure that the Fitzwilliam has been surpassed.

[visualnickmos]

It's a wonderful achievement by the Fitzwilliam. I have the complete set by the Emerson, Eder and Pacifica but I'm not sure that the Fitzwilliam has been surpassed.

Quite so. Even the mighty Borodins don't have the edge over the peerless set of the Fitzwilliams.

[ahinton]

Only the 2nd violin seems to remain active in the modern quartet.

The second violinist's only been with the quartet for two or three years, I think. I worked once with him - Marcus Barcham-Stevens - a most remarkable musician indeed.

[richardfinegold]

Quite so. Even the mighty Borodins don't have the edge over the peerless set of the Fitzwilliams.

[richardfinegold]

Yes, agreed that the Shostakovich SQ set was a milestone beginning in 1975 and ending in 1977.

In the 1970 and 80s they did record the Brahms Clarinet Quintet [see above post] and quartets by Franck, Delius, Sibelius, Borodin and Tchaikovsly [both Kingsway], Schubert string quintet [Kingsway] and the Wolf Italian Serenade.

They also recorded some early [Op18] and late Beethoven [Op132, Kingsway] and happen to have been present [with a change of 1st violin] for the last ever Decca recording session at Kingsway in December 1983 recording Op130/133. This performance and others like Op132 are available on CD from Decca and more recently Eloquence - 480 561 9. Others are: 480 566 2 and 480 345 4.

Decca's recordings seem to peter out in 1986 with some unpublished ones eg Op131. Perhaps they are due a complete Decca box although Eloquence seems to have done them all. See www.fitzwilliamquartet.org/recordings.html for lists of Eloquence/Decca's and more recent recordings of a wide repertoire.

The cellist Ioan Davies was the father of counter-tenor Iestyn Davies. Only the 2nd violin seems to remain active in the modern quartet.

Thanks. I will look for that Eloquence set

[Gordon]

The second violinist's only been with the quartet for two or three years, I think. I worked once with him - Marcus Barcham-Stevens - a most remarkable musician indeed.

My mistake!! It is Alan George, violist and founder member who remains. Why I assumed he was 2nd violin I don't know. On their web site this is what is stated about the Shostakovich quartets: "International recognition came early for FSQ, as the first group to record and perform all fifteen of Shostakovich's string quartets, drawing on the players' personal connection with the composer." The highlighted text may explain why their recordings are so well respected. See here for more and this connection [scroll down a bit tos ee a paragraph and photo]: http://www.fitzwilliamquartet.org/biography.html

"Benjamin Britten afterwards reported (just before his own death) that Shostakovich had told him the Fitzwilliam were his “preferred performers of my quartets”."

[ahinton]

My mistake!! It is Alan George, violist and founder member who remains. Why I assumed he was 2nd violin I don't know. On their web site this is what is stated about the Shostakovich quartets: "International recognition came early for FSQ, as the first group to record and perform all fifteen of Shostakovich's string quartets, drawing on the players' personal connection with the composer." The highlighted text may explain why their recordings are so well respected. See here for more and this connection [scroll down a bit tos ee a paragraph and photo]: http://www.fitzwilliamquartet.org/biography.html

"Benjamin Britten afterwards reported (just before his own death) that Shostakovich had told him the Fitzwilliam were his “preferred performers of my quartets”."

Yes, Alan George has been the quartet's violist since its inception; I recall a broadcast talk by him about working with Shostakovich in what was the ensemble's very early days. I'm not surprised that Shostakovich said as he did to Britten about them, although what he'd think today with so very many quartets playing at least some and quite a few playing all of his quartets I've no idea!