The Virtuoso String Quartet was a British quartet, founded by the Gramophone Company (better known as HMV) in 1924, being the first such quartet established specifically for recording. In effect they displaced the Catterall Quartet from their position recording for HMV.
Marjorie Hayward led them for the 15 years of their life. Raymond Jeremy and Cedric Sharpe previously performed in the Philharmonic Quartet.
Personnel
- Marjorie Hayward, first violin
- Edwin Virgo, second violin
- Raymond Jeremy, viola
- Cedric Sharpe, cello
Concerts
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1926/10: The first Bradford Festival of Chamber Music. Brahms sextet op36; Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht
1926/12/11: St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Debussy quartet G minor; Mozart quartet in E flat (K.v. 428)
1927/6: Wigmore Hall, London. John B. McEwen: Three quartets
1927/10: Second Bradford Festival
1927/9/28, 1927/10/12&26: Aeolian Hall, London
1927: Wigmore Hall, London. Bax: Quartet 2, Oboe quintet, Piano quintet
1928/3/13, Town Hall, Chelsea: Chelsea Music Club 36th concert
1928/6/15: Aeolian Hall, London. John B. McEwen: Quartet in C Minor, first performance; Arnold Bax; York Bowen.
1928/10/23: Town Hall, Oxford: Ravel
1928/11/22: Town Hall, Oxford
1930/3/26 Wigmore Hall: Bax
1930 As part of the Celtic Congress, University College concert hall, London; concert included work by John McCormack, the Welsh soprano Megan Foster, and the cellist, Beatrice Harrison
Acoustic recordings (4 sets; all premiere recordings)
Beethoven: no 8, E minor (Op. 59/2): late 1924
Tchaikovsky Quartet 1 in D, Op. 11: 1923
Franck: String Quartet in D: Premiere recording (1925)
Bridge Three Idylls: 1923.
Electrical recordings (6 sets and some singles)
Ravel: quartet; Introduction and Allegro with John Cockerill, harpist.
Borodin: Nocturne
Debussy: Quartet G minor
Beethoven: No.9 in C Op.59/3
Beethoven: No.6 in Bb Op.18/6.
Glazounov: Orientale: 1928
Thomas: Mignon Gavotte 1928; HMV B 2784
Press notices
"From the London station we have had many good things during the past month, the pick being the Virtuoso Quartet in Mozart and Debussy…"
"Good as these Budapest party records are , they are beaten all round by those of the Virtuoso Quartet in Debussy's G minor… For vividness and sonority this is surely among the finest achievements of the Company".
"… distinguished themselves as virile performers of Beethoven… put up so excellent a show "
References
- "Acoustic Chamber Music Sets". Archived from the original on 2008-07-07. Retrieved 2008-12-01.
- "Download Landon Ronald and Edward German (mostly acoustics)". Groups.google.com. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
- "Download: Catterall String Quartet in Beethoven, Brahms and Tchaikovsky (HMV, 1921-24)". Groups.google.com. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
- Ibbs and Tillett: the rise and fall of a musical empire, Christopher Fifield; Ashgate, 2005, ISBN 978-1840142907
- "Letter from John Cawte Beaglehole, 1926-12-13". Nzetc.org. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
- "Review Week". R. A. M. Club Magazine. 77: 20. March 1927.
- Programme: Arnold Bax Recital, 20 October 1927
- "Collection Description : A. L. Bacharach collection: Box 8 (1927-28)". Concertprogrammes.org.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- "Recent Concerts". R. A. M. Club Magazine. 81: 14. June 1928.
- "Collection Description : Oxford Subscription Concerts (1920-30)". Concertprogrammes.org.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- "Collection Description : A. L. Bacharach collection: Box 10 (1930)". Concertprogrammes.org.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- "The International Celtic Congress". Celtic-congress.org. Archived from the original on 2011-07-25.
- "Real Post: Download Virtuoso String Quartet acoustic Franck Quartet, Slobodskaya's Peter and the Wolf, Rosamunde Overture". Groups.google.com. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
- "Download: Beethoven Quartet in E minor, by the Virtuoso Quartet (HMV, 1924)". Groups.google.com. 2008-03-19. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
- The Musical Times, 1 December 1928, p1091
- The Musical Times, 1 October 1925, p. 919
- The Musical Times, 1 May 1926, p. 431
- The Musical Times, 1 December 1931, p. 1100