Pro Arte Quartet
Encyclopedia
The Pro Arte String Quartet was founded in Belgium
in 1912, and transferred permanently to Madison, Wisconsin
(USA) 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 ensemble new works to premiere. The Pro Arte Quartet made its American debut in 1926 in New York and returned for 30 tours to the United States, often under the auspices of the noted patron of chamber music, Mrs. Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge. Their first visit to Madison was in 1938. Two years later, the musicians were stranded in Madison by the outbreak of World War II and accepted a residency at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
, the first such residency in a major American university. The Pro Arte became the faculty string quartet of the University of Wisconsin–Madison
in the late 1950s, an appointment that continues till this day.
1st violin: Alphonse Onnou
2nd violin: Laurent Halleux
viola: Germain Prévost
violoncello: Robert Maas
The current personnel are:
1st violin: David Perry
2nd violin: Suzanne Beia
viola: Sally Chisholm
violoncello: Parry Karp
Many famous instrumentalists have played and coached with the Pro Arte Quartet over the years.
in 1912. After the First World War it became famous for the performance of modern music, and also for its extensive recordings of Haydn. The Quartet made its New York
debut in 1926 and performed at the inauguration of the Hall of Music at the Library of Congress
in Washington DC. In 1932 they were named the 'Quatuor de la Cour de Belgique'. They frequently toured in the United States
, and first performed at Madison, Wisconsin
in 1938.
in the USA, Rudolf Kolisch
took up leadership of the Pro Arte in 1944, combined with a Wisconsin Professorship. In 1946, Robert Maas became the original cellist in the newly formed Paganini Quartet
. In 1947, violist Germain Prevost, the last of the original members, resigned. In the late 1950s, the Pro Arte Quartet became members of the University's School of Music faculty in addition to being artists-in-residence.
The celebration of the Pro Arte’s centennial anniversary will begin in the 2011-2012 season. To honor this auspicious and unprecedented anniversary, and in acknowledgment of their long-standing role as advocates of new music, the quartet has embarked on an ambitious commissioning project to include up to eight new works. Premieres will be presented throughout the 2011-2012 season.
Additional initiatives include composer residencies, a major-label recording of the new works, a new book on the history of the quartet, an international tour to the major cultural centers of the world, with a “homecoming” residency in Belgium, and a year-long celebration at home in Madison, Wisconsin, to include performances, lectures and exhibits.
) of the original Pro Arte up to 1936:- )
The Haydn Quartet Society was formed in 1932 by HMV
and by 1936 the Pro Arte recorded five volumes of records available only as complete sets. The contents were:
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
in 1912, and transferred permanently to Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
(USA) 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 ensemble new works to premiere. The Pro Arte Quartet made its American debut in 1926 in New York and returned for 30 tours to the United States, often under the auspices of the noted patron of chamber music, Mrs. Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge. Their first visit to Madison was in 1938. Two years later, the musicians were stranded in Madison by the outbreak of World War II and accepted a residency at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, the first such residency in a major American university. The Pro Arte became the faculty string quartet of the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in the late 1950s, an appointment that continues till this day.
Personnel
The original personnel of the Pro Arte Quartet were:1st violin: Alphonse Onnou
2nd violin: Laurent Halleux
viola: Germain Prévost
violoncello: Robert Maas
The current personnel are:
1st violin: David Perry
2nd violin: Suzanne Beia
viola: Sally Chisholm
violoncello: Parry Karp
Many famous instrumentalists have played and coached with the Pro Arte Quartet over the years.
Origins: 1912-1941
The Quartet was founded by Alphonse Onnou, its leader, in BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in 1912. After the First World War it became famous for the performance of modern music, and also for its extensive recordings of Haydn. The Quartet made its New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
debut in 1926 and performed at the inauguration of the Hall of Music at the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
in Washington DC. In 1932 they were named the 'Quatuor de la Cour de Belgique'. They frequently toured in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and first performed at Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
in 1938.
Early American History: 1941-1947
While touring in Wisconsin in 1941 they were offered a permanent residency. In 1944, following the disbanding of the Kolisch QuartetKolisch Quartet
The Kolisch Quartet was a string quartet musical ensemble founded in Vienna, originally as the New Vienna String Quartet for the performance of Schoenberg's works, and settling to the form in which it was later known. It had a worldwide reputation and made several recordings...
in the USA, Rudolf Kolisch
Rudolf Kolisch
Rudolf Kolisch was a Viennese violinist and leader of string quartets, including the Kolisch Quartet and the Pro Arte Quartet. He played a right-handed violin left-handed—an extremely rare occurrence in classical music settings....
took up leadership of the Pro Arte in 1944, combined with a Wisconsin Professorship. In 1946, Robert Maas became the original cellist in the newly formed Paganini Quartet
Paganini Quartet
The Paganini Quartet was a virtuoso string quartet founded by its first violinist, Henri Temianka, in 1946. The quartet drew its name from the fact that all four of its instruments, made by Antonio Stradivari , had once been owned by the great Italian violinist and composer Niccolo Paganini...
. In 1947, violist Germain Prevost, the last of the original members, resigned. In the late 1950s, the Pro Arte Quartet became members of the University's School of Music faculty in addition to being artists-in-residence.
Centennial Anniversary Commissioning Project 2011-2012
The legendary Pro Arte Quartet is the first quartet in the world to reach their centennial anniversary. This esteemed ensemble, in residence at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 1940, has been in continuous existence since its founding in Belgium in 1911. Moreover, over its continuous span the Pro Arte has added immeasurably to the art of the string quartet, particularly as a champion of the new music of its time — including new works of Bartók, Ravel and Bloch in an era when these composers were still alive, and, more recently, works of composers such as Samuel Rhodes, Tamar Diesendruck, Andrew Imbrie, Ralph Shapey, and Gunther Schuller.The celebration of the Pro Arte’s centennial anniversary will begin in the 2011-2012 season. To honor this auspicious and unprecedented anniversary, and in acknowledgment of their long-standing role as advocates of new music, the quartet has embarked on an ambitious commissioning project to include up to eight new works. Premieres will be presented throughout the 2011-2012 season.
Additional initiatives include composer residencies, a major-label recording of the new works, a new book on the history of the quartet, an international tour to the major cultural centers of the world, with a “homecoming” residency in Belgium, and a year-long celebration at home in Madison, Wisconsin, to include performances, lectures and exhibits.
Recordings
(78rpm recordings (Victor/HMVHMV
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...
) of the original Pro Arte up to 1936:- )
- Bartok: Quartet no 1 in A minor op 7 (V 8842-5/DB 2379-82).
- BlochBlochBloch is a surname.#Jewish : regional name for someone in Eastern Europe originating from Italy or France, from Polish "Włoch" meaning "Italian" .#German and Swedish: Variant of Block...
: Piano Quintet, with Alfredo CasellaAlfredo CasellaAlfredo Casella was an Italian composer, pianist and conductor.- Life and career :Casella was born in Turin; his family included many musicians; his grandfather, a friend of Paganini's, was first cello in the San Carlo Theatre in Lisbon and eventually was soloist in the Royal Chapel in Turin...
(V 7874-7/DB 1882-5). - BorodinBorodinBorodin , or Borodina is a Russian last name and may refer to:*Alexander Borodin , Russian composer and chemist*Alexander Parfeniyevich Borodin, Russian scientist in the field of rail transport...
: Quartet no 2 in D major (V 8609-12/DB 2150-3). - Brahms: Quartet no 1 in G minor op 25 (V 8444-7/DB 1813-6).
- Brahms: Sextet no 1 in B flat major op 18, with Alfred Hobday and Anthony Pini (DB 2566-9).
- Debussy: Quartet in G minor op 10 (1893) (DB 1878-81).
- DvořákAntonín DvorákAntonín 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...
: Piano Quintet in A major op 81, with Artur SchnabelArtur SchnabelArtur Schnabel was an Austrian classical pianist, who also composed and taught. Schnabel was known for his intellectual seriousness as a musician, avoiding pure technical bravura...
(V 8305-8/DB 2177-80). - FranckFranck- People :* César Franck , Belgian composer of the Romantic era* George Franck , University of Minnesota & New York Giant* Harry A...
: Quartet in D major (V 8630-5/DB 2051-6). - Mozart: Piano quartet no 1 in G minor K 478 with Artur Schnabel (V8562-5/Db 2155-8).
- Mozart: String Quintet in C major K 515 with Alfred Hobday (V 8712-5/DB 2383-6).
- Mozart: String Quintet in G minor K 516 with Alfred Hobday (V 7865-8/DB 2173-6).
- Ravel: Quartet in F major (DB 2135-8).
- Schubert: String Quintet in C major op 163 with Anthony Pini (DB 2561-5).
- SchumannRobert SchumannRobert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
: Piano Quintet in E flat major op 44 with Artur Schnabel (V 8685-8/DB 2387-90). - Vivaldi: Concerto Grosso no 5 in A major 'a quatre' (V 8827/DB 2148).
The Haydn Quartet Society was formed in 1932 by 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...
and by 1936 the Pro Arte recorded five volumes of records available only as complete sets. The contents were:
- Volume 1: Quartets in C major op 20 no 2; C major op 33 no 3 'Bird'; G major op 77 no 1.
- Volume 2: Quartets in D major op 33 no 6; G major op 54 no 1; C major op 54 no 2; G minor op 74 no 3.
- Volume 3: Quartets in F major op 3 no 5; E flat major op 33 no 2; E flat major op 64 no 6; B flat major op 71 no 1.
- Volume 4: Quartets in E flat major op 50 no 3; C major 'Emperor' op 76 no 3; F minor op 20 no 5.
- Volume 5: Quartets in D major op 20 no 4; F major op 74 no 2; F major op 77 no 2.
Sources
- R.D. Darrell, The Gramophone Shop Encyclopedia of Recorded Music (New York 1936).
- Arthur Eaglefield HullArthur Eaglefield HullArthur Eaglefield Hull was an English music critic, writer, composer and organist.Hull was initially a music student of Tobias Matthay and graduated with a Doctorate of Music from Oxford University...
, A Dictionary of Modern Music and Musicians (Dent, London 1924).
External links
- Pro Arte Quartet website
- Art of the States: Pro Arte Quartet performing String Quartet No. 2 (1945) by Ernest BlochErnest BlochErnest Bloch was a Swiss-born American composer.-Life:Bloch was born in Geneva and began playing the violin at age 9. He began composing soon afterwards. He studied music at the conservatory in Brussels, where his teachers included the celebrated Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe...