[[Image:Czech Quartet243.jpg|thumb|The Bohemian Quartet in 1895 - (L-R)

Karel Hoffmann (1st violinist), Hanuš Wihan (violoncellist), Oskar Nedbal (violist), and Josef Suk (2nd violinist).]]

thumb|The Bohemian Quartet in 1907 by Hugo Boettinger

The Bohemian Quartet (; known as the Czech Quartet after 1918) was a Czech string quartet of international repute that was founded in 1891 and disbanded in 1933. during the tour in England, his place was at short notice taken by Lionel Tertis and afterwards formally by Jiří Herold. The group made repeated tours in Europe, especially with the quartets of Dvořák and Smetana, and were noted for their warm tone and fiery rhythms. In 1922 the four members were appointed professors at the Prague Conservatory. The group disbanded with a concert on 4 December 1933, to honour Suk’s 60th birthday.

Many key contemporary works were written for and/or first performed by the Bohemian Quartet. Most notably, this included works by Antonín Dvořák and Leoš Janáček, such as Janáček's second string quartet, subtitled "Intimate Letters".

Personnel

;1st violin

  • Karel Hoffmann

;2nd violin

  • Josef Suk (to 1933)
  • (1933–34)

;Viola

  • Oskar Nedbal (to 1906)
  • Jiří Herold (1906–1934)

;Violoncello

  • Otto Berger (to 1894)
  • Hanuš Wihan (1894–1914)
  • (1914–1934)

Recordings

  • Smetana: Quartet no. 1 in E minor (1876) (Polydor 78 rpm, 95076-95079). (as 'Bohemian Quartet')
  • Smetana: Quartet no. 2 in D minor (1882) (Pathé 78 rpm X 86005-86008) (Private recording for Czech Academy).
  • Dvořák: Quartet "no 6" (now no.12, 'American') in F major op 96 (Polydor 78 rpm, 95084-95086). (as 'Bohemian (Suk) Quartet')
  • Dvořák: Quartet "no 3" (now no.10) in E flat major op 51, Dumka only (Polydor 78 rpm, 95087).(ditto)
  • Suk: Quartet no 1 in B major op 11 (Polydor 78 rpm, 95080-95083).

(All recordings made 1928-29.)

References

Further reading

  • A. Eaglefield-Hull, A Dictionary of Modern Music and Musicians (Dent, London 1924).
  • -. Boleska, Ten Years of the Czech Quartet (M. Urbánek, Prague 1902).
  • J.R. Bennett, Smetana on 3000 Records (Oakwood Press 1974).
  • R.D. Darrell, The Gramophone Shop Encyclopedia of Recorded Music (New York 1936).

See also