Dr. Sanna Pederson, University of Oklahoma
Polish violinist Karol Lipiński, first violinist 1839-58 Dresden’s strong chamber music tradition in the 19th century owes much to Karol Józef Lipiński (30 October 1790 – 16 December 1861), a great virtuoso who had a passion for string quartet playing. Despite his fame during his lifetime, the violins his owned are probably what keep his name … Read more
How unique was the Joachim Quartet? When I started this blog about seven years ago, I was fired with enthusiasm for the Joachim Quartet (and I still am). But there is so little research available about other quartet groups, so it is impossible to know how historic this ensemble was. In some earlier posts, I … Read more
August Zimmermann’s Quartet “The great prophet of Beethoven’s last quartets is definitely Zimmermann, 40 years before Joachim!”–Ivan Mahaim As mentioned in the previous post, Ivan Mahaim’s 1964 study of Beethoven: Naissance et Renaissance de Derniers Quatuors argued that the obscure violinist August Zimmermann deserved as much recognition as Joachim for his Berlin ensemble’s performances of … Read more
Johann Kruse and the London Popular Concerts It is a challenge to define the parameters of this venerable and beloved fixture of nineteenth-century London concert life. Its name alone seems designed to create maximum confusion. First, “popular” is hard to define. One explanation is when they began, they were meant to be popular in content, … Read more
Concerts of Instrumental Music The day after the Joachim Quartet’s concert, the second violinist Karl Halir is giving a concert with his own quartet, which he founded in 1893. The three works on the program are: Haydn, Quartet in D major, op. 64Gernsheim, Quartet in a minor, op. 31Schubert, C major Quintet, with Robert Hausmann … Read more
My list of opera and operetta offerings has been incomplete thus far! This is because the Tageblatt has not been including the Komische Oper or the Lortzing Theater. For tonight, the Komische is doing Hoffmann’s Erzählungen, and Der Troubadour at the Lortzing can be added to Die Lustige Witwe at the Theater des Westens and … Read more
When the Joachim Quartet came to Vienna for the last time in March 1907, giving the complete Beethoven Quartets in five concerts, the event was appreciated all the more in the wake of three recent concerts of Schoenberg’s works, including the premiere of the String Quartet in D minor, op. 7. The conservative critic writing … Read more