The Kodály Quartet is a
string quartet
The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinists ...
founded in 1966 in
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
,
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
, originally as ''Sebestyén Quartet''. In 1969, with the approval of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of the Hungarian Republic, the quartet assumed its present name in honour of the Hungarian composer
Zoltán Kodály.
The ensemble tours internationally, and has recorded the complete cycles of
Haydn,
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
and
Schubert for the
Naxos label. Its discography exceeds sixty recordings, mainly for Naxos.
Members
The quartet's present members are:
* Attila Falvay ''1st
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
''
* Ferenc Bangó ''2nd violin''
* Zoltán Tuska ''
viola
The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...
''
* György Éder ''
violoncello''
Awards
* Ferenc Liszt Award (1970)
* Artist of Merit of the Hungarian Republic (1990)
* Bartók-Pasztory Award (1996)
* Classic CD Magazine's Best Chamber Music Release (1993)
Select Notable Reviews
* BBC Music Magazine's Pick of the Month, April 2000
* American Record Guide, July/August 2000
* Strad Magazine, February 2001
* MusicWeb UK, February 2001
* Gramophone, December 2002
* Classic Today, June 2005
* The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs (several listings, including one "Rosette")
Sources
* Archives of the Ferenc Liszt Society
* Archives of the Order of Merit of the Hungarian Republic
* Archives of the Bartók-Pásztory Foundation
* Archives of the publishers of Classic CD Magazine
* Archives of the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC Music Magazine
* The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs,
* Archives of the Ferenc Liszt Music Academy in Budapest, Hungary
*
Kodály Quartet entry in the German edition of Wikipedia
Naxos discography
External links
Kodaly String Quartet homepage*Facebook: Kodály String Quartet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kodaly Quartet
Musical groups established in 1965
Hungarian string quartets
Artists of Merit of the Hungarian People's Republic