The Virtuoso String Quartet was a British quartet, founded by the

Gramophone Company The Gramophone Company Limited (The Gramophone Co. Ltd.), based in the United Kingdom and founded by Emil Berliner, was one of the early recording companies, the parent organisation for the '' His Master's Voice (HMV)'' label, and the Europe ...

(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 Marjorie Olive Hayward (14 August 188510 January 1953) was an English violinist and violin teacher, prominent during the first few decades of the 20th century. Biography Marjorie Hayward was born in Greenwich in 1885. An "infant prodigy", he ...

led them for the 15 years of their life. Raymond Jeremy and Cedric Sharpe previously performed in the

Philharmonic Quartet The Philharmonic Quartet was an English string quartet musical ensemble founded during the period of the First World War and remaining active until the early 1940s, by which time none of the original members were present in the group. Original ...

Personnel

, first violin *

Edwin Virgo The name Edwin means "rich friend". It comes from the Old English elements "ead" (rich, blessed) and "ƿine" (friend). The original Anglo-Saxon form is Eadƿine, which is also found for Anglo-Saxon figures. People * Edwin of Northumbria (die ...

, second violin *

Raymond Jeremy Raymond Jeremy, FRAM, (1890-1969) was a British violist, known for his quartet playing, particularly the first performances of Edward Elgar's String Quartet (Elgar), String Quartet and Piano Quintet (Elgar), Piano Quintet. He was professor of viol ...

, viola * Cedric Sharpe, cello

Concerts

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 BCwe 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 aydn op76/1, HMV D1075-7 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 ramophoneCompany". "… distinguished themselves as virile performers of Beethoven… put up so excellent a show n Ravel''The Musical Times'', 1 December 1931, p. 1100

References

{{authority control British string quartets Musical groups established in 1924