The Takács Quartet is a
string quartet
The term string quartet refers 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 Violin, violini ...
founded in
Budapest
Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
, Hungary, and now based in
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule city in Boulder County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 108,250 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the most ...
, United States.
History
In 1975, four students at the
Music Academy in
Budapest
Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
,
Gábor Takács-Nagy (first
violin
The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...
),
Károly Schranz (second violin),
Gábor Ormai (
viola
The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...
), and
András Fejér (
cello
The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...
) formed the Takács Quartet. Takács-Nagy, Ormai and Fejér had been playing trios together for several months when they met Schranz during a pickup soccer game after classes. With his immediate addition to the group, the trio became a quartet.
The quartet first received international attention in 1977, winning the First Prize and the Critics' Prize at the International String Quartet Competition in
Évian-les-Bains
Évian-les-Bains (), or simply Évian (, , or ), is a Communes of France, commune in Eastern France, by the border with Switzerland. It is located in the northern part of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
A high-m ...
, France. After that, the quartet won the Gold Medal at the 1979
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
and Bordeaux Competitions and First Prizes at the Budapest International String Quartet Competition in 1978 and the Bratislava Competition in 1981. The quartet made its first
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
n tour in 1982.
In 1983, the group decided it would be best for them and their families if they moved to the United States. A colleague offered them a position as quartet-in-residence at the
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a Public university, public research university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a Federated state, state, it is the fla ...
, and they accepted the job.
In 1993, Takács-Nagy left the group, and the British violinist
Edward Dusinberre replaced him. In 1994, Ormai learned that he had incurable cancer, and was replaced by another British musician, violist Roger Tapping. Following these changes, the quartet embarked on a successful series of recordings: a cycle of all six
Bartók quartets (dedicated to the memory of Ormai, who died in 1995) and a critically acclaimed complete
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
quartet cycle, as well as quartets by
Smetana and
Borodin.
In 2005, following the completion of the Beethoven cycle, Tapping retired from the group to spend more time with his family. He now teaches chamber music at the
New England Conservatory
The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...
. His replacement was
Geraldine Walther, an American violist who until then been principal violist of the
San Francisco Symphony
The San Francisco Symphony, founded in 1911, is an American orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980 the orchestra has been resident at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in the city's Hayes Valley, San Francisco, Hayes Valley ne ...
. The quartet's members and critics remarked on how quickly she fitted into the ensemble.
Also in 2005, the quartet became associate artists at the
South Bank Centre. In 2006, they released their first recording with Walther, of
Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert (; ; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind a List of compositions ...
's
''Rosamunde'' and
''Death and the Maiden'' quartets. This was also their first recording with
Hyperion Records, after switching from the
Decca label.
Schranz retired from the quartet in 2018 and was replaced by University of Colorado faculty member Harumi Rhodes.
In 2019, violist Walther announced her retirement from the quartet. She was replaced in 2020 by American violist Richard O'Neill.
Current members
*
Edward Dusinberre, first violin (since 1993)
*Harumi Rhodes, second violin (since 2018)
*Richard O'Neill, viola (since 2020)
*
András Fejér, cello (original member)
Past members
*
Gábor Takács-Nagy, first violin (1975–1993)
*
Gábor Ormai, viola (1975–1994)
*Roger Tapping, viola (1994–2005)
*
Geraldine Walther, viola (2005–2020)
*
Károly Schranz, second violin (1975–2018)
Awards and recognition
Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance: Andrew Keener (producer), Simon Dominic Eadon (engineer) and the Takács Quartet for ''Beethoven: String Quartets ("Razumovsky" Op. 59, 1–3; "Harp" Op. 74)'' (
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
)
Per ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'', the quartet "has been recording the complete Beethoven quartets, and their survey, now complete, stands as the most richly expressive modern account of this titanic cycle."
The Takács Quartet's interpretation of
Bartók's six string quartets has been praised.
The quartet was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance for its recording of
Brahms's String Quartet, Op. 51, No. 2, on the Hyperion label.
In 2010, the quartet was honored for Excellence in Research and Creative Work by the Boulder Faculty Assembly at the University of Colorado.
Selected discography
* Bartók:
The Six String Quartets (Decca 289 455 297-2) (1998). Gramophone Award Winner, Best Chamber Music Recording
* Beethoven:
The Early Quartets: Op. 18, Nos. 1–6 (Decca 000186402) (2004)
* Beethoven:
The Late Quartets:
Op. 95;
Op. 127;
Op. 130;
Op. 131;
Op. 132;
Op. 133;
Op. 135 (Decca 000387502) (2005)
* Beethoven: The three
"Rasumovsky" Quartets, Op. 59; the
"Harp" Quartet, Op. 74 (Decca 470 847-2 3 DH2) (2002). Grammy Award Winner, Best Chamber Music Recording & Gramophone Award Winner, Best Chamber Music Recording
* Borodin: String Quartet No. 2 in D Major (Decca 452 239-2)
* Brahms: String Quartets Op. 51, Nos. 1 and 2 (Decca 425 526-2) (2003)
* Brahms: String Quartet, Op. 67;
Piano Quintet Op. 34 with
András Schiff (Decca 430 529-2)
*
Chausson: Concert for piano, violin and string quartet in D major, Op. 21 with
Joshua Bell and
Jean-Yves Thibaudet (Decca 000444702) (2005)
*
Dvořák: String Quartet Op. 96 "
American"; String Quartet, Op. 105; Five Bagatelles (Decca 47430 077-2)
* Dvořák: String Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 51; Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81 with
Andreas Haefliger (Decca 289 66197-2) (1999)
*
Haydn: String Quartets Op. 76, Nos. 1–3 (Decca 421 360-2)
* Haydn: String Quartets Op. 76, Nos. 4–6 (Decca 425 467-2)
* Haydn: String Quartets Op. 77, Nos. 1 and 2; String Quartet, Op. 103 (Decca 430 199-2)
*
Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
: String Quintet in C Major, K. 515; String Quintet in G minor, K. 516; Adagio and Fugue in C minor, K. 546 with
György Pauk (Decca 430 772-2) (1993)
* Schubert: String Quartet in A minor, D. 804 ''
Rosamunde''; String Quartet in D minor D. 810 ''
Death and the Maiden'' (Decca 436 843-2) (1993)
* Schubert: String Quartet in A minor, D. 804 ''
Rosamunde''; String Quartet in D minor D. 810 ''
Death and the Maiden'' (Hyperion CDA67585) (2006)
* Schubert:
String Quintet in C Major, D. 956 (with
Miklós Perényi);
Quartettsatz in C minor, D. 703 (Decca 436 324-2)
* Schubert:
String Quartet in G Major D. 887;
Notturno with Andreas Haefliger, (Decca 452 854-2) (2003)
* Smetana: String Quartet No. 1 in E minor "From My Life" (Decca 452 239-2) (2003)
* Smetana: String Quartet No. 1 in E minor "From My Life" & Janáček, String Quartets No. 1 ("The Kreutzer Sonata") and No. 2 ("Intimate Letters"); Hypérion A67997 (2015)
References
Selected concert reviews
Review from Wigmore Hallby
Tom Service, ''The Guardian'', 30 November 1999.
Tom Service, review from Wigmore Hall, London, July 2001. ''The Guardian'', 6 July 2001.
* ttp://arts.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,1219963,00.html Rian Evans, review from St George's, Bristol. ''The Guardian'', 19 May 2004.br>Tom Service, review from Wigmore Hall. ''The Guardian'', 10 May 2005.
* ttp://music.guardian.co.uk/classical/livereviews/story/0,,2021557,00.html Review from Queen Elizabeth Hallby Martin Kettle, ''The Guardian'', 26 February 2007.
External links
*
Faculty biography at University of Colorado
Artist page at Hyperion Records
{{DEFAULTSORT:Takacs Quartet
Musical groups established in 1975
Musical groups from Colorado
Grammy Award winners
Hungarian string quartets
American string quartets
Decca Records artists
1975 establishments in Hungary