Martinu Quartet
Encyclopedia
The Martinů Quartet is a Czech string quartet
ensemble founded in 1976, originally under the name Havlák Quartet by students of Professor Viktor Moučka at the Prague Conservatory
. In 1985, with the approval of the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation, the quartet assumed its present name Martinů Quartet, pledging to promote the chamber music of Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů
. The quartet specialises in the works of Czech composers such as Smetana
, Dvořák
and Janáček, and especially the works of Bohuslav Martinů. They perform regularly at the Prague Spring Festival as well as concerts in many European Countries, the United States, Canada and Japan. The quartet also teaches chamber music performance at two annual chamber music workshops in the Czech Republic, which are open to both amateur and professional musicians.
and Portsmouth. In 2001, the quartet was awarded the Bohuslav Martinů Price by the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation in recognition of the quartet's achievement promoting the chamber music of Bohuslav Martinů. In 2003, the quartet's recording of Sylvie Bodorová
's Terezín Ghetto Requiem received the Music Web UK's Recording of the month award. In 2004, the quartet received the celebrated MIDEM
award in Cannes for the best CD of the year in the category solo and ensemble repertoire of the 20th century.
, but also Arcos Diva, Harmonia Mundi
and others. In addition to recordings for release on CD, they have also recorded for radio broadcasts by Czech Radio, Radio France
, BBC
, ARD
and ORF
.
The quartet's most highly acclaimed CD releases are
of Brno, the Grove musical encyclopedia published by Oxford University, The New York Times
, Classic Today magazine, Music Web UK and others.
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
ensemble founded in 1976, originally under the name Havlák Quartet by students of Professor Viktor Moučka at the Prague Conservatory
Prague Conservatory
Prague Conservatory, sometimes also Prague Conservatoire, in Czech Pražská konzervatoř, is a Czech secondary school in Prague dedicated to teaching the arts of music and theater acting.- Instruction :...
. In 1985, with the approval of the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation, the quartet assumed its present name Martinů Quartet, pledging to promote the chamber music of Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů
Bohuslav Martinu
Bohuslav Martinů was a prolific Czech composer of modern classical music. He was of Czech and Rumanian ancestry. Martinů wrote six symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental works. Martinů became a violinist in the Czech Philharmonic...
. The quartet specialises in the works of Czech composers such as Smetana
Smetana
Smetana is a Slavic loanword in English for a dairy product that is produced by souring heavy cream. Smetana is from Central and Eastern Europe, sometimes perceived to be specifically of Russian origin. It is a soured cream product like crème fraîche , but nowadays mainly sold with 15% to 30%...
, Dvořák
Antonín Dvorák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
and Janáček, and especially the works of Bohuslav Martinů. They perform regularly at the Prague Spring Festival as well as concerts in many European Countries, the United States, Canada and Japan. The quartet also teaches chamber music performance at two annual chamber music workshops in the Czech Republic, which are open to both amateur and professional musicians.
Members
- Lubomír Havlák, first violin
- Libor Kaňka, second violin
- Zbyněk Paďourek, viola
- Jitka Vlašánková, violoncello
Awards
The Martinů Quartet took part in eight international chamber music competitions and won awards at each event, most notably at the Prague Spring Festival and the competitions held in Evian, Florence, Munich (ARD)ARD International Music Competition
The ARD International Music Competition is the largest international classical music competition in Germany. It is held once a year in Munich.-History:...
and Portsmouth. In 2001, the quartet was awarded the Bohuslav Martinů Price by the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation in recognition of the quartet's achievement promoting the chamber music of Bohuslav Martinů. In 2003, the quartet's recording of Sylvie Bodorová
Sylvie Bodorová
Sylvie Bodorová is a Czech composer.-Biography:Bodorová studied composition at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno and as a post-graduate later on at the Music Academy in Prague...
's Terezín Ghetto Requiem received the Music Web UK's Recording of the month award. In 2004, the quartet received the celebrated MIDEM
Midem
-MIDEM:Short for Marché International du Disque et de l'Edition Musicale, MIDEM is the world's largest music industry trade fair, which has been held annually at and around the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, since 1967...
award in Cannes for the best CD of the year in the category solo and ensemble repertoire of the 20th century.
Recordings
The Martinů Quartet has released more than 20 CDs on major classical music labels, most notably on NaxosNaxos Records
Naxos Records is a record label specializing in classical music. Through a number of imprints, Naxos also releases genres including Chinese music, jazz, world music, and early rock & roll. The company was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong.Naxos is the largest...
, but also Arcos Diva, Harmonia Mundi
Harmonia Mundi
Harmonia Mundi is an independent music record label founded in 1958 by Bernard Coutaz in Arles . The Latin phrase means "world harmony"....
and others. In addition to recordings for release on CD, they have also recorded for radio broadcasts by Czech Radio, Radio France
Radio France
Radio France is a French public service radio broadcaster.-Mission:Radio France's two principal missions are:* To create and expand the programming on all of their stations; and...
, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, ARD
ARD (broadcaster)
ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
and ORF
ORF (broadcaster)
Österreichischer Rundfunk, ORF, is the Austrian national public service broadcaster.Funded from a combination of a television licence fees and revenue from limited on-air advertising, ORF is the dominant player in the Austrian broadcast media...
.
The quartet's most highly acclaimed CD releases are
- The complete string quartets by Bohuslav Martinů, released in 3 volumes on Naxos
- Vol.1, string quartets Tri jezdci, #1 and #2 in 1995, #8.553782, Review on Classics Today
- Vol.2, string quartets #3 and #6 in 1996, #8.553783, Review on Classics Today
- Vol.3, string quartets #4, #5 and #7 in 1997, #8.553784, Review on Classics Today
- Terezín Ghetto Requiem by Sylvie Bodorová and string quartet by Ronald Stevenson, released on Arco Diva in 2003, #UP 0052-2 131
- Piano quintets and violin sonatas by Bohuslav Martinů, released on Naxos in 2007, #8.557861, Review on Classics Today
Publications
The Martinů Quartet has been featured in multiple non-trivial published works in reliable and reputable media such as the Czech online musical encyclopedia published by the music faculty of Masaryk UniversityMasaryk University
Masaryk University is the second largest university in the Czech Republic, a member of the Compostela Group and the Utrecht Network. Founded in 1919 in Brno as the third Czech university , it now consists of nine faculties and 42,182 students...
of Brno, the Grove musical encyclopedia published by Oxford University, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Classic Today magazine, Music Web UK and others.
External links
Sources
- Kvarteto Martinů entry in the musical encyclopedia published by the Music Faculty of Masaryk University in Brno
- Grove musical encyclopedia published by Oxford University (access to online version restricted to paying subscribers)
- Classics Today, MIDEM 2004 Award winners
- Music Web UK, Recording of the month, November 2003
- Article in The New Yorker, February 24, 2003
- Article by Michael Beckerman in The New York Times, June 15, 2003
- Article by Tim Ashley in The Guardian, May 11, 2007
- Article by Carl Bauman, American Record Guide, September/October 2000
- Articles by Jan Smaczny, BBC Music Magazine, October 2000 and February 2003
- Article by Bob McQuiston, Classical Lost and Found, April 2007
- Archives of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (AMU)
- Archives of the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation in Prague and Basel
- Archives of the Prague Spring International Music Festival
- Archives of the ARD broadcasting corporation
- Kvarteto Martinů entry at Žižkov's music festival website
- Under the Linden Festival website
- Martinů Quartet profile
- Naxos artists profile