Vlach Quartet
Encyclopedia
The Vlach Quartet is the name of two consecutive classical string quartet
musical ensemble
s, based in Prague
, which are linked by family tradition (father and daughter) in the Vlach family. The original Vlach Quartet was founded in 1949 and wound up in 1975. In 1982 the New Vlach Quartet (Nové Vlachovo kvarteto) was founded with guidance from the original founder, and came to be known as the Vlach Quartet of Prague (Vlachovo kvarteto Praha). It is still active as a highly-esteemed musical ensemble.
1st violin
2nd violin
viola
cello
The personnel of the Vlach Quartet of Prague are
1st violin
2nd violin
viola
cello
), with Jiri Novak, leader of the Smetana Quartet
. In 1949 he founded the Vlach Quartet with members of the Orchestra. Over the next 25 years they made a significant contribution in the interpretation of classical and Czech literature for string quartet, both in concerts and in recording, for which they had a contract with Supraphon Records. The original quartet was internationally admired for its authentic, powerful and rhythmically solid performances. In 1957 Josef Vlach also re-formed the Czech Chamber Orchestra.
The New Vlach Quartet was founded in 1982 by Jana Vlachová, the daughter of Josef Vlach. She had played in a string quartet from childhood under her father's guidance and won first prize in the Concertino Praga international competition at age 14. She graduated from studies with M. Hlounová at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
, chose to concentrate on chamber music, and formed a duo with the Swedish cellist Mikael Ericsson
in 1977. He had studied in Copenhagen
, attended master-classes by G. Fallot and Gregor Piatigorsky
, and studied in Prague with Josef Chuchro. He also has a recording career as a soloist. Karel Stadtherr, violinist, had performed with the Suk Chamber Orchestra (in contact with Josef Vlach) and was Konzertmeister of the Prague Chamber Orchestra Without Conductor. Petr Verner studied solo viola at the Prague Academy under L. Malý, Milan Škampa and J. Pěruška, and chamber music with Josef Vlach.
They received guidance and mentoring from Josef Vlach, imparting a strong interpretative tradition from the school of Talich. and underwent a course of training by the Melos Quartet
(Stuttgart). They worked to expand the range of the repertoire of the earlier Quartet, both in international scope and in the time-frame represented. They began by winning the prize for best interpretation of a contemporary Czech work at the Czech String Quartet Competition in Kroměříž
in 1983. Their performance and broadcasts focus both on the classics - Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, and on to Bartók and Shostakovich - and on the distinctive Czech repertoire, works of Antonín Dvořák
, Bedřich Smetana
, Leoš Janáček
, and Bohuslav Martinů
.
The Quartet gives concerts throughout Europe, including Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Greece, and Luxembourg. Many have been broadcast, for instance by the Bayerischer Rundfunk
, the Südwestrundfunk, Danmarks Radio and Radio France. Czech Television has broadcast documentaries on both the old and the new Vlach Quartets. They have toured in United States, where their opening concert in New York
in July 2004 was very highly praised. They had a Residency in 1997 in the Japan
ese University town of Gifu
and were broadcast by NHK, Japan's principal station. In 2000 they led courses in interpretation at the conservatory in Ingesund, Sweden.
The Quartet's main collaborations are with Maria Kliegel
(cello), Jenö Jandó
and Ivan Klánský
(pianists), Eduard Brunner
and Dieter Klöcker
(clarinet) and Maximilian Mangold (guitar).
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...
musical ensemble
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
s, based in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, which are linked by family tradition (father and daughter) in the Vlach family. The original Vlach Quartet was founded in 1949 and wound up in 1975. In 1982 the New Vlach Quartet (Nové Vlachovo kvarteto) was founded with guidance from the original founder, and came to be known as the Vlach Quartet of Prague (Vlachovo kvarteto Praha). It is still active as a highly-esteemed musical ensemble.
Personnel
The personnel of the original Vlach Quartet underwent several changes. In the period 1958-1972 they were:1st violin
- Josef Vlach
2nd violin
- Václav Snítil
viola
- Josef Koďousek
cello
- Viktor Moučka
The personnel of the Vlach Quartet of Prague are
1st violin
- Jana Vlachová
2nd violin
- Ondrej Kukal (with New Vlach Quartet in recordings of ArriagaArriagaArriaga is a Basque surname that may apply to:*Guillermo Arriaga, Mexican author, screenwriter and producer*Fr. Joaquín Sáenz y Arriaga, S.J., Mexican theologian, sedevacantist*Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga 1806-1826, Basque-Spanish composer...
quartets 1-3) - Karel Stadtherr
viola
- Peter Verner (1985-2005)
- Georg Haag (since 2006)
cello
- Mikael Ericsson
Origins and Activities
Josef Vlach was a violinist, conductor and teacher in Prague. He shared the principal violin desk of the Czech Chamber Orchestra (as it existed under Václav TalichVáclav Talich
Václav Talich was a Czech conductor, violinist and pedagogue.- Life :Born in Kroměříž, Moravia, he started his musical career in a student orchestra in Klatovy. From 1897 to 1903 he studied at the conservatory in Prague with Otakar Ševčík...
), with Jiri Novak, leader of the Smetana Quartet
Smetana Quartet
The Smetana Quartet was a Czech string quartet that was in existence from 1945 to 1989.- Personnel :1st violin* Václav Neumann , from 1943 to 1945* Jaroslav Rybenský, from 1945 to 1947* Jiří Novák , since 19472nd violin...
. In 1949 he founded the Vlach Quartet with members of the Orchestra. Over the next 25 years they made a significant contribution in the interpretation of classical and Czech literature for string quartet, both in concerts and in recording, for which they had a contract with Supraphon Records. The original quartet was internationally admired for its authentic, powerful and rhythmically solid performances. In 1957 Josef Vlach also re-formed the Czech Chamber Orchestra.
The New Vlach Quartet was founded in 1982 by Jana Vlachová, the daughter of Josef Vlach. She had played in a string quartet from childhood under her father's guidance and won first prize in the Concertino Praga international competition at age 14. She graduated from studies with M. Hlounová at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague is a university level school of music, dance, drama, film, TV and multi-media studies.- Faculties :*Film and TV School - FAMU*Music Faculty - HAMU*Theatre Faculty - DAMU-Notable alumni:...
, chose to concentrate on chamber music, and formed a duo with the Swedish cellist Mikael Ericsson
Mikael Ericsson
Mikael Ericsson is a Swedish former rally driver. During his career he competed in 40 events in the World Rally Championship, including two victories consecutively in 1989, his best year, when he finished fourth overall....
in 1977. He had studied in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, attended master-classes by G. Fallot and Gregor Piatigorsky
Gregor Piatigorsky
Gregor Piatigorsky was a Russian-born American cellist.-Early life:...
, and studied in Prague with Josef Chuchro. He also has a recording career as a soloist. Karel Stadtherr, violinist, had performed with the Suk Chamber Orchestra (in contact with Josef Vlach) and was Konzertmeister of the Prague Chamber Orchestra Without Conductor. Petr Verner studied solo viola at the Prague Academy under L. Malý, Milan Škampa and J. Pěruška, and chamber music with Josef Vlach.
They received guidance and mentoring from Josef Vlach, imparting a strong interpretative tradition from the school of Talich. and underwent a course of training by the Melos Quartet
Melos Quartet
The Melos Quartet, also called the Melos Quartet Stuttgart, is a German string quartet musical ensemble based in Stuttgart, that was in existence from 1965 to 2005....
(Stuttgart). They worked to expand the range of the repertoire of the earlier Quartet, both in international scope and in the time-frame represented. They began by winning the prize for best interpretation of a contemporary Czech work at the Czech String Quartet Competition in Kroměříž
Kromeríž
Kroměříž is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. The town's main landmark is the Baroque Kroměříž Bishop's Palace, where some scenes from Amadeus and Immortal Beloved were filmed...
in 1983. Their performance and broadcasts focus both on the classics - Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, and on to Bartók and Shostakovich - and on the distinctive Czech repertoire, works of Antonín 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...
, Bedřich Smetana
Bedrich Smetana
Bedřich Smetana was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style which became closely identified with his country's aspirations to independent statehood. He is thus widely regarded in his homeland as the father of Czech music...
, Leoš Janáček
Leoš Janácek
Leoš Janáček was a Czech composer, musical theorist, folklorist, publicist and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian and all Slavic folk music to create an original, modern musical style. Until 1895 he devoted himself mainly to folkloristic research and his early musical output was influenced by...
, and 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 gives concerts throughout Europe, including Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Greece, and Luxembourg. Many have been broadcast, for instance by the Bayerischer Rundfunk
Bayerischer Rundfunk
Bayerischer Rundfunk [Bavarian Broadcasting] is the public broadcasting authority for the German Freistaat of Bavaria, with its main offices located in Munich. BR is a member of ARD.- Legal foundation :...
, the Südwestrundfunk, Danmarks Radio and Radio France. Czech Television has broadcast documentaries on both the old and the new Vlach Quartets. They have toured in United States, where their opening concert in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in July 2004 was very highly praised. They had a Residency in 1997 in the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese University town of Gifu
Gifu, Gifu
is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku period, various warlords, including Oda Nobunaga, used...
and were broadcast by NHK, Japan's principal station. In 2000 they led courses in interpretation at the conservatory in Ingesund, Sweden.
The Quartet's main collaborations are with Maria Kliegel
Maria Kliegel
-Professional career:Kliegel was born in Dillenburg, Hesse. She studied under Janos Starker starting at the age of 19. She won first prize at the American College Competition, First German Music Competition and Concours Aldo Parisot, and was also the Grand Prize winner at the 2nd Mstislav...
(cello), Jenö Jandó
Jeno Jandó
Jenő Jandó is a Hungarian pianist and Professor of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary.He studied piano at the Liszt Academy with Katalin Nemes and Pál Kadosa, later going on to win many major international piano competitions, including the Georges Cziffra and Ciani Piano...
and Ivan Klánský
Ivan Klánský
Ivan Klánský is a Czech pianist.He was awarded 2nd prizes at the 1967 Concorso Busoni , the 1968 J.S. Bach Competition in Leipzig and the 1976 Paloma O'Shea Competition. He has performed internationally since. In addition, he has recorded for Naxos Records, Supraphon and Praga .Klánský holds a...
(pianists), Eduard Brunner
Eduard Brunner
Eduard Brunner is a classical clarinetist. He began his musical education in Basel , where he was born, continuing his studies at the Paris Conservatoire with Louis Cahuzac...
and Dieter Klöcker
Dieter Klöcker
Dieter Klöcker was a German clarinetist known for rediscovering many forgotten masters of the 18th century...
(clarinet) and Maximilian Mangold (guitar).
Awards and recordings
- The original Vlach Quartet recordings include Beethoven op. 131, op. 18 nos. 1 & 6, op. 59 no. 1.
- Best String Quartet among European competition, International String Quartet Competition in PortsmouthPortsmouthPortsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, England (1985) - Czech Chamber Music Association prize (1991)
- Czech Music Fund prize for CD of string quartets by Smetana (“From My Life”) and Janáček (“Intimate Letters”)
- 1995, began a long-term project with Naxos records for complete chamber music of Antonín Dvořák. Highly commended.
- 2000 (October), a Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik for cpo recording of Esquisses Hébraïques: Clarinet Quintets on Jewish Themes, with Dieter Klöcker.