Ševcík-Lhatsky Quartet
Encyclopedia
The Ševčík-Lhatsky String Quartet was a well-known Czech
musical ensemble
founded originally as the Ševčík Quartet at Warsaw
in 1903, which remained in existence in the 1930s.
1st violin: Bohuslav Lhatsky
2nd violin: Karel Procházka
viola: Karel Moravec
violoncello: Bohuslav Váska (until 1911), succeeded by Ladislav Zelenka (until 1914), and by Antonio Fingerland.
(b. 1852), who had control of the violin department at the Prague Conservatory
between 1892 and 1901. The master's method was based on the semitone system, the fingers remaining at equal distances on all the strings during the technical studies, leading to great safety, precision and fluency in performance. Following the success of his pupil Jan Kubelik
, his students gathered in great numbers at his residence at Pisek
. This Quartet was the later counterpart of the Bohemian or Czech Quartet, which was formed by four pupils of the Prague cello professor Hanuš Wihan
a decade previously.
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
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...
founded originally as the Ševčík Quartet at Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
in 1903, which remained in existence in the 1930s.
Personnel
The founding members of the Quartet were as follows:1st violin: Bohuslav Lhatsky
2nd violin: Karel Procházka
viola: Karel Moravec
violoncello: Bohuslav Váska (until 1911), succeeded by Ladislav Zelenka (until 1914), and by Antonio Fingerland.
Origins
Bohuslav Lhatsky, Karel Procházka and Karel Moravec were all pupils of the Czech violin teacher Otakar ŠevčíkOtakar Ševcík
Otakar Ševčík was a Czech violinist and influential teacher. He was known as a soloist and an ensemble player, including his occasional performances with Eugène Ysaÿe.-Biography:...
(b. 1852), who had control of the violin department 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 :...
between 1892 and 1901. The master's method was based on the semitone system, the fingers remaining at equal distances on all the strings during the technical studies, leading to great safety, precision and fluency in performance. Following the success of his pupil Jan Kubelik
Jan Kubelík
Jan Kubelík was a Czech violinist and composer.-Biography:He was born in Michle . His father, a gardener by occupation, was an amateur violinist. He taught his two sons the violin and after discovering the talent of Jan, who was aged five at the time, arranged for him to study with Karel Weber and...
, his students gathered in great numbers at his residence at Pisek
Písek
Písek is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has a population of 29 909 .-About:Písek is usually called "The Athens of the South", although Athens is much more southerly, because it has many high schools and schools of higher education, e.g. the Film School in Písek...
. This Quartet was the later counterpart of the Bohemian or Czech Quartet, which was formed by four pupils of the Prague cello professor Hanuš Wihan
Hanuš Wihan
Hanuš Wihan was a renowned Czech cellist, considered the greatest of his time. He was strongly associated with the works of Antonín Dvořák, whose Rondo in G minor, Op. 94, the short piece Silent Woods, Op. 68, and most particularly the Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 were all dedicated to him...
a decade previously.
Recordings
(as 'Sevcikovo-Lhotskeho Quartet')- DvořákAntonín DvorákAntonín 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...
: Quartet no 6 in F major op 96 (HMV 78rpm European issue, AN 332-334). - SmetanaSmetanaSmetana 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%...
: Quartet no 1 in E minor (HMV 78 rpm European issue, AN 326-329). - GlazunovAlexander GlazunovAlexander Konstantinovich Glazunov was a Russian composer of the late Russian Romantic period, music teacher and conductor...
: Quartet no 4 in A minor op 64, Scherzo (HMV 78rpm, European, AN 339). - BorodinBorodinBorodin , or Borodina is a Russian last name and may refer to:*Alexander Borodin , Russian composer and chemist*Alexander Parfeniyevich Borodin, Russian scientist in the field of rail transport...
: Quartet no 2, Nocturne (HMV 78rpm, European, AN 339).
Sources
- A. Eaglefield-Hull, A Dictionary of Modern Music and Musicians (Dent, London 1924).
- R.D. Darrell, The Gramophone Shop Encyclopedia of Recorded Music (New York 1936).