Takács Quartet
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The Takács Quartet is a world famous string quartet, founded in 1975 in Budapest, Hungary, by Gabor Takács-Nagy (first violin), Károly Schranz (second violin), Gabor Ormai (viola), and András Fejér (cello) while the four were students at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music. The Takács Quartet is now based in Boulder, Colorado. They have consistently received high praise for their exuberant yet thoughtful playing, and they are especially notable for the masterful way in which they each retain their own distinctive sound and playing style, yet cohere perfectly into a seamless ensemble.
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[edit] History
The Takács Quartet first received international attention in 1977, winning the First Prize and the Critics' Prize at the International String Quartet Competition in Evian, France. After that the quartet won the Gold Medal at the 1978 Portsmouth 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 American tour in 1982.
[edit] Current members
- Edward Dusinberre, first violin
- Károly Schranz, second violin
- Geraldine Walther, viola
- András Fejér, cello
[edit] Past members
- Gábor Takács-Nagy, first violin
- Gábor Ormai, viola
- Roger Tapping, viola
[edit] Awards and recognition
Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance: Andrew Keener (producer), Simon Dominic Eadon (engineer) & the Takács Quartet for Beethoven: String Quartets ("Razumovsky" Op. 59, 1-3; "Harp" Op. 74) (2003)
The Takács 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." (Alex Ross, writing in The New Yorker, February 6, 2006).
The Takács Quartet's interpretation of Bartók's six string quartets has been met with praise.
[edit] 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 Andras 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: String Quintet in C Major, K. 515; String Quintet in g minor, K. 516; Adagio and Fugue in c minor, K. 546 with Gyorgy 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)
- Schubert: String Quintet in C Major, D. 956 (with Miklos Perenyi); 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)
