Kolisch String Quartet. (1920s-1940s)
Signed Photograph
Extremely uncommon signed photograph of the great string quartet, closely associated with the 2nd Viennese school and famed for their quartet recitals without the use of sheet music. This is illustrated in the present image, as is Rudolf Kolisch's reverse handed playing due to a childhood injury to the middle finger of his left hand. In poor condition but with faults which could be skillfully matted out of view, chiefly a hole to the upper edge extending to just above one signature and a perished corner lower right, as well as other imperfections around the black border. Nevertheless, this is very rare and indeed the only signed photograph of the quartet which we have ever offered. 10 x 8 inches (25.7 x 20.3 cm)."In 1922 [Rudolf Kolisch] formed the Kolisch Quartet, which became internationally known. Its membership changed in the early years, but by 1927 consisted of Kolisch, Felix Khuner, Jenö (Eugene) Lehner and Benar Heifetz. This quartet toured in Europe, Africa, South America and the USA, where the members settled in 1935...The Kolisch Quartet was the first to insist on playing the standard repertory from memory, and made a still stronger impression as the champion of new music, particularly of works by Schoenberg, Berg and Webern. Among its important premières were Schoenberg’s String Quartets nos.3 and 4 and Quartet Concerto (after Handel), Berg’s Lyric Suite in its original form, Webern’s String Trio and String Quartet, and Bartók’s Quartet no.6. Schoenberg dedicated his Fourth Quartet jointly to Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge (who commissioned it) and to ‘its ideal interpreters, the Kolisch Quartet’, and wrote to the former that they were ‘the best string quartet I ever heard’, praising ‘their virtuosity, their sonority, their understanding, their style’." (Bernard Jacobson, Grove Online) (23234)
Unsigned Photograph Classical Music