The Prague Quartet (; ) was a

string quartet The term string quartet refers to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two Violin, violini ...

based in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

that existed from 1920 to 1955. Along with the Ševčík Quartet and Bohemian Quartet, it was one of the foremost chamber ensembles of the

interwar years In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...

.Černušák (1963), p. 360.

History

The beginnings of the ensemble date back to 1919, when Richard Zika (1st violin) together with his brother Ladislav Zika (cello), Mirek Dezel (viola) and Ivo Trost (2nd violin) founded the ''Jugoslavenski Quartet''. The members of the quartet played in the orchestra of the Slovene National Theatre in

Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...

. Ladislav Černý later replaced Dezel on viola and Slovene violinist Karel Sancin took the post of Ivo Trost. The Zika brothers and Černý, expatriate

Czechs The Czechs (, ; singular Czech, masculine: ''Čech'' , singular feminine: ''Češka'' ), or the Czech people (), are a West Slavs, West Slavic ethnic group and a nation native to the Czech Republic in Central Europe, who share a common Bohemia ...

working in Ljubljana, founded the Zika Quartet (Zikovo kvarteto) together with Karel Sancin in 1920.Potter, Tully. ''Prague Quartet'' Their first performance took place in

Ptuj Ptuj (; , ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, eighth-largest town of Slovenia, located in the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Styria (northeastern Slovenia). It is the seat of the City Municipality of Ptuj, Municipality of Pt ...

on March 22, 1920. The Quartet relocated to

in 1921 where it was called the Czechoslovak Quartet (Československé kvarteto), and from 1929, the Prague Quartet. During the 1920s, the ensemble travelled and performed extensively around Czechoslovakia and Europe. In 1927, the Prague Quartet undertook a six month-tour of

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

when the Germans forbade nationalistic titles, it was known as the Černý Quartet (Černé kvarteto, 1943–1944). The quartet toured extensively and helped to promote the music of

Paul Hindemith Paul Hindemith ( ; ; 16 November 189528 December 1963) was a German and American composer, music theorist, teacher, violist and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major advo ...

, with whom Černý was associated.Luttmann, S., ''Paul Hindemith: A Guide to Research'' (

Abingdon-on-Thames Abingdon-on-Thames ( ), commonly known as Abingdon, is a historic market town and civil parish on the River Thames in the Vale of the White Horse district of Oxfordshire, England. The Historic counties of England, historic county town of Berksh ...

Routledge Routledge ( ) is a British multinational corporation, multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, academic journals, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanit ...

, 2005)
p. 52
Playing with exceptional rhythmic vitality, tonal quality and technical address, the group influenced generations of Czech musicians. The quartet made several recordings including works of

Antonín Dvořák Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8September 18411May 1904) was a Czech composer. He frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia, following the Romantic-era nationalist example of his predec ...

Bedřich Smetana Bedřich Smetana ( ; ; 2 March 1824 – 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style that became closely identified with his people's aspirations to a cultural and political "revival". He has been regarded ...

Leoš Janáček Leoš Janáček (, 3 July 1854 – 12 August 1928) was a Czech composer, Music theory, music theorist, Folkloristics, folklorist, publicist, and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian folk music, Moravian and other Slavs, Slavic music, includin ...

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period (music), Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, oft ...

and

Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...

. The quartet disbanded in 1955 and soon, with Černý's encouragement, Břetislav Novotný, the quartet's final second violinist, founded the City of Prague Quartet (Kvarteto města Prahy), also known as the Prague String Quartet (Prager Streichquartett).

Personnel

;Violin I * (1920–1933) * Willibald Schweyda (Vilibald Schwejda) (1933–1941) * (1941–1951) * Josef Suk (1951) * (1951–1954) * Karel Šroubek (1954–1966) ;Violin II * Ivo Trost (1919) * Karel Sancin (1920–1923) * Herbert Berger (1923–1954) * Břetislav Novotný (1954–1955) * Jiří Baxa (1955–1966) ;Viola * Mirek Dezel (1919) * Ladislav Černý (1920–1966) ;Cello * Ladislav Zika (1920–1931) *

Miloš Sádlo Miloš Sádlo (13 April 1912 – 14 October 2003), was a Czech cellist born in Prague. Life Born Miloš Bláha, later Miloš Zátvrzský after his step-father. He started his musical education by playing violin when he was 8 years old. At 15 he swi ...

(1931–1933) * Ivan Večtomov (1933–1941, 1951–1966) * (1941–1951)

Notes

References

Potter, Tully. ''Prague Quartet''
Retrieved 23 January 2011.
Český hudební slovník osob a institucí (Czech Music Dictionary of People and Institutions): Ladislav Černý
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Prague Quartet Musical groups established in 1920 Czech string quartets Musical groups disestablished in 1955 1920 establishments in Czechoslovakia