The Strub-Quartett was a well-known German

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 ...

from Berlin (1929–1945) and

Detmold Detmold () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with a population of . It was the capital of the small Principality of Lippe from 1468 until 1918 and then of the Free State of Lippe until 1947. Today it is the administrative center of ...

(1945–1965), named after primarius Max Strub.

History

The first Strub Quartet was formed from the chamber orchestra of

Edwin Fischer Edwin Fischer (6 October 1886 – 24 January 1960) was a Swiss classical pianist and conductor. He is regarded as one of the great interpreters of J.S. Bach and Mozart in the twentieth century. Biography Fischer was born in Basel and studied m ...

and was supported by the Swiss pianist. At the beginning of the 20th century the Strub Quartet had a decisive influence on the German string quartet scene. From the late 1930s, the Strub Quartet, together with the Gewandhaus Quartet were responsible with the Chamber Trio for

early music Early music generally comprises Medieval music (500–1400) and Renaissance music (1400–1600), but can also include Baroque music (1600–1750) or Ancient music (before 500 AD). Originating in Europe, early music is a broad Dates of classical ...

and the Gewandhaus Chamber Orchestra and the

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

evenings at the Leipzig

Gewandhaus Gewandhaus () is a concert hall in Leipzig, the home of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Today's hall is the third to bear this name; like the second, it is noted for its fine acoustics. History The first Gewandhaus (''Altes Gewandhaus'') The ...

. Concert tours took the ensemble through Germany as well as to other European countries such as Italy, Austria, France, Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The string quartet performed repeatedly in Milan since 1939, first at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi, then in 1949 in the auditorium of

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, colloquially the Catholic University of Milan () or simply the Cattolica, is an Italian private research university founded in 1921. Its main campus is located in Milan, Italy, with satellite campuses in B ...

and in 1951 in the Teatro Excelsior. During the Second World War (1 to 4 June 1943) the quartet also gave

Nazi propaganda Propaganda was a tool of the Nazi Party in Germany from its earliest days to the end of the regime in May 1945 at the end of World War II. As the party gained power, the scope and efficacy of its propaganda grew and permeated an increasing amou ...

concerts in

occupied France The Military Administration in France (; ) was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zone in areas of northern and western France. This so-called ' was established in June 19 ...

(Bordeaux, Poitiers and Angers). In 1940 he became an honorary member of the Società del quartetto di Milano and in 1942 of the association

Beethoven House The Beethoven House (German: ''Beethoven-Haus'') in Bonn, Germany, is a memorial site, museum, and cultural institution serving various purposes. Founded in 1889 by the Beethoven-Haus association, it studies the life and work of composer Ludwig v ...

Bonn. In 1952 it was invited to the Beethoven celebration. The string quartet also received a special audience with

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...

in the Vatican. The 1951/52 season was preceded by the Beethoven cycle in Munich and Stuttgart, and later by all of the composer's string quartets in the

Mozarteum Mozarteum University Salzburg ( German: ''Universität Mozarteum Salzburg'') is one of three affiliated but separate (it is actually a state university) entities under the "Mozarteum" name in Salzburg municipality; the International Mozarteu ...

in Salzburg and in the

Palazzo Pitti The Palazzo Pitti (), in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast, mainly Renaissance, palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. The core of the present ...

in Florence. Furthermore, the quartet gave concerts in the

Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia The Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia () is one of the oldest musical institutions in the world, founded by the papal bull ''Ratione congruit'', issued by Sixtus V in 1585, which invoked two saints prominent in Western musical history: Gre ...

in Rome.

Members

Max Strub (1929-1965) was a member of the string quartet throughout his life as primarius (1st violin). At his side were Josef Krips (1929–1933), Jost Raba (1934–1938), Hermann Hubl (1939–1951), Otto Schad (1951–1953) und Ruth Wagner-Nielen (1953–1965) as 2. violin, Rudolph Nel (1929–1933),

Walter Trampler Walter Trampler (August 25, 1915 – September 27, 1997) was a German musician and teacher of the viola and viola d'amore. Born in Munich, he was given his first lessons at age six by his violinist father. While still in his youth, he played well ...

(1934–1938), Hermann Hirschfelder (1939–1951), Franz Beyer (1951–1953 and 1962–1965), and Walter Müller (1953–1962) as violist and Hans Schrader (1929–1933),

Ludwig Hoelscher Ludwig Hoelscher (23 August 19078 May 1996) was a German cellist. He played internationally as a soloist, and was well known as a chamber musician, first playing from 1932 in Elly Ney's piano trio, then in the Strub Quartet and other formations ...

(1934–1938), Hans Münch-Holland (1939–1953) and

Irene Güdel Irene Güdel (7 July 1930 – 11 July 2023) was a Swiss cellist. From 1957 to 1995 she taught the cello at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold, from 1969 as professor. Life and career Güdel was born in Aegerten on 7 July 1930. She studied violon ...

(1953–1965) as violoncellist.

Repertoire

The Strub Quartet was specialised in the classical and Romantic repertoire as well as more modern music, for example by

Max Reger Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (19 March 187311 May 1916) was a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and academic teacher. He worked as a concert pianist, a musical director at the Paulinerkirche, Leipzig, Leipzig University Chu ...

and

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 ...

. It was responsible for the

premiere A premiere, also spelled première, (from , ) is the debut (first public presentation) of a work, i.e. play, film, dance, musical composition, or even a performer in that work. History Raymond F. Betts attributes the introduction of the ...

of string quartets by

Karl Höller Karl Höller (25 July 1907 – 14 April 1987) was a German composer of the late Romantic tradition. Biography Karl Höller was born in Bamberg, Bavaria. He came from a musical family on both sides: his father Valentin Höller was the Bamberg Cath ...

(op. 24),

Hans Pfitzner Hans Erich Pfitzner (5 May 1869 – 22 May 1949) was a German composer, conductor and polemicist who was a self-described anti-modernist. His best known work is the post-Romantic opera ''Palestrina'' (1917), loosely based on the life of the ...

(op. 50), Lothar Windsperger and

Johannes Driessler Johannes Driessler (26 January 1921 – 3 May 1998) was a German composer, organist, and lecturer. He composed operas, chamber music, and especially sacred music both vocal and for organ. Life and work Driessler was born in Friedrichsthal on ...

(op. 41/1) The string quartet also participated in the world premiere of the

string quintet A string quintet is a musical composition for five string players. As an extension to the string quartet (two violins, a viola, and a cello), a string quintet includes a fifth string instrument, usually a second viola (a so-called "viola quintet ...

Anton Bruckner Joseph Anton Bruckner (; ; 4 September 182411 October 1896) was an Austrian composer and organist best known for his Symphonies by Anton Bruckner, symphonies and sacred music, which includes List of masses by Anton Bruckner, Masses, Te Deum (Br ...

arranged by Armin Knab.

Discography

* Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 9, C major, op. 59/3 (Electrola 1941) *

: String quintet, F major, WAB 112 (Electrola 1940 ?, Pristine Audio 2017) * Antonín Dvořák: Finale, from the String quartet in F-Dur, op. 96 American Quartet (Bertelsmann Schallplattenring 1959) *

Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( ; ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

: Variations: String quartet in C major, op. 76/3, Hob. III:77 Kaiserquartett (Bertelsmann Schallplattenring 1959 and 1961, Orbis 1967, Parnass 1968) *

: String quartet no. 1, E major, op. 24 (Electrola 1938) *

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

: Clarinet quintet in A major KV 581 (Electrola 1941, Clarinet Classics 2000) *

: String Quartet No. 4 in E flat major, op. 109 (Electrola 1936 und 1938) * Franz Schubert: Piano Quintet in A major, op. posth. 114, D 667 or theme and variations thereof (

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...

1937, Electrola 1938, Bertelsmann Schallplattenring 1959, 1960 and 1961,

Ariola Ariola (also known as Ariola Records, Ariola Express, Ariola-Eurodisc and BMG Ariola) is a German record label. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of the Bertelsmann Music Group, which in turn has become a part of the international ...

1960, Pearl 1995); String quartet No. 15 in G major, op. posth. 161, D 887 (Electrola 1937);

String Quintet A string quintet is a musical composition for five string players. As an extension to the string quartet (two violins, a viola, and a cello), a string quintet includes a fifth string instrument, usually a second viola (a so-called "viola quintet ...

, in C major, op. posth. 163, D 956 (Electrola 1941, meloclassic 2014) *

Gerhart von Westerman Gerhart von Westerman (19 September 1894 – 14 February 1963) was a German composer, artistic director and music writer. Life Born in Riga, after graduating from high school Westerman studied composition at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, ...

: String quartet no. 2 in C minor, op. 8 (Electrola 1941, meloclassic 2014)

Literature

* Max Strub; Jost Raba; Walter Trampler; Ludwig Hoelscher; Elly Ney ''Strub-Quartett, Elly Ney Kammermusikabend : Donnerstag, den 18. Februar 1937, 20 Uhr, Kaisersaal der städtischen Tonhalle''. * Wolfgang Gruhle: ''Streichquartett-Lexikon: Komponisten, Werke, Interpreten''. 3rd updated and extended edition, TRIGA – Der Verlag, Gelnhausen 2005, , . * Jürgen Stegmüller: ''Das Streichquartett. Eine internationale Dokumentation zur Geschichte der Streichquartett-Ensembles und Streichquartett-Kompositionen von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart''.''Das Streichquartett : eine internationale Dokumentation zur Geschichte der Streichquartett-Ensembles und Streichquartett-Kompositionen von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart''
on WorldCat (''Quellenkataloge zur Musikgeschichte''. Vol. 40). Noetzel, Wilhelmshaven 2007, , .

References

External links

*

{{String quartets, state=collapsed German string quartets 1929 establishments in Germany 1965 disestablishments in West Germany