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The Virtuoso String Quartet was a British quartet, founded by the Gramophone Company (better known as HMV) in 1924,[1] being the first such quartet established specifically for recording.[2] In effect they displaced the Catterall Quartet from their position recording for HMV.[3]

Marjorie Hayward led them for the 15 years of their life. Raymond Jeremy and Cedric Sharpe previously performed in the Philharmonic Quartet.

Personnel

• Marjorie Hayward, first violin
• Edwin Virgo, second violin
• Raymond Jeremy, viola
• Cedric Sharpe, cello

Concerts

This section is in list format but may read better as prose. (May 2022)

1926/10: The first Bradford Festival of Chamber Music.[4] Brahms sextet op36; Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht

1926/12/11: St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Debussy quartet G minor; Mozart quartet in E flat (K.v. 428) [5]

1927/6: Wigmore Hall, London. John B. McEwen: Three quartets[6]

1927/10: Second Bradford Festival

1927/9/28, 1927/10/12&26: Aeolian Hall, London

1927: Wigmore Hall, London. Bax: Quartet 2, Oboe quintet, Piano quintet[7]

1928/3/13, Town Hall, Chelsea: Chelsea Music Club 36th concert[8]

1928/6/15: Aeolian Hall, London. John B. McEwen: Quartet in C Minor, first performance; Arnold Bax; York Bowen.[9]

1928/10/23: Town Hall, Oxford: Ravel[10]

1928/11/22: Town Hall, Oxford

1930/3/26 Wigmore Hall: Bax[11]

1930 As part of the Celtic Congress, University College concert hall, London; concert included work by John McCormack, the Welsh soprano Megan Foster, and the cellist, Beatrice Harrison [12]

Acoustic recordings (4 sets; all premiere recordings)

Beethoven: no 8, E minor (Op. 59/2): late 1924

Tchaikovsky Quartet 1 in D, Op. 11: 1923

Franck: String Quartet in D: Premiere recording (1925)[13]

Bridge Three Idylls: 1923.[14]

Electrical recordings (6 sets and some singles)

Ravel: quartet; Introduction and Allegro with John Cockerill, harpist.

Borodin: Nocturne

Debussy: Quartet G minor

Beethoven: No.9 in C Op.59/3

Beethoven: No.6 in Bb Op.18/6.

Glazounov: Orientale: 1928

Thomas: Mignon Gavotte 1928; HMV B 2784[15]

Press notices

"From the London station [BBC] we have had many good things during the past month, the pick being the Virtuoso Quartet in Mozart and Debussy…"[16]

"Good as these Budapest party records are [Haydn op76/1, HMV D1075-7], they are beaten all round by those of the Virtuoso Quartet in Debussy's G minor… For vividness and sonority this is surely among the finest achievements of the [Gramophone] Company".[17]

"… distinguished themselves as virile performers of Beethoven… put up so excellent a show [in Ravel]"[18]

References

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