Kneisel Quartet

The Kneisel Quartet was a string quartet musical ensemble established in Boston, USA in 1885. It existed until 1917, and in its time became recognised as the leading string quartet in the United States. It also performed in Europe.

Contents 1 Personnel 2 Origins 3 Source 4 External links

Personnel

The personnel of the Kneisel quartet was as follows:

1st violin:

• Franz Kneisel (1885–1917)

2nd violin:

• E. Fiedler (1885–1887)
• Otto Roth (1887–1899)
• Karl Ondriček (1899–1902)
• J. Theodorowicz (1902–1907)
• Julius Röntgen (1907–1912)
• Hans Letz (1912–1917)

viola:

• Louis Svečenski (1885–1917)

cello:

• Fritz Giese (1885–1889)
• Anton Hekking (1889–1891)
• Alwin Schroeder (1891–1907)
• Willem Willeke (1907–1917)

Origins

The Kneisel quartet was founded at the time when Franz Kneisel first arrived in Boston. Kneisel's training under Joseph Hellmesberger, Jr. no doubt gave an important stimulus to the decision. The quartet remained settled at Boston until 1903, when its operational base moved to New York. It ceased activity in 1917 owing to the high demand of teaching upon Kneisel's time. The farewell concert was given on 3 April 1917 in New York.

Charles Ives considered a certain performance by the Kneisel Quartet "effeminate", and he was inspired to write a more virile quartet, which became his String Quartet No. 2.

Source

• A. Eaglefield-Hull, A Dictionary of Modern Music and Musicians (Dent, London 1924).

External links

• The Love Family Papers at Irving S. Gilmore Music Library, Yale University correspondence of Helen Love Scranton, secretary to Franz Kneisel.