The Berkshire String Quartet was an American classical chamber group founded and funded in 1916 at the height of World War I by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge. The quartet, originally, was the Kortschak String Quartet, named for Hugo Kortschak (1884–1957), a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1907 until 1914 (serving as assistant concertmaster from 1910 until 1914). Kortschak was a key figure in organizing the Berkshire Chamber Music Festival founded by Coolidge.[1] The original Berkshire String Quartet disbanded sometime after 1941.
In July 1948, the successors of the Gordon Quartet were about to disband for a lack of funding and loss of its founder, Jacques Gordon (1897–1948), who had disbanded the quartet in 1947 due to ill health. Coolidge came to the rescue. She underwrote enough additional performances to make the quartet's summer season possible. But, according to Time magazine, Coolidge, for one of the few times in her life, asked a sentimental favor in return. "Would the quartet please call itself the Berkshire Quartet?"[2] The quartet agreed and, at the urging of Wilfred Bain, moved its permanent residence to the Indiana University School of Music. The quartet continued to maintain its summer residence at Music Mountain, a hilltop near Falls Village, Connecticut, where, in 1930, Gordon had founded a Chamber Music Festival named after the hilltop.
^César Saerchinger (editor), International Who's Who in Music and Musical Gazetteer, New York: Current Literature Publishing Company, New York (1918), p. 186.
^"New Music Hall at Yale", The New York Times, November 26, 1917.
External linksedit
The Music Mountain. National Register of Historic Places
Daniel Gregory Mason:The appreciation of music (Volume 4). (page 5 of 12) The Berkshire Festivals
The Harlem Valley Times Thursday, March 8,1979[permanent dead link] THE SECOND FESTIVAL, 1919
MUSIC; The Berkshire String Quartet. Miss Rosalie Miller's Recitals. The New York Times. November 19, 1919
"CHAMBER MUSIC GIVEN ON MOUNTAIN; Mrs. F.S. Coolidge's Berkshire Festival Begins Before Many Distinguished Musicians", The New York Times. September 26, 1919,
The Harvard Crimson January 10, 1920
Berkshire Festival of Chamber Music (1918–38)
January 01, 1970
berkshire, string, quartet, american, classical, chamber, group, founded, funded, 1916, height, world, elizabeth, sprague, coolidge, quartet, originally, kortschak, string, quartet, named, hugo, kortschak, 1884, 1957, member, chicago, symphony, orchestra, from. The Berkshire String Quartet was an American classical chamber group founded and funded in 1916 at the height of World War I by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge The quartet originally was the Kortschak String Quartet named for Hugo Kortschak 1884 1957 a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1907 until 1914 serving as assistant concertmaster from 1910 until 1914 Kortschak was a key figure in organizing the Berkshire Chamber Music Festival founded by Coolidge 1 The original Berkshire String Quartet disbanded sometime after 1941 In July 1948 the successors of the Gordon Quartet were about to disband for a lack of funding and loss of its founder Jacques Gordon 1897 1948 who had disbanded the quartet in 1947 due to ill health Coolidge came to the rescue She underwrote enough additional performances to make the quartet s summer season possible But according to Time magazine Coolidge for one of the few times in her life asked a sentimental favor in return Would the quartet please call itself the Berkshire Quartet 2 The quartet agreed and at the urging of Wilfred Bain moved its permanent residence to the Indiana University School of Music The quartet continued to maintain its summer residence at Music Mountain a hilltop near Falls Village Connecticut where in 1930 Gordon had founded a Chamber Music Festival named after the hilltop Contents 1 Former members 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksFormer members editFounding members in 1916 in residence at Pittsfield Massachusetts Hugo Kortschak 1884 1957 first violin Serge Kotlarsky 1893 1987 second violin Clarance Evans viola Emmeran Stoeber 1882 1945 cello Other members at Pittsfield Hermann Julius Felber Jr 1892 second violin debut 1917 3 Emile August Ferir 1873 1949 viola Edouard Dethier 1885 1962 In 1917 Hermann Felber was drafted into the US Army Edouard Dethier of New York played in his place 4 Successor of the Gordon Quartet beginning in 1948 in residence at Indiana University and Music MountainFounding members in 1948 Urico Rossi 1916 2001 first violin formerly a student of Kortschak Albert Lazan 1914 2003 second violin David Dawson 1975 viola Fritz Magg 1914 1997 cello Other members after 1948 Jerry Horner 1935 2019 violist from 1975 1976 Paul Biss viola See also editZhanna Arshanskaya Dawson David Dawson s wifeReferences edit Kortschak Recital at Cummington The Springfield Republican col 6 p 6E August 17 1941 Music Patroness Time July 12 1948 Cesar Saerchinger editor International Who s Who in Music and Musical Gazetteer New York Current Literature Publishing Company New York 1918 p 186 New Music Hall at Yale The New York Times November 26 1917 External links editThe Music Mountain National Register of Historic Places Daniel Gregory Mason The appreciation of music Volume 4 page 5 of 12 The Berkshire Festivals The Harlem Valley Times Thursday March 8 1979 permanent dead link THE SECOND FESTIVAL 1919 MUSIC The Berkshire String Quartet Miss Rosalie Miller s Recitals The New York Times November 19 1919 CHAMBER MUSIC GIVEN ON MOUNTAIN Mrs F S Coolidge s Berkshire Festival Begins Before Many Distinguished Musicians The New York Times September 26 1919 The Harvard Crimson January 10 1920 Berkshire Festival of Chamber Music 1918 38 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Berkshire String Quartet amp oldid 1145163851, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
