Végh Quartet

The Végh Quartet was a Hungarian string quartet founded in 1940 and led by its first violinist Sándor Végh for 40 years. The quartet was based in Budapest until it departed Hungary in 1946. They are particularly known for their recordings of Beethoven (recorded twice - 1952 mono and 1972-4 stereo) and Bartók cycles.

Personnel

The personnel for both the 1952 and the 1972-1974 Beethoven recordings appears to be:

• Sándor Végh (violin)
• Sándor Zöldy (violin)
• Georges Janzer (viola)
• Paul Szabo (cello)

Origins

Sándor Végh, a pupil of Jenő Hubay and Zoltán Kodály at Budapest Academy, led the Hungarian Quartet from its foundation in 1935 until 1937, when he ceded the first violin desk to Zoltán Székely, and went to the second in the place of Péter Szervánsky: Denes Koromzay was the viola and Vilmos Palotai the 'cello. Székely was a friend of Bela Bartok's, and the group became rapidly known by giving the premiere performance of the Bartok 5th Quartet, which it studied with the composer. By 1938, the group had been heard in every major city of Western Europe. In 1940 Végh left to found his own quartet.

The Vegh Quartet was based in Budapest during the War but left Hungary in 1946. The 1952 recording of the Beethoven quartets was made in Boston, Massachusetts. The Quartet continued to perform until the mid-1970s.

Recordings

• Beethoven: Quartets, recorded 1952.
• Bartok - 6 Quartets, recorded 1954-1956.
• Late Beethoven Quartets (Stereo version, 1973), Telefunken 4 LPs SKA 25113-T/1-4.
• Bartok - 6 Quartets, recorded 1970s.

External links

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