Guarneri Quartet

The Guarneri Quartet is an American string quartet originally founded in 1964. In 2008, the group consists of Arnold Steinhardt (first violin), John Dalley (second violin), Michael Tree (viola), and Peter Wiley (cello). David Soyer was the cellist from 1964–2001. The Quartet's 40th anniversary was celebrated during an extensive tour in the United States, Europe and South America in the 2003, 2004 and 2005 seasons. The Quartet continues their longstanding residence at the University of Maryland, College Park, where they serve on the faculty of the UM School of Music. In June 2007, the quartet announced plans to retire in 2009.

Members

* Arnold Steinhardt (b. 1937), first violin
* John Dalley (b. 1935), second violin
* Michael Tree (b. 1934), viola
* David Soyer (b. 1923), cello (from 1964 to 2001)
* Peter Wiley (b. 1955), cello (since 2001)

The group has recently announced its imminent retirement, which will become effective at the end of the 2008-2009 concert season.

Recordings

The Guarneri String Quartet has made numerous recordings during its long history, including some of the most important works in the string quartet and chamber music literature. They recorded for Arabesque, RCA Red Seal, Philips, and Surroundedby Entertainment. A partial discography includes:

*Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga – Complete String Quartets
*Béla Bartók – Complete String Quartets
*Ludwig van Beethoven – Complete String Quartets (recorded twice: on RCA and Philips), String Quintet in C Op. 29 (with Pinchas Zukerman)
*Alexander Borodin – String Quartet No. 2
*Johannes Brahms – Complete String Quartets, Complete String Quintets (with Pinchas Zukerman), Piano Quintet in f Op. 34 (with Arthur Rubinstein on RCA, with Peter Serkin on Philips), Complete Piano Quartets (with Arthur Rubinstein),
*Claude Debussy – String Quartet (recorded twice: on RCA and on Surroundedby Entertainment)
*Ernő Dohnányi – String Quartet No. 2 in Db
*Antonín Dvořák – Piano Quintet No. 2 Op. 81 (with Arthur Rubinstein), Quartet in C Op. 61, in F Op. 96 ("American"), in G Op. 106, in Ab Op. 105, Viola Quintet in Eb Op. 97 (with Walter Trampler), Terzetto Op. 74
*Gabriel Fauré – String Quartet Op. 121 (recorded twice: on RCA and Surroundedby Entertainment), Piano Quartet in c Op. 15 (with Arthur Rubinstein)
*Edvard Grieg – String Quartet in g Op. 27 (recorded twice: on RCA and Philips)
*Joseph Haydn – String Quartets in D Op. 20 No. 4, in g Op. 74 No. 3, in G Op. 77 No. 1, in F Op. 77 No. 2
*Hans Werner Henze – Piano Quintet (with Peter Serkin)
*Leoš Janáček – Complete String Quartets
*Felix Mendelssohn – String Quartet in an Op. 13, String Quartet in D Op. 44 No. 1, Viola Quintet in Bb Op. 87 (with Pinchas Zukerman, Octet in Eb Op. 20 (with the Orion String Quartet
*Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – The Complete Piano Quartets (with Arthur Rubinstein), "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" (with Julius Levine), 6 String Quartets dedicated to Joseph Haydn (recorded twice: for RCA and Philips) (in G K387, in d K421, in E K428, in Bb K458, in A K464, in C K465), String Quartet in D K499, String Quartet in D K575, String Quartet in Bb K589, String Quartet in F K590, The Complete Viola Quintets (with Ida Kavafian, Steven Tenenbom, and Kim Kashkashian)
*Maurice Ravel – String Quartet (recorded twice: for RCA and Surroundedby Entertainment)
*Franz Schubert – String Quartets in a D804 (recorded twice: for RCA and Arabesque), in c "Quartettsatz", in d D810 "Death and the Maiden" (recorded twice: for RCA and Arabesque), in G D887, String Quintet in C D956 (with Leonard Rose), "Trout" Quintet D667 (with Emanuel Ax and Julius Levine)
*Robert Schumann – Complete String Quartets, Op. 41, Piano Quintet in Eb Op. 44 (with Arthur Rubinstein)
*Jean Sibelius – String Quartet in d Op. 56 "Voces intimae"
*Bedřich Smetana – String Quartet in e ("From my Life")
*Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – String Quartet No. 1 in D Op. 11, "Souvenir de Florence" Sextet Op. 70 (with Boris Kroyt and Mischa Schneider)
*Giuseppe Verdi – String Quartet in e
*Hugo Wolf – Italian Serenade

Awards

* 2005: The Ford Honors Award, University Musical Society of the University of Michigan.
* 2004: The Richard J. Bogomolny National Service Award, Chamber Music America.
* 1992: Award of Merit, Association of Performing Arts Presenters in New York City.
* 1983: Honorary Doctorate degrees by the State University of New York.
* 1982: New York Seal of Recognition.
* 1976: Honorary Doctorate degrees by the University of South Florida

Films

* 1989: "High Fidelity – The Guarneri String Quartet," directed and produced by Allan Miller.

Related Publications

* David Blum (1986). "The Art of Quartet Playing: The Guarneri Quartet in Conversation with David Blum", New York: Alfred A. Knopf Inc. ISBN 0-394-53985-0.
* I. Fink & C. Merriell with the Guarneri String Quartet (1985). "String Quartet Playing", New Jersey: Paganiniana Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-86622-007-0
* Helen Drees Ruttencutter (1980). Quartet: a Profile of the Guarneri Quartet. New York. Lippincott & Crowell Publishers. ISBN 0-690-01944-0
* Arnold Steinhardt (1998). "Indivisible by Four: A String Quartet in Pursuit of Harmony", New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0-374-23670-4.

External links

* [http://www.andante.com/article/article.cfm?id=12739 2001 "andante" interview]