Quintetto Chigiano

The Quintetto Chigiano was an Italian musical ensemble comprising a string quartet with pianoforte, and was especially active during the 1940s-1960s.

Personnel

The personnel of the Quintet were made up as follows:

1st violin: Riccardo Brengola (leader)
2nd violin: Mario Benvenuti
viola: Giovanni Leone
violoncello: Lino Filippini
piano: Sergio Lorenzi

Origins

The Quintetto Chigiano was founded in Siena, Italy, in 1939 and took its name from the Accademia Chigiana, which was founded by Count Chigi-Saracini. It was one of the rare permanent quintets in the world. The Quintet had the use of the four best instruments from Count Chigi-Saracini's private collection, namely a Camillo Camilli and a Guadagnini violin, an Amati viola and a Stradivarius violoncello.

Recordings

The Quintet made several recordings for Decca Records:
* Bloch, Piano quintet (1924) (Decca LP LXT 2626). (EMG review Dec. 1951).
* Boccherini, Piano quintet in A major (op posth) and quintet in D minor (Decca LP LXT 2841). (EMG review March 1954).
* Brahms, Piano quintet in F minor, op 34 (Decca LP LXT 2687). (EMG review June 1952).
* Dvořák, Piano quintet in A major op 81 (Decca LP LXT 2519). (EMG review Nov 1950).
* Franck, Piano quintet in F minor (1879) (Decca LP LXT 2520). (c. 1950).
* Shostakovich, Piano quintet op 57 (Decca LP LXT 2749). (EMG review Dec 1952).

Having played all these tunes, during the 1960s the Quintet reformed itself into a Sextet.

Sources

* E. Sackville-West and D. Shawe-Taylor, The Record Year 2 (Collins, London 1953).
* E.M.G., The Art of Record-Buying 1960 (London 1960).
* E.M.G., "The Monthly Newsletter" (London)
* Printed flyer for Royal Festival Hall concert of Boccherini, Brahms and Dvořák. (early 1950s).