London Quartet

The London String Quartet was a String quartet founded in London in 1908 which remained one of the leading English chamber groups into the 1930s, and made several well-known recordings.

Personnel

The personnel of the London String Quartet were

1st violin:
*Albert Sammons (1908-1917)
*James Levey (1917-c1925)
*John Pennington (c1925-?)

2nd violin:
*T.W. Petre

viola:
*H. Waldo Warner
*Philip Sainton (1929-?)
*William Primrose

violoncello:
*Charles Warwick-Evans

Warwick-Evans later made his career in America.

Origins

The London String Quartet took its rise from Thomas Beecham's 1910 orchestra, in which all the original instrumentalists were performers, and of which the leading violin, Albert Sammons, was the concertmaster. The viola player and composer H. Waldo Warner (Harry Waldo Warner, 1874 – 1945) had trained at the London Guildhall School of Music under Alfred Gibson and Orlando Morgan. After giving some violin recitals he concentrated on viola and in 1907-8 took up with the Quartet as it was forming. Charles Warwick Evans (b. 1885) had studied for 6 years at the Royal College of Music and became principal 'cello in the Beecham Opera Company, then leading 'cello in the Queen's Hall Orchestra. He resigned that post to devote himself to the String Quartet.

The group formed in 1908 and played together for two years, meanwhile playing in the orchestra, before attempting their first concert, on 26 July 1910. In addition to a great number of concerts in London and England they undertook many international tours, notably to America, France, Portugal, Spain (twice), Scandinavia (thrice), Germany and Canada. From November 1922 to April 1924 they conducted a world-tour.

Irving Kolodin wrote:

'In the Flonzaley's later years,... they seemed to have become a committee of experts matching exquisite swatches of tonal texture rather than performers of music. For young ears, the rise of the London String Quartet (with the incomparable James Levey as leader, and the enduring partnership of Thomas Petre, H. Waldo Warner and C. Warwick Evans participating) dimmed the Flonzaley star even as it was waning. A more vibrant enthusiasm, a stronger sense of tonal colours, a refinement that was not "raffiné", gave them pre-eminence as long as this personnel endured. This, in truth, was not long, and though Levey's successor was John Pennington of the honeyed tone, and William Primrose first showed his prowess as a violist in Waldo Warner's place, it was not the same thing.' [Kolodin 1959, 63.]

Recordings

The group made important early recordings in the days of the pre-electric recording horn, when it was difficult to obtain clear sound from string chamber groups. The 1917 premiere recording (made in this way) of the Vaughan Williams song-cycle "On Wenlock Edge", with Gervase Elwes (tenor) and Frederick B. Kiddle (piano) is deservedly famous, and has James Levey as first violin (Columbia Records, Purple label, 7363-7365). This remained in the catalogue until at least 1933.

In 1928 the Columbia Graphophone Company sponsored and organized a Schubert Centenary event, which included a Composer's Contest and two other phases of awards, and was completed with an issue of over seventy records of Schubert's music, including chamber recordings by various groups. The London String Quartet was invited to record the following Schubert items (these electrical-microphone recordings feature John Pennington at the first violin desk):

* Schubert: Quartet in D minor 'Tod und das Mädchen'. (Col Light Blue, 78rpm, L1751-1754). (1928).
* Schubert: Quartett-satz in C minor (Col Light Blue, 78rpm, L1679). (1928).
* Schubert: Quintet in A major 'The Trout', with Ethel Hobday (piano) and Robert Cherwin (double-bass). ((Col Light Blue, 78rpm, L 2098-2102). (1928).
* Schubert: Quintet in C major op 163 with Horace Britt (cello). (Col Dark Blue, 78rpm, 9485-9490). (1928)

* Cesar Franck: Quartet in D major (Columbia Light Blue, 78rpm, L2304-2309). (Before 1933).
* Beethoven: Quartet in A minor op 132 (Columbia 78rpm LX 332-336). (Before 1936).

Sources and notes

* R. D. Darrell, "The Gramophone Shop Encyclopedia of Recorded Music" (New York 1936).
* A. Eaglefield-Hull, "A Dictionary of Modern Music and Musicians" (Dent, London 1924).
* Glazunov, Alexander (foreword), "The Music Lover's Gramophone Library, Vol I: Schubert Centenary Issue of Columbia Records" (Columbia Graphophone Co., London 1928, 72pp & plate).
* "Catalogue of Columbia Records" (Up to and including Supplement No. 252) (Columbia Graphophone Co., London 1933).
* R. Elkin, "Queen's Hall 1893-1941" (Rider, London 1944).
* Kolodin,Iving, "The Musical Life" (Gollancz, London 1959).