Description
The Fine Arts Quartet was founded in 1946 with two founding members, first violinist Sorkin and cellist Sopkin serving for 33 years until the ensemble disbanded in 1979. By the mid-1950s the Chicago-based FAQ established itself as one of the country’s foremost chamber ensembles, touring throughout America and Canada and (starting in 1958) in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the Far East-by the late 70s, the tour list encompassed 270 cities in 28 countries, with repeat appearances in many locales. The quartet was featured a number of times on the Today Show, performed on a Chicago production of the Ed Sullivan show, produced 20 hour-length programs on the quartet repertoire for National Educational Television (predecessor of PBS), and performed many broadcasts on Chicago’s classical music station, WFMT, as well as taping archival programs for radio stations in England, Germany, Holland, France, and elsewhere. The FAQ of those years lives on in the esteem of many of today’s established chamber musicians, as well as of young entrants into the profession, who grew up listening to the recorded performances of the ensemble. Most of the quartet’s commercial recordings are no longer available, so we are fortunate to have discovered the original archival tapes of a series of broadcasts at Chicago’s famed radio station WFMT, from which this box set derives. It includes a 48 page booklet with rare photos and newly written commentary by the quartet’s second violinist Abram Loft.
THE FINE ARTS QUARTET AT WFMT RADIO. Unreleased recordings of broadcast performances, 1967-73. CD 1: BEETHOVEN: Quartet in F, Op. 59, No. 1 (7 October 1969)**; Quartet in E minor, Op. 59, No. 2 (1969)**. CD 2: BEETHOVEN: Quartet in C, Op. 59, No. 3 (Jan. 1967)*; Quartet in A minor, Op. 132 (Early 1967)*. CD 3: HAYDN: Quartet in E flat, Op. 1, “No. 0” (1968-1973?)**; Quartet in D, Op. 2, No. 5 (1968-1973?)**; Quartet in B flat, Op. 2, No. 6 (1968-1973?)**; Quartet in F minor, Op. 20, No. 5 (1968-1973?)**. CD 4: HAYDN: Quartet in E flat, Op. 64, No. 6 (1968-1973?)**; Quartet in B flat, Op. 76, No. 4 (1968-1973?)**; Quartet in E flat, Op. 76, No. 6 (1968-1973?)**. CD 5: MOZART: Quartet in B flat, K. 458 (1968 or later)**; Quartet in D, K. 499 (Jan. 1967)*; Piano Quartet in E flat, K. 493 (17 Jan. 1967)***. CD 6: MOZART: Adagio and Fugue for string quartet in C minor, K. 546 (17 Jan. 1967)*. BRAHMS: Quartet in A minor, Op. 51, No. 2 (1967)*. HUSA: Quartet No. 3 (1969 or later)**. SHIFRIN: Quartet No. 4 (13 Apr. 1969)**. CD 7: BEETHOVEN: Quartet in F, Op. 18, No. 1 (Jan. 1971)**. BRAHMS: Trio in E flat, Op. 40, for Piano, Violin and French horn (Jan. 1971) Leonard Sorkin, violin; Barry Tuckwell, horn; Naomi Zaslav, piano. MOZART: Horn Quintet in E flat, K. 407 (Jan. 1971) Leonard Sorkin, violin; Abram Loft, viola; Bernard Zaslav, viola; George Sopkin, cello; Barry Tuckwell, horn. CD 8: BARTÓK: Third String Quartet (1967)*. HINDEMITH: Quartet No. 3, Op. 22 (Jan. 1967)*. MARTINON: Quartet No. 2, Op. 54 (20/21 Feb. 1967)*. * Leonard Sorkin, violin; Abram Loft, violin; Gerald Stanick, viola; George Sopkin, cello. ** Leonard Sorkin, violin; Abram Loft, violin; Bernard Zaslav, viola; George Sopkin, cello. *** Leonard Sorkin, violin; Gerald Stanick, viola; George Sopkin, cello; John Browning, piano. Sound restoration by Maggi Payne (2004). Notes by Abram Loft. Total time: 9 hrs. 15 min. [AAD] UPC # 017685-11542-4.
Disc 1 Sound Clips (MP3):
Disc 2 Sound Clips (MP3):
6. Beethoven- String Quartet No- 15 in A minor, Op- 132 II- Allegro ma non tanto – Fine Arts Quartet
9. Beethoven- String Quartet No- 15 in A minor, Op- 132 V- Allegro appassionato – Fine Arts Quartet
Disc 3 Sound Clips (MP3):
1. Haydn- String Quartet No- 5 in E flat major, Op- 1, No- 0, Hob-II6 I- Presto – Fine Arts Quartet
2. Haydn- String Quartet No- 5 in E flat major, Op- 1, No- 0, Hob-II6 II- Menuet – Fine Arts Quartet
4. Haydn- String Quartet No- 5 in E flat major, Op- 1, No- 0, Hob-II6 IV- Menuet – Fine Arts Quartet
6. Haydn- String Quartet in D major, Op- 2, No- 5, Hob-III11 I- Presto – Fine Arts Quartet
7. Haydn- String Quartet in D major, Op- 2, No- 5, Hob-III11 II- Menuet – Fine Arts Quartet
8. String Quartet in D major, Op- 2, No- 5, Hob-III11 III- Largo – Fine Arts Quartet
9. Haydn- String Quartet in D major, Op- 2, No- 5, Hob-III11 IV- Menuet – Fine Arts Quartet
10. Haydn- String Quartet in D major, Op- 2, No- 5, Hob-III11 V- Finale – Fine Arts Quartet
Disc 4 Sound Clips (MP3):
Disc 5 Sound Clips (MP3):
3. Mozart- String Quartet No- 17 in B flat major, K- 458, Hunt III- Adagio – Fine Arts Quartet
4. Mozart- String Quartet No- 17 in B flat major, K- 458, Hunt IV- Allegro assai – Fine Arts Quartet
5. Mozart- String Quartet No- 20 in D major, K- 499, Hoffmeister I- Allegretto – Fine Arts Quartet
7. Mozart- String Quartet No- 20 in D major, K- 499, Hoffmeister III- Adagio – Fine Arts Quartet
8. Mozart- String Quartet No- 20 in D major, K- 499, Hoffmeister IV- Allegro – Fine Arts Quartet
9. Mozart- Piano Quartet No- 2 in E flat major, K- 493 I- Allegro – Fine Arts Quartet
10. Mozart- Piano Quartet No- 2 in E flat major, K- 493 II- Larghetto – Fine Arts Quartet
11. Mozart- Piano Quartet No- 2 in E flat major, K- 493 III- Allegretto – Fine Arts Quartet
Disc 6 Sound Clips (MP3):
1. Mozart- Adagio and Fugue in C minor, K- 546 Adagio – Fine Arts Quartet
2. Mozart- Adagio and Fugue in C minor, K- 546 Fugue – Fine Arts Quartet
3. Brahms- String Quartet in A minor, Op- 51, No- 2 I- Allegro ma non troppo – Fine Arts Quartet
4. Brahms- String Quartet in A minor, Op- 51, No- 2 II- Andante moderato – Fine Arts Quartet
5. Brahms- String Quartet in A minor, Op- 51, No- 2 III- Quasi minuetto Moderato – Fine Arts Quartet
6. Brahms- String Quartet in A minor, Op- 51, No- 2 IV- Finale Allegro non assai – Fine Arts Quartet
7. Husa- String Quartet No- 3 I- Allegro moderato – Fine Arts Quartet
8. Husa- String Quartet No- 3 II- Lento assai – Fine Arts Quartet
9. Husa- String Quartet No- 3 III- Allegro possibile – Fine Arts Quartet
10. Husa- String Quartet No- 3 IV- Adagio – Fine Arts Quartet
11. Shifrin- String Quartet No- 4 I- Lirico – Fine Arts Quartet
12. Shifrin- String Quartet No- 4 II- Comodo, Delicately, Leisurely – Fine Arts Quartet
13 Shifrin- String Quartet No- 4 III- Mastevole – Allegro – Fine Arts Quartet
Disc 7 Sound Clips (MP3):
1. Beethoven- String Quartet No- 1 in F major, Op- 18, No- 1 I- Allegro con brio – Fine Arts Quartet
4. Beethoven- String Quartet No- 1 in F major, Op- 18, No- 1 IV- Allegro – Fine Arts Quartet
5. Brahms- Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano in E flat major, Op- 40 I- Andante – Fine Arts Quartet
9. Mozart- Horn Quintet in E flat major, K- 407 I- Allegro – Fine Arts Quartet
10. Mozart- Horn Quintet in E flat major, K- 407 II- Andante – Fine Arts Quartet
11. Mozart- Horn Quintet in E flat major, K- 407 III- Allegro – Fine Arts Quartet
Disc 8 Sound Clips (MP3):
1. Bartok- String Quartet No- 3, BB 93 I- Prima parte Moderato – Fine Arts Quartet
2. Bartok- String Quartet No- 3, BB 93 II- Seconda parte Allegro – Fine Arts Quartet
4. Bartok- String Quartet No- 3, BB 93 III- Coda Allegro molto – Fine Arts Quartet
5. Hindemith- String Quartet No- 4, Op- 22 I- Fugato Sehr langsame Viertel – Fine Arts Quartet
6. Hindemith- String Quartet No- 4, Op- 22 II- Schnelle Achtel Sehr energisch – Fine Arts Quartet
7. Hindemith- String Quartet No- 4, Op- 22 III- Ruhige Viertel Stets fliessend – Fine Arts Quartet
8. Hindemith- String Quartet No- 4, Op- 22 IV- Massig schnelle Viertel – Fine Arts Quartet
9. Hindemith- String Quartet No- 4, Op- 22 V- Rondo Gemachlich und mit Grazie – Fine Arts Quartet
10. Martinon- String Quartet No- 2, Op- 54 I- Preludio Moderato assai – Fine Arts Quartet
11. Martinon- String Quartet No- 2, Op- 54 II- Intermezzo Allegretto – Fine Arts Quartet
12. Martinon- String Quartet No- 2, Op- 54 III- Grave e scherzo – Fine Arts Quartet
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.