November 11, 2008
Takács Quartet with Muzsikás and Márta Sebestyén
A special program exploring the folk origins of Bartók’s music
About the Artists
Gabor Takács-Nagy, violin
Károly Schranz, violin
Gabor Ormai, viola
András Fejér, cello
"Definitive" is a dangerous word to use about any performance, …but this eloquent, expansive and altogether thrilling account by the Takács Quartet and pianist Stephen Hough tempts a listener to invoke every superlative in the book.”
- Steven Quin, San Francisco Chronicle
“With the Takács Quartet on their current form, when only superlatives seem to do, there is a risk of indulging in hyperbole. But the fact is: they are peerless.
- Rian Evans, The Guardian
“The Takacs Quartet’s concert on Saturday night was a breath of fresh air — or rather, a gale of fresh air, which buffeted Zankel Hall and left its audience breathless, invigorated and delighted.”
- Anne Midgette, The New York Times.
Recognized as one of the world's premiere string quartets, the Takács Quartet is renowned for the ability to fuse four distinct, expressive musical personalities into gripping, unified interpretations. Commenting on their latest Schubert recording for Hyperion, Gramophone magazine noted; "The Takács have the ability to make you believe that there’s no other possible way the music should go, and the strength to overturn preconceptions that comes only with the greatest performers."
Based in Boulder at the University of Colorado, the Takács Quartet perform eighty concerts a year worldwide, performing throughout Europe as well as in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Korea. The quartet are Associate Artists at the South Bank Centre in London, performing several concerts there each year. 2007-2008 season highlights include four concerts at Carnegie Hall: "Everyman", inspired by Philip Roth's novel, in which they will perform with the Academy Award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, and a three concert series focusing on Haydn and Brahms. They also will tour with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet. In North America, they will perform in over 30 cities, and European tours include performances in Vienna, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Frankfurt, and Brussels. In May 2008 the quartet will perform a new piece by James Macmillan, commissioned by the South Bank.
The Quartet's multi-award winning recordings include the Late Quartets by Beethoven which in 2005 won Disc of the Year and Chamber Award from BBC Music Magazine, a Gramophone Award and a Japanese Record Academy Award. Their recordings of the early and middle Beethoven quartets collected a Grammy, another Gramophone Award, a Chamber Music of America Award and two further awards from the Japanese Recording Academy. Of their performances and recordings of the Late Quartets, the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote “The Takács might play this repertoire better than any quartet of the past or present.”
In 2005 the Takács Quartet signed a contract with Hyperion Records, for whom their first recording, of Schubert's D804 and D810 was released in 2006. A disc featuring Brahms' Piano Quintet with Stephen Hough will be released in November 2007. The Quartet has also made sixteen recordings for the Decca label since 1988 of works by Beethoven, Bartok, Borodin, Brahms, Chausson, Dvorak, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert and Smetana. The ensemble's recording of the six Bartok String Quartets received the 1998 Gramophone Award for chamber music and, in 1999, was nominated for a Grammy. In addition to the Beethoven String Quartet cycle recording, the ensemble's other Decca recordings include Dvorak's String Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 51 and Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81 with pianist Andreas Haefliger; Schubert's Trout Quintet with Mr. Haefliger, which was nominated in 2000 for a Grammy Award; string quartets by Smetana and Borodin; Schubert's Quartet in G Major and Notturno Piano Trio with Mr. Haefliger; the three Brahms string quartets and Piano Quintet in F Minor with pianist András Schiff; Chausson's Concerto for violin, piano and string quartet with violinist Joshua Bell and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet; and Mozart's String Quintets, K515 and 516 with Gyorgy Pauk, viola.
The quartet is known for innovative programming. The group collaborates regularly with the Hungarian folk ensemble Muzsikas, performing a program that explores the folk sources of Bartok's music. The Takács performed a music and poetry program on a fourteen city US tour with the poet Robert Pinsky. Upcoming commissions include works by James Macmillan, Wolfgang Rihm and Daniel Kellogg.
At the University of Colorado, the Takács Quartet has helped to develop a string program with a special emphasis on chamber music, in a small tightly knit community where students work in a nurturing enviroment best designed to help them develop their artistry. The Quartet's commitment to teaching is enhanced by summer residencies at the Aspen Festival and at the Music Academy of the West, Santa Barbara. The Takács is a Visiting Quartet at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London.
The Takács Quartet was formed in 1975 at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest by Gabor Takács-Nagy, Károly Schranz, Gabor Ormai and András Fejér, while all four were students. It first received international attention in 1977, winning First Prize and the Critics’ Prize at the International String Quartet Competition in Evian, France. The Quartet also won the Gold Medal at the 1978 Portsmouth and Bordeaux Competitions and First Prizes at the Budapest International String Quartet Competition in 1978 and the Bratislava Competition in 1981. The Quartet made its North American debut tour in 1982. Violinist Edward Dusinberre joined the Quartet in 1993 and violist Roger Tapping in 1995. Violist Geraldine Walther replaced Mr. Tapping in summer, 2005. Of the original ensemble, Karoly Schranz and Andras Fejer remain. In 2001 the Takács Quartet was awarded the Order of Merit of the Knight’s Cross of the Republic of Hungary.