Loewenguth String Quartet of Paris

Vol. 1: DHR-7846-8 (3CDs)

The Loewenguth Quartet of Paris was founded in 1929 by the legendary French violinist Alfred Loewenguth (1911 1983).
The quartet, already known and respected internationally in the 1930's, made their first North American tour in 1945 and remained active for four decades, playing in major venues around the world. Following their November 1948 New York concert, Virgil Thomson wrote in The New York Herald-Tribune:"The Loewenguth Quartet comes as near perfection in classical style as any group I have heard" and after their first New York concert of the 1949/50 season Olin Downes wrote in The New York Times: "It was a passionate, wonderfully colored and perfect performance of the highest order." In the late 1930's and 1940's HMV recorded the Loewenguth Quartet in works of Mozart and Beethoven. From 1949 and during the 1950's the quartet recorded several albums with Deutsche Grammophone/Archive and was awarded the prestigious Grand Prix du Disque. The quartet enjoyed a long association with the Vox label and also made recordings for Philips, Westminster, Les Discophiles Francais, Club National du Disque and a few smaller French and American labels.
In addition to the quartet, Alfred Loewenguth was active as soloist and played chamber music in the company of other distinguished musicians such as Pablo Casals and Mieczyslaw Horszowski. Many of the Loewenguth quartet 78s and LP recordings, as well as Alfred Loewenguth's sonata recordings with his long time (nearly 50 years) duo partner pianist Françoise Dureau, are eagerly sought after by classical collectors.
Mozart
String Quartets K.387; K.428; K.458; K.465
Clarinet Quintet K.581 with Georgina Dobrée
Haydn
String Quartets Op.64/5; Op.74/3; Op.76/2

1945 - 1972 Recordings

CD1
MOZART
Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in A major, K.581
Georgina Dobrée (clarinet)
Alfred Loewenguth (1st violin); Philippe Langlois (2nd violin)
Jean-Claude Dewaele (viola); Roger Loewenguth (cello)
Live performance, c.1972. Source DQL 501
HAYDN
String Quartet in D minor, Op.76 No.2 21:26
Alfred Loewenguth (1st violin); Jacques Gotkovsky (2nd violin)
Roger Roche (viola); Roger Loewenguth (cello)
Recorded c.1958. Source: fono-ring FGLP 77 626
String Quartet in G minor, Op.74 No.3
Alfred Loewenguth (1st violin); Jacques Gotkovsky (2nd violin)
Roger Roche (viola); Roger Loewenguth (cello)
Recorded c.1958. Source: fono-ring FGLP 77 626

CD2
MOZART
String Quartet in Bb major, K.458
Alfred Loewenguth (1st violin); Maurice Fueri (2nd violin)
Roger Roche (viola); Pierre Basseux (cello)
Recorded 1950. Source DG 18 315
String Quartet in G major, K.387
Alfred Loewenguth (1st violin); Maurice Fueri (2nd violin)
Roger Roche (viola); Pierre Basseux (cello)
Recorded 1951. Source: Allegro AL 26
String Quartet in Eb major, K.428
Alfred Loewenguth (1st violin); Maurice Fueri (2nd violin)
Roger Roche (viola); Pierre Basseux (cello)
Recorded 1951. Source: Allegro AL 26

CD3
MOZART
String Quartet in C major, K.465
Alfred Loewenguth (1st violin); Philippe Langlois (2nd violin)
Jean-Claude Dewaele (viola); Roger Loewenguth (cello)
Live performance, c.1972. Source DQL 501
HAYDN
String Quartet in D major, Op.64 No.5
Alfred Loewenguth (1st violin); Maurice Fueri (2nd violin)
Roger Roche (viola); Pierre Basseux (cello)
Recorded 1950. Source DG 18 315
MOZART
String Quartet in C major, K.465
Alfred Loewenguth (1st violin); Maurice Fueri (2nd violin)
Roger Roche (viola); Pierre Basseux (cello)
Recorded c.1945. Source: Gramophone DB 11120/1/2 (6 sides)

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