Melos Quartet

Melos Quartett Stuttgart
Melos Quartet (from L to R: H. Voss, W. Melcher, P. Buck, G. Voss) in 1977
Background information
Also known as	The Melos String Quartet
Origin	Stuttgart, Germany
Genres	Classical
Occupation	Chamber ensemble
Years active	1965–2005
Labels	Intercord, Deutsche Grammophon, Harmonia Mundi, Beyer Records, BIS, Hännsler Classics, Tower Records (Japan releases), SWR Digital releases
Past members	Wilhelm Melcher, 1st violin Gerhard Voss, 2nd violin (1965–1993) Ida Bieler, 2nd violin (1993–2005) Hermann Voss, viola Peter Buck, cello

The Melos Quartet was a much-recorded, Stuttgart-based string quartet active from 1965 until 2005, when its first violinist died. It also went by the name Melos Quartett Stuttgart, partly to distinguish itself from the equally prominent chamber group the Melos Ensemble of London.

Origins and activities

Melos Quartett Stuttgart was founded in October 1965 by four young members of well-known German chamber orchestras. The name Melos, an ancient Greek word for singing, and the root of the word melody, was suggested by the combination of the names Melcher and Voss, to indicate their purpose as distinct individuals seeking musical harmony together. Leader Melcher of Hamburg studied with Erich Röhn and with both Pina Carmirelli and Arrigo Pelliccia of the Boccherini Quintet in Rome. He won the International Chamber Music Competition in Venice in 1962 and became concertmaster of the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra the next year. The Voss brothers are Rhinelanders. They studied with Sandor Végh, and Hermann continued as a pupil of Ulrich Koch, becoming solo violist of the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra. Cellist Buck is a Swabian who studied in Düsseldorf and Freiburg and with Ludwig Hoelscher in Stuttgart. Gerhard Voss and Buck were members of the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra.

In 1966 the group gave its first recital, won a prize in the Villa-Lobos-Quartet competition in Rio de Janeiro, represented West Germany at the World Congress of Jeuness Musicale in Paris, and, most influentially for their future success, won the Prix américain as the best quartet at the Geneva International Congress of Musical Performance.

Then, giving up their orchestral positions to concentrate solely on the Quartet, they began touring in 1967 and in 1968 performed in seven European countries. In 1969 they gave 105 concerts throughout the world, and had their first television appearance.

Contract with Deutsche Grammophon

In 1969 the group signed a five-year contract with the D.G.G. record company, and spent 25 days that year making recordings for radio and commercial release. They obtained the first prize of the String Quartet Foundation sponsored by German industry in 1970, and in 1972 they entered into a further contract with D.G.G. for complete recordings of the Schubert and Cherubini string quartets.

After this they undertook tours around the world, in North and South America, Africa, all European countries, the Near East and Far East, getting as far as Novosibirsk in Russia. They became the first West German musicians to play in Volgograd (Stalingrad), in 1973, in concerts commemorating the events of 1943. By 1975, when the Schubert integral recordings were completed and issued, the Quartet also held a teaching post at the Stuttgart School of Music.

By 1975 the group had built up a repertoire of 120 works, including the complete Beethoven, Schubert, Cherubini, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, Janáček quartets, and works by Haydn, Mozart, Hugo Wolf, Pfitzner, Verdi, Donizetti, Debussy, Smetana, Kodály, Hindemith, Bartók, Alban Berg, Gian Francesco Malipiero, Witold Lutosławski, Milko Kelemen, Robert Wittinger and Josef Maria Horváth. They made a conscious decision to have a wide-ranging repertoire in order to avoid getting stuck to any particular period.

For most of the Schubert recordings the instruments were a cello by Francesco Ruggieri (1682), a viola by Carlo Ferdinando Landolfi (18th century), first violin by Domenico Montagnana (1731) and second violin by Carlo Annibale Tononi (18th century).

They were planning a farewell tour in 2005, when Wilhelm Melcher, the first violinist died unexpectedly just before his 65th birthday.

Among others, the Quartet collaborated with Arthur Rubinstein, Mstislav Rostropovich, Georg Solti, Narciso Yepes, Piero Farulli and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.

Personnel

The membership was unusually stable:

• Wilhelm Melcher (*1940 – †2005), violin I
• Gerhard Voss (*1939), from 1965 to 1993 violin II
• Ida Bieler (*1950), from 1993 to 2005 violin II
• Hermann Voss (*1934), viola
• Peter Buck (*1937), cello

Recordings

For Deutsche Grammophon label, in 1977, they taped Schubert's String Quintet with Mstislav Rostropovich as second cellist; Mozart's 10 Great String Quartets, and the complete cycles of Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, Cherubini and Schubert. They recorded the complete Beethoven cycle twice (1970 for Intercord and 1983/85 for DGG), and later the two Janáček Quartets. For DGG, with violists Franz Beyer and Piero Farulli, they recorded the complete String Quintets by Mozart. They recorded also many unusual repertoire for SWR Radio, which has been since released digitally.

Commercial releases | LPs, CDs (listed by Composer)

• BARTÓK – String Quartet No.3, Sz. 85, BB 93 (**first recording made for DGG** | rec: 2-3.X.1969 | LP – DGG 139 450 (p)1970 | Japan reprint: CD - Tower Records PROC-2102 + KODALY & WEINER)
• BEETHOVEN – Die frühen Streichquartette: Op.18 No.1-6 (‘1st’rec: 1970 | 3LP – Intercord 185.750)
• BEETHOVEN – Die mittleren Streichquartette: Op.59 Nos.1–3 / Op.74 / Op.95 (‘1st’rec: 1970 | 4LP – Intercord 185.751)
• BEETHOVEN – Die späten Streichquartette: Op.127 / Opp.130-131-132 + Op.130: alternative Finale / Great Fugue Op.133 / Op.135 / Op.14 No.1 (‘1st’rec: 1970 | 5LP – Intercord 185.752)
• BEETHOVEN – Die frühen Streichquartette: Op.18 No.1-6 (‘2nd’rec: VI.1983 | 3LP - DGG 410 971-1 | 3CD – DGG 410 971-2 (p)1984 | Japan reprint: 8CD - Tower Records POCG-9141/8 (p)1991)
• BEETHOVEN – Die mittleren Streichquartette: Op.14 No.1 / Op.59 Nos.1–3 / Op.74 / Op.95 (‘2nd’rec: 1984 | 3LP - DGG 415 342-1 | 3CD – DGG 415 342-2 (p)1985 | Japan reprint: 8CD - Tower Records POCG-9141/8 (p)1991)
• BEETHOVEN – Die späten Streichquartette: Op.127 / Opp.130-131-132 / “Great Fugue” Op.133 / Op.135 (‘2nd’rec: XII.1984; V.1985 (Opp.130-132) | 4LP - DGG 415 676-1 | 3CD – DGG 415 676-2 (p)1986 | Japan reprint: 8CD - Tower Records POCG-9141/8 (p)1991)
• BOCCHERINI – Quintets for Guitar and Strings: No.4 in D major, G.448 "Fandango" / No.9 in C major, G.453 "La ritirata di Madrid" / No.7 in E minor, G.451 (+ Narciso Yepes, guitar; Lucero Tena, castanets [No.4] | rec: III.1970 | LP - DGG 2530 069 (p)1971 | reprint: LP - DGG 429 512-2 (p)1990; CD – DGG 477 7112 (p)2007)
• BRAHMS – Complete String Quartets: No.1 in C minor, Op.51/1 / No.2 in A minor, Op.51/2 / No.3 in B-flat major, Op.67 (rec: V.1986 & VI.1987 | 3CD – DGG 423 670-2 + SCHUMANN (p)1988)
• BRAHMS – String Quintet No.2 in G major, Op.111 / Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op.115 (+ Gérard Caussé, 2nd viola; Michel Portal, clarinet | CD – Harmonia Mundi 1951349)
• BRUCKNER – String Quintet in F major, WAB.112 / (+ Enrique Santiago, 2nd viola | ‘1st’-rec: 1969 | LP - Intercord (p)1969; LP - Vox Candide CE 31014; 2LP - Intercord 180.854 + WOLF + JANACEK #2 & SMETANA #2 (p)1982)
• BRUCKNER – String Quintet in F major, WAB.112 / Intermezzo, in D minor, WAB.113 (+ Enrique Santiago, 2nd viola | ‘2nd’-rec: V.1992 | CD – Harmonia Mundi HMC 901421 (p)1993)
• CHERUBINI – Complete String Quartets: No.1, in E flat major (1814) / No.2, in C major (1829) / No.3, in D minor (1834) / No.4, in E major (1835) / No.5, in F major (1835) / No.6, in A minor (1837) (rec: VI.1973 [1,2]; IV.1974 [5]; X.1974 [3]; II.1975 [4,6] | 3LP - DGG Archiv Production 2723 044 (p)1976 | reprint: 3CD - DGG 429 185-2 (p)1989; 3CD - Brilliant Classics 93891)
• DEBUSSY – String Quartet in G minor, Op.10/L.85 (rec: II.1979 | LP – DGG 419 750 + RAVEL (p)1979 | reprint: CD – DGG 479 0529 + RAVEL & KODALY (p)2012)
• DVOŘÁK – Late String Quartets: No.14 in A-flat major, Op.105/B.193 / No.13 in G major, Op.106/B.192 (w. Ida Bieler, 2nd violin | rec: XI.1999 | CD – Harmonia Mundi HMC 901709 (p)2001)
• DVOŘÁK – String Quartet No.9 in D minor, Op.34/B.75 / Piano Quintet in A major, Op.81/B.155 / String Quintet No.3 in E-flat major "American", Op.97/B.180 / String Quartet No.12 in F major "American", Op.96/B.179 (w. Ida Bieler, 2nd violin | Karl Engel, piano [op.81]; Gérard Caussé, 2nd viola [op.97] | rec: III.1994 [Op.96] | 2CD – Harmonia Mundi HMX 2901509.10 / HMC 901671 / (p)1997/1995, 2006 | HMG 501509.10 (p)2018)
• FORTNER, Wolfgang (*1907 – †1987) - String Quartet No.4 (1975) ("Quartet Recital" + HAYDN, RAVEL | rec: 9.V.1979, Schwetzingen | CD – Hänssler Classic 93.716 (p)2012)
• HAYDN – 4 Famous String Quartets: No.62 in C major, Op.76/3, Hob.III:77 "Emperor" / No.63 in B-flat major, Op.76/4, Hob.III:78 "Sunrise" / No.32 in C major, Op.33/3, Hob.III:39 "The Bird" / No.27 in D major, Op.20/4, Hob.III:34 "Sun" (rec: 1968-1970 | 2LP – Intercord 29313/4 (p)1976 | reprint: 2CD - Intercord 885.906 | 1CD - EMI Red Line 5 73530 [Hob.III:76,78,39] (p)1993 | 2CD - EMI Seraphim 5 69117/118 (p)1996)
• HAYDN - String Quartet No.64 in D major, Op.76/5, Hob.III:79 "Erdödy" ("Quartet Recital" + FORTNER, RAVEL | rec: 9.V.1979, Schwetzingen | CD – Hänssler Classic 93.716 (p)2012)
• JANÁČEK – String Quartet No.2 "Intimate Letters", JW.7/13 (rec: 1973 | 2LP - Intercord 180.854 + SMETANA #2 + BRUCKNER & WOLF (p)1982)
• JANÁČEK – Complete String Quartets: No.1 "Kreutzer Sonata", JW.7/8 / No.2 "Intimate Letters", JW.7/13 (rec: V.1991 | CD - Harmonia Mundi HMG 501380 (p)1992)
• KELEMEN, Milko (*1924 – †2018) – "Sonnets" [1987] for String Quartet (rec: 17.II.1988 | CD – BIS 742 (p)1995)
• KODÁLY – String Quartet No.2, Op.10 (**first recording made for DGG** | rec: IX.1969 | LP – DGG 139 450 (p)1970 | reprint: CD – DGG 479 0529 + RAVEL & DEBUSSY (p)2012 | Japan reprint: CD - Tower Records PROC-2102 + BARTÓK & WEINER)
• MENDELSSOHN – Complete String Quartets: No.0 in E-flat major, oh.op. / No.1 in E-flat major, Op.12 / No.2 in A minor, Op.13 / No.3 in D major, Op.44/1 / No.4 in E minor, Op.44/2 / No.5 in E-flat major, Op.44/3 / No.6 in F minor, Op.80 / Four Pieces for String Quartet, Op.81 (rec: II.1976 (op.12); VI.1977 (op.44/2); VI.1980 (opp.13,80); X.1980 (op.44/3); II.1981 (o.op., op.44/1); X.1981 (op.81) | 4LP - DGG 2740 267 (p)1978/1982 | reprint: 3CD – DGG 415 883-2 (p)1987)
• MOZART Hoffmeister & 3 Prussian-Quartets: No.20 in D Major, K.499 "Hoffmeister" / No.21 in D Major, K.575 / No.22 in B-flat major, K.589 / No.23 in F major, K.590 (‘1st’rec: 1973 | 2LP - Intercord 29722-6 Z/1-2 (p)1974 | no CD reprint, except K.499 coupled with Clarinet Quintet)
• MOZART Die 10 großen Streichquartette (rec: 17-20.II.1976 (K.428,458); 16-17.XI.1976 (K.387,421); 5-6.VI.1977 (K.464,465); 15-16.II.1979 (K.589); 19-20.VI.1980 (K.590); 23-24.II.1981 (K.499); 10.V.1983 (K.575) | 5LP – DGG 415 587-1 (p)1985 | Japan reprint: 4CD - Tower Records PROC-2992/5 (p)2017)
  • 6 Haydn-Quartets: No.14 in G major, K.387 "Spring" / No.15 in D minor, K.421 (417b) / No.16 in E-flat major, K.428 (421b) / No.17 in B-flat major, K.458 "Hunt" / No.18 in A major, K.464 / No.19 in C major, K.465 "Dissonance" (LP - DGG | rec: 1976 [14-17] (p)1977; rec: 1977 [18-19] (p)1978 | reprint: 3CD - DGG 415 870)
  • Hoffmeister & 3 Prussian-Quartets: No.20 in D Major, K.499 "Hoffmeister" / No.21 in D Major, K.575 / No.22 in B-flat major, K.589 / No.23 in F major, K.590 (LP - DGG |‘2nd’rec: 1981-1983 [20-21] (p)1984; rec: 1979-1980 [22-23] (p)1981 | reprint: 2CD - DGG 2531 320)
• MOZART – Clarinet Quintet in A major, K.581 "Stadler" / String Quartet No.20 in D Major, K.499 "Hoffmeister" / Five Fugues for String Quartet, K.405 —transcribed from BACH, WTC Book II: Nos.2,7,9,8,5– (Julia Rayson, clarinet | rec: 1973 | LP - Intercord 29731-7 K (p)1974 | reprint: CD- EMI Red Line 5 74419 (p)1998)
• MOZART – Piano Quartets: No.1 in G minor, K.478 / No.2 in E-flat major, K.493 (rec: VI.1984 & VI.1985 | Georg Solti, piano | CD – Decca 417190 (p)1986 | reprint: CD - Decca Eloquence 4428221 (p)2006)
• MOZART – Complete String Quintets: No.1 in B-flat major, K.174 / No.2 in C minor, K.406 (516b) / No.3 in C major, K.515 / No.4 in G minor, K.516 / No.5 in D major, K.593 / No.6 in E-flat major, K.614 (rec: VII.1986 [3,4]; XII.1987 [1,2]; 1989 [5,6] | Franz Beyer, 2nd viola [1–4] & Piero Farulli, 2nd viola [5,6] | CD - [1,2]: DGG 423 697-2 (p)1988; [3,4]: DGG 419 773-2 (p)1987; [5,6]: DGG 429 777-2 (p)1990 | box 3CD - DGG 431 694-2 (p)1990)
• PFLÜGER, Hans Georg (*1944 – †1999) – String Quartet (1984) (CD – Bayer Records 100040 (p)1989)
• RAVEL – String Quartet in F major, M.35 (rec: II.1979 | LP – DGG 419 750 + DEBUSSY (p)1979 | reprint: CD – DGG 479 0529 + DEBUSSY & KODALY (p)2012)
• RAVEL String Quartet in F major, M.35 ("Quartet Recital" + HAYDN, FORTNER | rec: 9.V.1979, Schwetzingen | CD – Hänssler Classic 93.716 (p)2012)
• SCHUBERT – Complete String Quartets: No.1 in G minor/B-flat major, D.18 / No.2 in C major, D.32 / No.3 in B-flat major, D.36 / No.4 in C major, D.46 / No.5 in B-flat major, D.68 / No.6 in D major, D.74 / No.7 in D major, D.94 / 'Quartet Movement' in C minor, D.103 / No.8 in B-flat major, D.112 (Op.posth.168) / No.9 in G minor, D.173 / No.10 in E-flat major D.87 (Op.posth.125 No.1) / No.11 in E major D.353 (Op.posth.125 No.2) / No.12 in C minor, D.703 "Quartettsatz" / No.13 in A minor, D.804 (Op.29) "Rosamunde" / No.14 in D minor, D.810 "Death and the Maiden" / No.15 in G major, D.887 (Op.posth.161) (rec: 1971–1975 | 7LP - DGG 2740 123 (p)1975 | reprint: 6CD – DGG 463 151 (p)1999)
• SCHUBERT – String Quartets: No.13 in A minor, D.804 (Op.29) "Rosamunde" / No.14 in D minor, D.810 "Death and the Maiden" (rec: Reitstradel in Neumarkt/Oberpfalz, XI.1989 | CD - Novalis 150 058-2 (p)1990)
• SCHUBERT – ‘’The Late String Quartets’’: No.12 in C minor, D.703 "Quartettsatz" / No.13 in A minor, D.804 (Op.29) "Rosamunde" / No.14 in D minor, D.810 "Death and the Maiden" / No.15 in G major, D.887 (Op.posth.161) (rec: XI.1989 [13,14] ***same as Novalis release***; IX.1991 [12,15] | 2CD - Harmonia Mundi HMC 901408/09 (p)1992)
• SCHUBERT – String Quintet in C major, D.956 (Mstislav Rostropovich, 2nd cello | rec: IX.1977 | CD – DGG 477 6357 (p)1978)
• SCHUBERT – String Quintet in C major, D.956 (w. Ida Bieler, 2nd violin / Wolfgang Boettcher, 2nd cello | rec: X.1993 | CD – Harmonia Mundi HMA 1951494 (p)1994)
• SCHUMANN – Complete String Quartets: No.1 in A minor, Op.41/1 / No.2 in F major, Op.41/2 / No.3 in A major, Op.41/3 (rec: V.1986 & VI.1987 | 3CD – DGG 423 670-2 + BRAHMS (p)1988)
• SIBELIUS – String Quartet in D minor, Op.56 "Voces intimae" (w. Ida Bieler, 2nd violin | rec: V.1998 | CD – Harmonia Mundi HMC 901671 + VERDI (p)1998)
• SMETANA – String Quartet No.2 in E minor "From my Life" (rec: 1973 | 2LP - Intercord 180.854 + JANACEK #2 + BRUCKNER & WOLF (p)1982)
• VERDI – String Quartet in E minor (w. Ida Bieler, 2nd violin | rec: V.1998 | CD – Harmonia Mundi HMC 901671 + SIBELIUS (p)1998)
• WEINER, Leó – String Quartet No.3 Op.26 (**first recording made for DGG** | rec: 2-3.X.1969 | LP – DGG 139 450 (p)1970 | Japan reprint: CD - Tower Records PROC-2102 + BARTÓK & KODALY)
• WOLF – "Italian Serenade" in G minor, for String Quartet (rec: 1969 | LP Intercord (p)1969; 2LP - Intercord 180.854 + BRUCKNER + JANACEK #2 & SMETANA #2 (p)1982)

Digital releases

• ARRIAGA - String Quartet No.3 in E-flat major (radio recording | digital release - SWR Music SWR10282 (p)2015)
• BARTÓK - String Quartet No.1, Op.7, Sz. 40, BB 52 (+ WEINER | radio recording | digital release - SWR Music SWR10044 (p)2013)
• BOSE, Hans-Jūrgen von (*1953) - String Quartet No.2 (1976–77) ("20th Century String Quartets" + KELEMEN, KOKKONEN, STRAVINSKY, WITTINGER | radio recordings | digital release - SWR Music SWR10160 (p)2014)
• CHERUBINI - String Quartets: No.2 in C major / No.4 in E major (radio recording | digital release - SWR Music SWR10060 (p)2014)
• DVOŘÁK - String Quartet No.14 in A-flat major, Op.105, B.193 (radio recording | digital release - SWR Music SWR10086 (p)2014)
• HAYDN - String Quartets: No.16 in A major, Op.9/6, Hob.III:24 / No.7 in A major, Op.2/1, Hob.III:7 / No.19 in C minor, Op.17/4, Hob.III:28 (radio recording | digital release - SWR Music SWR101126 (p)2014)
• HAYDN - String Quartet No.66 in G major, Op.76/1, Hob.III:81 “Lobkowitz” (+ MOZART | radio recording | digital release - SWR Music SWR10067 (p)2014)
• HAYDN / attrib.Roman Hoffstetter - String Quartets (spurious): in B-Flat major, Op.3/4, Hob.III:16 / in A major, Op.3/6, Hob.III:18 (radio recording | digital release - SWR Music SWR10094 (p)2014)
• HINDEMITH - String Quartets: No.3 in C major, Op.16 (1920) -previously No.2- / No.5, Op.32 (1932) -previously No.4- (radio recording | digital release - SWR Music SWR10051 (p)2014)
• KELEMEN, Milko - "Sonnets" for String Quartet ("20th Century String Quartets" + BOSE, KOKKONEN, STRAVINSKY, WITTINGER | radio recordings | digital release - SWR Music SWR10160 (p)2014)
• KOKKONEN, Joonas (*1921 – †1996) - String Quartet No.2 ("20th Century String Quartets" + BOSE, KELEMEN, STRAVINSKY, WITTINGER | radio recordings | digital release - SWR Music SWR10160 (p)2014)
• MOZART - String Quartet No.22, in B-flat major K.589 (+ HAYDN | radio recording | digital release - SWR Music SWR10067 (p)2014)
• MOZART - Clarinet Quintet in A major, K.581 "Stadler" (Ulf Rodenhäuser, clarinet | radio recording | digital release - SWR Music SWR10523 (p)2018)
• SHOSTAKOVICH - String Quartets: No.8 in C minor, Op.110 / No.10 in A-flat major, Op.118 (radio recording | digital release - SWR Music SWR10066 (p)2014)
• STRAVINSKY - 3 Pieces for String Quartet ("20th Century String Quartets" + BOSE, KELEMEN, KOKKONEN, WITTINGER | radio recordings | digital release - SWR Music SWR10160 (p)2014)
• VERDI - String Quartet in E minor (radio recording | digital release - SWR Music SWR10388 (p)2017)
• WEILL - String Quartet in B minor (1918) (radio recording | digital release - SWR Music SWR10249 (p)2015)
• ZEMLINSKY - String Quartet No.3, Op.19 (radio recording | digital release - SWR Music SWR10250 (p)2015)
• WEINER, Leó - String Quartet No.3 in G Major, Op.26 (+ BARTÓK #1 | radio recording | digital release - SWR Music SWR10044 (p)2013)
• WITTINGER, Róbert (* 1945) - String Quartet No.3, Op.20 ("20th Century String Quartets" + BOSE, KELEMEN, KOKKONEN, STRAVINSKY | radio recordings | digital release - SWR Music SWR10160 (p)2014)