Did you know that in the early 1900s, string quartets would play only the most accessible movements of Beethoven, Mozart and other great composers? American audiences were still in the early years of experiencing classical music.

It was an ensemble that played for PSC in 1915-1916 - the Kneisel Quartet - that was among the first to play programs with complete works. The Kneisel also holds the distinction of giving the first U.S. performances of the Brahms Second, Dvořák "American," and Ravel and Debussy Quartets, which have all become among the most popular works in the literature.

Another important ensemble, that first played for PSC in 1917-1918, was the Flonzaley Quartet, one of the very first string quartets to make recordings. The Flonzaley was so highly regarded that they played over 100 concerts in the U.S. per season, in each of the twenty-seven years that they were together.

While, understandably, the sound is not what we are used to these days, we thought that you would enjoy the Quartet playing the Nocturne from Borodin's String Quartet No. 2. The melody became the hit song And This Is My Beloved in the Broadway show Kismet and a chart-topper for beloved tenor Mario Lanza.

The Kneisel, the Flonzaley, and the many quartets that came after them helped to establish the high standard and popularity of string quartet concerts at PSC that continues to this day. The 125th season includes the Takacs, Juilliard, Dover, Elias and Calder Quartets, with the latter two making their first appearances on the series.

For a list of the many distinctive artists that have played for us over the years, click here!