1936 Pro Arte Quartet HAYDN SOCIETY VOLUME 5 String Quartets 78

$

50

WEEK 1 of 2 weeks of great auctions,  until February 12.

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A series of great Violin, Piano and Orchestra records on rare labels, from 1902 Monarch to 1940 War Germany recordings.

The Pro Arte Quartet are to the Haydn quartets what Schnabel is to the Beethoven piano sonatas: they seem neither to interpret them nor to interpose themselves between the composer and the listener. They appear simply to exist to enable the composer to make his will known to the world. Unlike Schnabel, one is rarely aware of technical difficulties. The quartet is such a musical entity that one simply doesn't admire the first violin or the cello; one is too engaged in the musical discourse. Of course, the Pro Arte recorded fine Mozart and Beethoven and Schubert and Brahms, but their remarkably numerous (for the pre-World War II musical world) recording of 20-some-odd Haydn quartets and their almost genetic affinity for Haydn made them the preeminent specialists before the great Haydn awakening that began in 1950. To me, like Schnabel, they have not been surpassed.

Great Recording by the Pro Arte Quartet

A rare issue of the  HAYDN SOCIETY Vol V in the Original HMV Haydn Quartet Society Album

THE HAYDN QUARTET SOCIETY. Vol. V. Pro Arte Quartet Quartet in D major, Op. 20, No. 4; Quartet in F major, Op. 74, No. 2 ; Quartet in F major, OP- 77, No. 2. H.M.V. (seven 12 in. records in album. Two guineas).

pre war HMV 7x12" 78 rpm record in original album

Condition:

Excellent  pristine, some scuffs from handling. Album has loose covers, spine missing

A CHOICE COPY

THE GRAMOPHONE Review of this volume

THE HAYDN QUARTET SOCIETY. Vol. V. Pro Arte Quartet Quartet in D major, Op. 20, No. 4; Quartet in F major, Op. 74, No. 2 ; Quartet in F major, OP- 77, No. 2. H.M.V. (seven 12 in. records in album. Two guineas).
I am saddened to read in Cecil Gray's notes to this volume that it may be the last of the Society's issues. A great work has indeed been accomplished but many fine quartets will remain unrecorded if the Society has now to stop for lack of support. This may not be the reason, but I know of no other.
Statistics recently revealed that England, with Japan second, was the largest buyer of the Lener Quartet recordings, from which one may infer that more lovers of chamber music are to be found in this " un-musical " country than anywhere else.
What would we look like assembled together, all we lovers of chamber music in the British Isles. All ages, sexes, classes. Well dressed, badly dressed and, if we include the whole British Empire, hardly dressed at all! For the secret joy of this enclosed music may be had in the desert as well as in the drawing room.
In this volume then, to return to our Haydns, will be found another Quartet from Op. 20 No. 4. No. 2 appeared in the first volume and No. 5 in the fourth. The third number of Op. 74 in G minor appeared in Vol. 3.
I hope that the purchasers of these five volumes of Haydn's String Quartets have not only absorbed Cecil Gray's excellent notes but also Sir Donald Tovey's masterly article on the subject in Cobbett's " Cyclopaedic Survey of Chamber Music." It should not be missed. Haydn did well to write " Thanks to heaven, a harmonious song was the course of my life," and it is glorious sanity, unshakeable faith, joy in life, that shine out of his music and live on to inspire us.
For the musician there is in Haydn's eighty-odd quartets an astonishing field of exploration that can never be known well enough but will always keep the thrill of discovery from the first of these works to the last. And in this volume we shall find Haydn's last, longest, and best string quartet; although which is actually the best will always be a matter of friendly dispute. In this great work Haydn is complete master of his amazing resources. Inspiration and technique move on the heights and become as one.
The only small disappointments in the volume are parts of the two slow movements of the earlier quartets. In the first of these, as in the last quartet, variation form is used. There is distinct conventionality in the semiquaver triplet figuration of the third variation in this movement and the same lack of compelling force invades the recapitulation of the opening tune of the Second Movement of the F major (op. 74) Quartet. But the Andante of the last Quartet is an organic whole and felt as such though in variation form.
I am not supposed to be writing about the music, however— though who could resist it with these records at his side ? but about the performance of the Pro Arte Quartet. This performance is again in the first flight of quartet-playing.
A string quartet organisation is faced with the difficulties of an actress playing Juliet. The playing must combine youth and maturity. These Haydn minuets and finales must be dewy with youth: but in the slow movements and the first movements— and not, indeed, only there—there are depths of expression to be plumbed which open up sometimes in a moment.
The Pro Arte people have that awareness which is one of the prerogatives of the true artist. Their ensemble we know to be past praise, but in this volume one is struck again by their power of getting under the skin of each movement. The variety of expression is wonderful and the recording as perfect as one could wish. A. R.

Here the original HMV Announcement on the Formation of the HMV Hugo Wolf Society

EVERY musician and every lover of music knows that since the advent of electrical recording “His Master’s Voice” have built up an unparalleled library of recordings of great music. In the “His Master’s Voice” general catalogue and what is called the Connoisseurs’ Catalogue together there are listed modern recordings of first class performances of all the acknowledged masterpieces of music for which there is a widespread demand, and of hundreds of works of more limited appeal. Every month brings new and invaluable additions to that incomparable treasure house of music.

But outside the repertoire of music that is in general demand and that it is economically prudent to record, is some of the greatest music, and it is to produce records of the highest possible artistic and technical quality of this unfamiliar music that the Society movement was organised. Its basic principle is self-help in music: under the auspices of “His Master’s Voice” and the guidance of the greatest authorities of the particular composers concerned, a number of enthusiasts for that composer band together to make possible the recording.

The first Society was formed in the September of 1931 for recording Hugo Wolf’s songs, and the response to that venture was such that Societies for recording all Beethoven’s Pianoforte Sonatas, the best of Haydn’s String Quartets, of the music of Sibelius, the greatest symphonists since Beethoven, were soon formed. Since then other Societies have been added to that number; and working on the same basic principle limited Editions of certain works, not in themselves calling for the establishment of a special Society, have been published.

The records published by these means have established a standard by which are judged, not only all other records but in Mr. Ernest Newman’s words “by which other performances can and will be judged.” Their authoritativeness is beyond dispute or question; in every case the artist chosen for recording a.ch particular work is the best living artist for the task, and the recording is invariably as good as the latest developments of modern science can make it.

It is impossible to over-estimate the advantage of being a member of one, or better still of all, of the Societies and subscribing for these limited Editions with these records you are able to enjoy and study perfect performances of works that are rarely given in the concert room or by wireless, and in the course of a few days you can know even a Symphony by Sibelius as you would never be able to by concert-going. To quote Mr. Ernest Newman again “These Societies will do more in five years for the music they record than we musical critics could do in a century.”

Each Society depends for its ability to carry out its programme on the continued support of music lovers. With the enthusiastic and consistent support of the musical public the Society movement can and will enrich the world of music and the life of every lover of music to an unprecedented degree.

The Rules of the Societies :—
(1) There is no entrance fee.
(2) The subscription for each volume must be paid in advance.
(3) Records are available only to members.
(4) No records can be purchased separately. Should a member break or otherwise damage a record he must return the damaged record when applying for a replacement.
(5) The records will be delivered either direct to the subscriber or dealer with whom he enrols.
(6) The records and albums will be packed and delivered free of charge to any address in Great Britain but postage and custom charges abroad must be borne by the customer.

The Pro Arte Quartet was founded in 1911-12 by students at the Brussels Conservatory. Violinist Alphonse Onnou was the leader, and the other founding members included Laurent Halleux (violin), Germain Prévost (viola), and Fernand Auguste Lemaire (‘cello). The quartet made its début in Brussels in 1913 and soon became known as an exponent of modern music. In 1918 Fernand Quinet became the cellist, but in 1921 he was replaced by Robert Maas. That year, with the aid of Paul Collaer and Arthur Prévost, the Pro Arte Concerts began, in which performances were given of new works by, among others, Bartók (whose Fourth Quartet is dedicated to the Pro Arte), Casella, Honegger, Martin, Milhaud and Rieti. The quartet performed with great success at the 1923 ISCM Festival in Salzburg, and the same year played new works commissioned by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge at a concert in Rome. After touring Europe the quartet visited England for the first time in 1925; subsequent visits to England included annual series of a week’s performances in Cambridge (1932–8).  In 1932 the quartet was granted the title Quatuor de la Cour de Belgique, in recognition of its services to Belgian music.

The sea change came in 1932 when the Belgian Pro Arte Quartet (Alphonse Onnou, Laurent Halleux, Germain Prevost, Robert Maas) launched a series of HMV sets of 78s, each with nearly an hour's worth of music on seven records containing three or four Haydn quartets (now available in the original configurations on Pristine Audio or combined into two Testament four-CD sets). As an indication of Haydn's lack of renown at the time and the consequent presumed financial risk, the project was undertaken by a Haydn Quartet Society, which sputtered after the fifth release in 1935, but by 1938 had issued eight volumes with 27 quartets (plus two of Hoffstetter's), but included only two of Op. 76 (the "Emperor" in 1934 and the "Sunrise" in 1938). In a 1937 review welcoming Volume 6, Gramophone offered its "highest praise," citing "the perfection of ensemble" and "continuous beauty of tone and finish." Notably, in light of Haydn's letter noted above, which assumed renewed significance on the eve of World War II, the review alluded to "the sanity of Haydn's music. It spells unbelievable peace to be able to leave this mad world, if only for a while, and recover in these inspired pages – the work of a man who had faith – a sense of proportion, a sense of certainty that all will be well, however dark the present outlook be." Heard today, the Pro Arte records amply reflect that view – a fine balance between level-headed focus and incisive commitment, with just enough grace and a hint of playfulness to rise above the mundane, and some deeply heartfelt phrasing (especially in the Emperor andante) – both a glance back at the romantic style of their predecessors and a salute to the devotion that the composer lavished on his work, while at the same time forcefully advocating the worth of these pieces for listeners of the future.

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The Grade (Excellent to Fair, I don't give Mint) refers to the WEAR of the record. Any other defects are stated separately, when prefaced with "HOWEVER" or "BUT" they will be significant.

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Also, USPS has increased postal rates. Since I am always shipping at cost, I am sorry to say that after keeping my shipping rates stable for 5 years, I unfortunately now have to increase the prices.

However, if you are interested in lowering you shipping cost, pls send me a message, and I may be able to arrange for better rates !!!

Here a quick breakdown of my costs, you see that due to the new Ebay policy you will pay anywhere from $.50 to $.80 in additional Ebay fees on the first record

US Domestic Shipping:

Here is a guideline for US Media Mail Shipping - US Mail Prices went up by 4% in 2012:

Prices below are for regular 78 rpm records. Up to about 5 records, I will ship Edison Discs for the same rates. Albums from Album Sets count as 1 record. Above that and for international shipments, it will be actual weight plus a small packing charge (1-3$ depending on size of shipment)

1 record: 4.85$

2 records: 5.75$

5 records: 7.75$

10 records: 9.75$

MANY MORE RECORDS: Don't worry. I safely ship 40 - 50 pounds of records double boxed in moving boxes, and even then Media Mail will probably not exceed 30$.

The numbers above include the 9% Ebay fee on shipments.
Pls ignore the automatically calculated prices on the ebay site, as I will weigh every parcel and charge based on actual weight.

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International Buyers:

All'attenzione degli acquirenti italiani:

ATTENTION TO ITALIAN BUYERS:

Due to rare problems with delivery in ITALY, I will NOT GUARANTEE delivery of parcels sent by US Postal Service First Class and Priority Mail. If you prefer secure delivery, I will be happy to quote you either Registered Mail or shipment by FEDEX

I am very happy to ship records worldwide.

Prices below are for regular 78 rpm records. For Edison Discs in  international shipments, it will charge for the actual weight plus a small packing charge (1-2$) - for small quantities, it will not be much different from the charge for regular 78s.

Pls contact me for a shipping estimate, or send me an invoice request after close of auction.

Be aware that US Postal Rates can be high. Here are some examples.

USPS PRIORITY MAIL has gone up significantly, while First Class is pretty much the same.

Your best bet is the Large Priority box, everything that fits into a 12"x12"x5 1/2" box up to 20 pounds ships for 67.50$ (45$ Canada) worldwide.

However, I can get competitive rates from FedEx and the US Postal service for any kind of parcel weight

Africa, Eastern Asia and Japan as well as Europe

1 record = 2 lbs $25 - $28

4 lbs = $37

20 lbs or all that fits into a 12"x12"x 5 1/2" box ((12" albums won't fit)= $67.50I

 may be able to get some better FedEx rates.
Pls email with your address for an estimate.

Canada

1 record = 2 lbs $ 11 - $13

4 lbs = 22$
20 lbs or all that fits into a 12"x12"x 5 1/2" (12" albums won't fit)= $42

I may be able to get some better FedEx rates.
Pls email with your address for an estimate.

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