Beethoven Quartet

For a list of Ludwig van Beethoven's string quartets, see List of compositions by Ludwig van Beethoven § String quartets.

The Beethoven Quartet (Russian: Струнный квартет имени Бетховена, Strunnyĭ kvartet imeni Betkhovena) was a string quartet founded between 1922 and 1923 by graduates of the Moscow Conservatory: violinists Dmitri Tsyganov and Vasily Shirinsky, violist Vadim Borisovsky and cellist Sergei Shirinsky (half brother of Vasily).^[1] In 1931, they changed their name from the Moscow Conservatory Quartet to the Beethoven Quartet.^[2]

From 1938, it collaborated closely with the composer Dmitri Shostakovich and premiered thirteen of his fifteen string quartets, Nos. 2 through 14.^[3] He dedicated his third and fifth quartets to the Beethoven Quartet, while later quartets were dedicated individually to the members: Quartet No. 11 to the memory of Vasily Shirinsky, Quartet No. 12 to Tsyganov, Quartet No. 13 to Borisovsky, and Quartet No. 14 to Sergei Shirinsky.^[3][4]

Fyodor Druzhinin took over from Borisovsky in 1964, giving a runthrough of the ninth quartet with the rest of the group.^[2] Sergei Shirinsky died during rehearsals of Shostakovich's fifteenth quartet.^[5] In 1977, final founding member and first violinist Dmitri Tsyganov departed and was replaced by Oleh Krysa. The group disbanded in 1987.^[6][7]

Personnel

Dates indicate the years of activity.

Violin I

• Dmitri Tsyganov [ru] (1923–1977)
• Oleh Krysa (1977–1990)

Violin II

• Vasily Shirinsky [ru] (1923–1965)
• Nikolai Zabavnikov (1965–1990)

Viola

• Vadim Borisovsky (1923–1964)
• Fyodor Druzhinin (1964–1988)
• Mikhail Kugel (1988–1990)

Cello

• Sergei Shirinsky [ru] (1923–1974), alternative spelling: Sergey
• Yevgeny Altman, alternative spellings: Evgeny Altman or Al'tman
• Valentin Feigin [ru]
• Urmas Tammik [ru] (1988–1990)