Amar Quartet
| Company type | Musical ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1921 in Germany |
| Founder | Paul Hindemith |
| Defunct | 1933 |
| Headquarters | Germany |
| Products | Classical and contemporary music performances and recordings |
The Amar Quartet, sometimes referred to as the Amar-Hindemith Quartet, was a musical ensemble established in 1921 in Germany by the composer Paul Hindemith. The group remained active until 1933, presenting both classical and contemporary compositions through concerts, radio broadcasts, and recordings throughout Europe.
Personnel
First violin
- Licco Amar (1921–1933)
Second violin
- Walter Caspar (1921–1933)
Viola
- Paul Hindemith (1921–1929)
- Erich Kraack (1929–1933)
Cello
- Rudolf Hindemith (1921)
- Maurits Frank (1922–1924)
- Rudolf Hindemith (1924–1927)
- Maurits Frank (1927–1933)
Origins
Around 1914, Paul Hindemith, who graduated from the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt am Main, played second violin in the Rebner Quartet, led by his mentor Adolf Rebner. After completing his military service, he transitioned to viola and composed several string quartets, including Op. 16 in 1920, which was accepted for the 1921 Donaueschingen Festival. When the Havemann Quartet declined to perform this piece, Hindemith assembled his own group. He enlisted his brother Rudolf on cello, Licco Amar—previously concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the Mannheim National Theatre—as first violinist, and Walter Caspar as second violinist.
Licco Amar recalled:
"Just before the holidays, I received a telegram from Donaueschingen inviting me to perform a quartet by an unknown composer named Paul Hindemith alongside another violinist [Walter Caspar]. I agreed and was immediately impressed by the vitality and energy of the music during rehearsals. Meeting Paul and Rudolf Hindemith—both young and slender—left a strong impression. We rehearsed intensively for eight days, and our performance was met with overwhelming enthusiasm."
Following this triumph, the ensemble became a permanent fixture in 1922, focusing on modern compositions with a demanding schedule. Due to conflicts with his brother’s leadership, Rudolf Hindemith departed and was replaced by Maurits Frank. Rudolf later returned for recordings and their London debut with the (BBC) in December 1926 but soon left again. The lineup featuring Amar and Caspar on violins with Paul Hindemith on viola remained consistent until Paul’s exit in April 1929, when Erich Kraack took over. The group ultimately dissolved in 1933.
Repertoire
Between 1921 and 1933, the Amar Quartet delivered approximately 500 performances across major German cities as well as smaller towns. Their tours extended internationally to countries such as Denmark, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Czechoslovakia. Notably, they completed two extensive winter tours of the Soviet Union during 1927/28 and 1928/29. During these visits, Hindemith engaged deeply with contemporary Russian compositions and met Dmitri Shostakovich.
Their programming was broad and diverse, encompassing string quartets alongside trios, quintets, and sextets. Rather than emphasizing traditional classical or romantic chamber music staples, they intentionally highlighted less mainstream works. Haydn and Beethoven quartets were rarely featured; instead, composers such as Schumann, Verdi, and Dvořák were regularly programmed. The Amar Quartet gained recognition for delivering clear and straightforward interpretations of classical repertoire.
The ensemble played a vital role in concert life throughout the 1920s due to its strong advocacy of contemporary music. Central to this mission was Paul Hindemith’s dual contribution as both composer and performer. Additionally, the Quartet promoted works by other modern composers including Béla Bartók, Max Butting, Alfredo Casella, Alois Hába, Philipp Jarnach, Ernst Krenek, Maurice Ravel, Arnold Schoenberg, Igor Stravinsky, Anton Webern, among others. They premiered numerous new compositions during their career.
Style of interpretation
The Amar Quartet received considerable acclaim from both composers and critics for their performances of modern compositions. In 1922, Anton Webern corresponded with Alban Berg regarding their interpretations of his Movements for String Quartet, Op. 5, as well as Schoenberg's F-sharp minor Quartet, Op. 10, stating:
"I need not elaborate on the extraordinary impact of the F-sharp minor Quartet... The Hindemith Quartet performed superbly... Truly performed as music."
Their renditions of Hindemith’s works attracted special notice. A reviewer from Zurich in 1927 observed:
"Hindemith composes for his viola and quartet so that they follow his direction, with the viola part occasionally weaving through the group like a serpent sweeping everything along. This approach enables performances at exhilarating speeds without a single note being lost. For instance, adopting a slower tempo in the first movement of the String Trio (Op. 34) might reveal the piece’s inherent charm."
Recordings
The Amar Quartet recorded extensively for Polydor Records and Parlophone Records, including numerous world premiere recordings such as:
- Paul Hindemith: String Quartet No.4, Op.22 (1925, Polydor 66198/200; 1926, Polydor 66422/4)
- Igor Stravinsky: Concertino for String Quartet (1925, Polydor 66201)
- Ernst Krenek: String Quartet No.3, Op.20, fourth movement (1925, Polydor 66201)
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: String Quartet No.23 in F major, K.590 (1926, Polydor 66416/18)
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: String Quartet No.16 in E-flat major, K.428 (1926–27, Polydor 66416/18; 66568/70)
- Giuseppe Verdi: String Quartet in E minor (1926, Polydor 66419/21)
- Antonín Dvořák: String Quartet No.12 in F major, Op.96 "American," fourth movement (1926, Polydor 66419/21)
- Béla Bartók: String Quartet No.2, Op.17 (1926, Polydor 66425/8)
- Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No.11 in F minor, Op.95 "Serious" (1927, Polydor 66571/4)
- Paul Hindemith: String Trio No.1, Op.34, first and second movements (1927, Polydor 66571/4)
- Max Reger: String Trio No.1 in A minor, Op.77b (1927, Polydor 66575/7)
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: String Quartet No.15 in D minor, K.421, third movement; and No.21 in D major, K.575, second movement (1928, Parlophone P 9351)
Sources
- Arthur Eaglefield-Hull, A Dictionary of Modern Music and Musicians (Dent, London 1924).
- Robert Donaldson Darrell, The Gramophone Shop Encyclopedia of Recorded Music (New York 1936).
- Tully Potter, CD liner notes for Hindemith as Interpreter: The Amar-Hindemith Quartet (Arbiter Records 139, 2003).
- Amar-Hindemith Quartet: Historical Recordings (Polydor Records, Parlophone Records, 1925–1928).