Märkl Quartet
| Company type | String quartet |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Founder | Josef Märkl |
| Defunct | 1991 |
| Headquarters | Cologne , Germany |
Area served | Germany, Austria, Belgium, Israel, United States, Spain |
Key people | Josef Märkl (1st violinist) |
The Märkl Quartet was a Cologne-based German string quartet active between 1968 and 1991, taking its name from violinist Josef Märkl, who served as the ensemble's first violinist throughout its existence.
History
Following the passing of Wilhelm Stross in 1966, the ensemble emerged as a continuation of the Stross Quartet tradition, maintained by Josef Märkl alongside cello instructor Rudolf Metzmacher.
The Märkl Quartet not only performed extensively throughout the Federal Republic of Germany but also embarked on tours to Austria, Belgium, Israel, the United States, and Spain. A highlight of their international engagements was a concert in Philadelphia during the 1976 bicentennial celebrations of the United States Declaration of Independence. Their programming featured works such as Wilhelm Kempff's String Quartets op. 45/1 and op. 45/2—dedicated to Arno Breker and Alfred Cortot, respectively—as well as premiering David Korenschendler's Variations on the Brazilian National Anthem. Their repertoire spanned compositions from the First Viennese School, through Romantic pieces, to selections from New Music, with recordings including works by Beethoven, Arriaga, and Egk.
Members
- 1st Violin: Josef Märkl (1968–1991)
- 2nd Violin: Hanns-Heinz Odenthal (1968–69), Bernhard Deffner (1969–71), Toshi Takada (1971–74), Susanne Wieck (1974–77), Wolfgang Kick (1977–79), Key-Thomas Märkl (1980/81, 1990/91), David Johnson (1981–90)
- Viola: Peter Pfuhl (1968–70), Karl-Heinz Steeb (1970/71), Lutz Schröder (1971/72), Konrad Grahe (1972–75), Ferdinand Erblich (1975/76), Bernhard Pietralle (1976–86), Bernhard Oll (1986–90), Rüdiger Debus (1990/91)
- Cello: Rudolf Metzmacher (1968–80), Traugott Schmöhe (1980/81), Manfred Becker (1981–90), Guido Schiefen (1990/91)
Discography
- Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartets op. 135 and 18/2 alongside the Stross Quartet (Aarton Music, 1983)
- Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga: String Quartets Nos. 1 and 2 in E-flat major (Aarton Music, 1983)
- Werner Egk: La Tentation de Saint Antoine and Arriaga’s String Quartet No. 3 in E-flat major featuring Marijke Hendriks (mezzo-soprano) (Aarton Music, 1983)
Literature
- Jürgen Stegmüller: Das Streichquartett. Eine internationale Dokumentation zur Geschichte der Streichquartett-Ensembles und Streichquartett-Kompositionen von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart (Quellenkataloge zur Musikgeschichte. Vol. 40). Noetzel, Wilhelmshaven 2007, , .