Melos Quartet
| Company type | String quartet |
|---|---|
| Industry | Classical music, chamber music |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Headquarters | Stuttgart , Germany |
Area served | International |
Key people | Wilhelm Melcher (leader and first violin), Gerhard Voss, Ida Bieler, Hermann Voss, Peter Buck |
| Products | Classical music recordings, concerts |
The Melos Quartet was a string quartet based in Stuttgart, active from 1965 until the passing of its first violinist in 2005. Sometimes referred to as the Melos-Quartett-Stuttgart, it should not be confused with the London-based Melos Ensemble.
Origins and activities
Established in October 1965 by four young musicians from leading German chamber orchestras, the ensemble's name, Melos—originating from the Greek term for melody and singing—symbolizes their dedication to musical unity.
The group’s leader, Wilhelm Melcher, received his training under Erich Röhn and members of the Boccherini Quintet in Rome. He was awarded first prize at the International Chamber Music Competition in Venice in 1962 and took on the role of concertmaster with the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra in 1963. The Voss siblings came from the Rhineland region and studied with Sandor Végh and Ulrich Koch. Hermann Voss served as solo violist for the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra. Cellist Peter Buck pursued studies in Düsseldorf and Freiburg, as well as under Ludwig Hoelscher in Stuttgart. Both Gerhard Voss and Peter Buck were affiliated with the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra.
The ensemble gave its inaugural performance in January 1966 and rapidly earned acclaim, receiving support from the Musikleben Foundation and winning awards at competitions held in Geneva and Rio de Janeiro. By September 1967, all members had resigned from their orchestral engagements to dedicate themselves fully to the quartet. Stationed in Stuttgart, they converted a studio into a rehearsal space. In 1969 alone, they presented 105 concerts internationally and made their debut on television.
Their touring itinerary spanned regions including the Middle East, South America (1971), Europe, Near East, Far East, North America, Japan, Australia, South Africa (1972), and Russia—where they became the first West German musicians to perform in Volgograd during World War II commemorations in 1973. By 1975, while completing their Schubert recordings, they also held teaching roles at the Stuttgart School of Music.
The quartet worked alongside distinguished artists such as Arthur Rubinstein, Mstislav Rostropovich, Georg Solti, Narciso Yepes, Piero Farulli, Gérard Caussé, Michel Portal, and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
In 1993 Gerhard Voss left the group due to unresolved conflicts and was succeeded by Ida Bieler. A farewell tour scheduled for 2005 was canceled following Wilhelm Melcher’s death shortly before his 65th birthday; this event led to the quartet’s dissolution.
Personnel
| Name | Dates | Role | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilhelm Melcher | (1940–2005) | 1st violin (founder & leader) | 1965–2005 |
| Gerhard Voss | (born 1939) | 2nd violin (founder) | 1965–1993 |
| Ida Bieler | (born 1950) | 2nd violin | 1993–2005 |
| Hermann Voss | (born 1934) | viola (founder) | 1965–2005 |
| Peter Buck | (1937–2024) | cello | 1965–2005 |
Instruments
The quartet performed using notable instruments:
- 1st violin: Matteo Goffriller (18th century) until 1972; Antonio Stradivari (1720) on loan during the 1971 South America tour; Domenico Montagnana (1731) from 1972 to 1975; Carlo Bergonzi (circa 1743–1747) from 1975 until disbandment
- 2nd violin: Michele Angelo Bergonzi (18th century) until 1972; Carlo Annibale Tononi (18th century) between 1972 and 1975; Giovanni Battista Rogeri (1701) beginning in 1975
- viola: Carlo Ferdinando Landolfi (18th century)
- cello: Francesco Ruggieri (1682)
Honors and Awards
- 1966: Recipient of the "International Geneva Music Competition" title
- 1967: Awarded at the "Concurso Internacional de Quarteto de Cordas Villa-Lobos" held in Rio de Janeiro
- 1990: Honored with Germany's "Federal Cross of Merit" (Bundesverdienstkreuz)
Documentaries
- Das Melos-Quartett – Vier Leben für die Kammermusik – Quartet members reflect on their musical journeys and perform Schubert's Quartet No.15 (1988)
- Melos String Quartet | Japanese TV Interview – Television interview coupled with live renditions of works by Schubert, Mozart, and Beethoven (1990)
Recording career
The ensemble began recording with Intercord Ton GmbH in 1968 before entering a five-year contract with Deutsche Grammophon GmbH (DGG) in 1969, producing numerous recordings for SWR radio alongside commercial releases. In 1970, they earned the String Quartet Foundation award sponsored by German industry. By 1972, they embarked on comprehensive recording projects featuring the quartets of Schubert, Cherubini, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Schumann, and Beethoven for DGG.
By 1975, their repertoire had expanded to encompass approximately 120 compositions from classical to modern composers such as Beethoven, Schubert, Cherubini, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, Janáček, Haydn, Mozart, Wolf, Pfitzner, Verdi, Donizetti, Debussy, Smetana, Kodály, Hindemith, Bartók, Berg, Malipiero, Lutosławski, Kelemen, Wittinger, and Horváth. This diverse selection was deliberately chosen to avoid focusing exclusively on any single musical era.
Among their significant DGG recordings are Schubert's String Quintet featuring Mstislav Rostropovich; Mozart's "10 Great String Quartets"; complete cycles of Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, Cherubini, and Schubert; two separate Beethoven cycles (initially recorded in 1969/70 for Intercord and later in 1983/85 for DGG); and Janáček’s quartets. Collaborations with violists Franz Beyer and Piero Farulli resulted in recordings of Mozart's six string quintets. Numerous rare pieces recorded for SWR Radio have since been digitally reissued.
In the early 1990s, the Melos-Quartett signed with Harmonia Mundi and from 1993 onward recorded exclusively with Ida Bieler as second violinist.
Additionally, violist Hermann Voss and cellist Peter Buck collaborated with the Verdi-Quartett on Brahms' two string quintets and sextets (recorded in 2007/08), which were released by Hänssler Classic.
LP & CD releases
(organized alphabetically by composer)
- BARTÓK – String Quartet No.3, Sz. 85, BB 93 (**first recording produced for DGG** [+ KODALY; WEINER] | recorded: 2–3 October 1969 | LP – DGG 139 450 ℗1970 | Japan reissue: CD – Tower Records PROC-2102 ℗2017)
- BEETHOVEN – Die Streichquartette -Gesamtausgabe- (‘1st’ recording: Stuttgart, 1969/70 | 12LP set – Intercord 29319-1 ℗1970; Special Edition ℗1970)
- Early Quartets: Opp.18 Nos.1-6 / Op.14 No.1 (3LP – Intercord 955-09 Z ℗1969 | reissued as 4LP – Intercord 185.750 ℗1970 | 3CD – Intercord INT 885.750 ℗1986)
- Middle Quartets: Opp.59 Nos.1–3 / Op.74 / Op.95 (4LP – Intercord 959-09 Z ℗1969 | reissued as 4LP – Intercord 185.751 ℗1970 | 3CD – Intercord INT 885.751 ℗1986)
- Late Quartets: Opp.127 / Opp.130-133 / Op.135 (5LP – Intercord 964-09 Z ℗1970 | reissued as 4LP – Intercord 185.752 ℗1970 | 3CD – Intercord INT 885.752 ℗1987)
- BEETHOVEN – Die Streichquartette (‘2nd’ recording: Bamberg, 1983/85 | 10LP / 9CD sets released by DGG; Limited Edition box set ℗1990 | Japan reissue: 8CD box ℗1991)
- Early Quartets: Opp.18 Nos.1-6 (recorded June–September 1983 | 3LP – DGG 410 971-1 | CD set – DGG 410 971-2 ℗1984)
- Middle Quartets: Op.14 No.1 / Opp.59 Nos.1–3 / Op.74 / Op.95 (recorded February & July 1984 | LP set – DGG 415 342-1 | CD set – DGG 415 342-2 ℗1985)
- Late Quartets: Opp.127-135 including "Great Fugue" Op.133 (recorded December ’84 & May ’85 | LP/CD sets ℗1986)
- BOCCHERINI – Guitar and String Quintets Nos.4, No.9 & No.7 (+ Narciso Yepes, guitar; Lucero Tena on castanets | recorded Hamburg March 1970 | LP/CD reissues from DGG spanning years 1971–2007)
- BRAHMS – String Quartets Nos.1 & No.3 (‘1st’ recording:1972; sample LP including HAYDN) and Complete Quartets (‘2nd’ recording: Bamberg May–June ’86/’87 | CD reissues on DGG and Newton Classics)
- BRAHMS – String Quintet No.2 & Clarinet Quintet (+ Gérard Caussé on viola; Michel Portal on clarinet | recorded July ’90 | CD issued by Harmonia Mundi ℗1991/2001)
- BRUCKNER – String Quintet in F major WAB112 (+ Enrique Santiago on viola; ‘first’ recording February ’69; ‘second’ recording May ’92) with various LP/CD editions
- CHERUBINI – Complete String Quartets (recorded June ’73–February ’75 | LP/CD sets available on DGG Archiv Produktion and Brilliant Classics)
- DEBUSSY – String Quartet in G minor Op.10/L.85 (recorded Stuttgart February ’79 [+ RAVEL] | LP/CD reissues via DGG and Tower Records)
- DVOŘÁK – Late String Quartets Nos.13 &14 featuring Ida Bieler along with other chamber works such as Piano Quintet and String Quintet recorded during the ’90s; released by Harmonia Mundi
- FORTNER – String Quartet No.4 (live recording Schwetzingen May ’79 | CD Hänssler Classic ℗2012)
- FROMM-MICHAELS – "Musica Larga" for Clarinet and String Quartet (composed in ’44; recorded ’68; LP Vera Verlag)
- HAYDN – Renowned String Quartets including Op.76 Nos.3 &4 "Emperor" and "Sunrise" among others (recorded Stuttgart late ’60s to ’70; multiple LP/CD editions on Intercord and EMI Classics)
- JANÁČEK – String Quartet No.2 "Intimate Letters" plus Complete Quartets (recordings from ’73 & May ’91; released on Intercord and Harmonia Mundi LP/CD formats)
- KELEMEN – "Sonnets" for String Quartet (recorded Stuttgart February ’88; CD BIS release ℗1995)
- KODÁLY – String Quartet No.2 (**first recording produced for DGG** [+ BARTÓK; WEINER] | recorded September ’69; LP/CD reissues via DGG and Tower Records)
- MENDELSSOHN – Complete String Quartets including early compositions and full opus sets (recorded between February–December during the ’70s/’80s; available as LP/CD sets on DGG and Tower Records)
- MOZART – Prussian Quartets & Hoffmeister collection (‘first’ recordings early ’70s; limited CD reissues), plus The Ten Great Quartets (‘second’ recordings from ’76–’83) with extensive LP/CD releases through Intercord and DGG
- Clarinet Quintet K581 and Fugues K405 featuring Julia Rayson on clarinet recorded in ’73
- Piano Quartets Nos.1 &2 with pianist Georg Solti from mid-’80s sessions
- Complete String Quintets with Franz Beyer and Piero Farulli as second violas recorded late ’80s
- PFLÜGER – String Quartet (1984) CD release by Bayer Records
- RAVEL – String Quartet in F major M35 (studio recording Stuttgart ’79 [+ DEBUSSY]; live performance Schwetzingen same year; multiple LP/CD editions via DGG and Hänssler Classic)
- SCHUBERT – Complete String Quartets Nos.1–15 alongside late quartets plus the celebrated String Quintet in C major D956 (+ Mstislav Rostropovich or Ida Bieler/Wolfgang Boettcher) with extensive recordings spanning early ’70s through ’90s across labels including DGG, Novalis, Harmonia Mundi
- SCHUMANN – Entire set of String Quartets Nos.1–3 recorded in Bamberg mid-’80s alongside Brahms quartets; issued by DGG and Newton Classics
- SIBELIUS – String Quartet in D minor Op56 "Voces intimae" (+ Ida Bieler) recorded May ’98 released under Harmonia Mundi
- SMETANA – String Quartet No.1 "From my Life" recorded in ’73 with numerous LP/CD versions on Intercord and Philips
- VERDI – String Quartet in E minor (+ Ida Bieler) recorded May ’98 distributed by Harmonia Mundi
- WEINER – String Quartet No.3 Op26 (**first recording produced for DGG** [+ BARTÓK; KODÁLY] | recorded October ’69; multiple LP/CD reissues via DGG and Tower Records)
- WOLF – "Italian Serenade" for String Quartet recorded February ’69 available across various LP/CD editions on Vox Candide and Intercord
Digital Editions
The recordings, dating from the late 1960s through the mid-1980s, are sourced from the SWR Classic Archive and Presto Classical Ltd. These are accessible as digital downloads via Presto Music and YouTube (NAXOS of America). The list below is organized alphabetically by composer:
- ARRIAGA – String Quartet No.3 in E-flat major (radio broadcast | digital edition – SWR10282 ℗2015)
- BARTÓK – String Quartet No.1, Op.7, Sz.40, BB 52 (with WEINER | radio broadcast | digital edition – SWR10044 ℗2013)
- BOSE, Hans-Jürgen von (*1953) – String Quartet No.2 (1976–77) (included in 20th Century String Quartets with KELEMEN, KOKKONEN, STRAVINSKY, WITTINGER | radio broadcasts | digital edition – SWR10160 ℗2014)
- CHERUBINI – String Quartets No.2 in C major and No.4 in E major (radio broadcast | digital edition – SWR10060 ℗2014)
- DVOŘÁK – String Quartet No.14 in A-flat major, Op.105, B.193 (radio broadcast | digital edition – SWR10086 ℗2014)
- HAYDN – String Quartets: No.16 in A major, Op.9/6, Hob.III:24; No.7 in A major, Op.2/1, Hob.III:7; No.19 in C minor, Op.17/4, Hob.III:28 (radio broadcast | digital edition – SWR10126 ℗2014)
- HAYDN – String Quartet No.66 in G major, Op.76/1, Hob.III:81 “Lobkowitz” (alongside MOZART | radio broadcast | digital edition – SWR10067 ℗2014)
- HAYDN / attributed to Roman Hoffstetter – Falsely attributed String Quartets in B-flat major, Op.3/4, Hob.III:16 and A major, Op.3/6, Hob.III:18 (radio broadcast | digital edition – SWR10094 ℗2014)
- HINDEMITH – String Quartets No.3 (formerly No.2) in C major, Op.16 (1920), and No.5 (formerly No.4), Op.32 (1932) (radio broadcast | digital edition – SWR10051 ℗2014)
- KELEMEN, Milko (*1924–†2018) – "Sonnets" for String Quartet (1987) (featured on 20th Century String Quartets with BOSE, KOKKONEN, STRAVINSKY, WITTINGER | radio broadcasts | digital edition – SWR10160 ℗2014)
- KOKKONEN, Joonas (*1921–†1996) – String Quartet No.2 (1966) (part of 20th Century String Quartets alongside BOSE, KELEMEN, STRAVINSKY, WITTINGER | radio broadcasts | digital edition – SWR10160 ℗2014)
- MOZART – String Quartet No.22 in B-flat major K.589 (with HAYDN | radio broadcast | digital edition – SWR10067 ℗2014)
- MOZART – Clarinet Quintet in A major K.581 "Stadler" (featuring clarinetist Ulf Rodenhäuser | radio broadcast | digital edition – SWR10523 ℗2018)
- REGER – String Quartet No.4 in E-flat major, Op.109 (radio broadcast | digital edition – SWR10085 ℗2014)
- SHOSTAKOVICH – String Quartets Nos.8 in C minor, Op.110 and 10 in A-flat major, Op.118 (radio broadcast | digital edition – SWR10066 ℗2014)
- STRAVINSKY – 3 Pieces for String Quartet (featured on 20th Century String Quartets with BOSE, KELEMEN, KOKKONEN, WITTINGER | radio broadcasts | digital edition – SWR10160 ℗2014)
- VERDI – String Quartet in E minor (radio broadcast | digital edition – SWR10388 ℗2017)
- WEILL – String Quartet in B minor (1918) (radio broadcast | digital edition – SWR10249 ℗2015)
- WEINER, Leó (*1885–†1960) – String Quartet No.3 in G Major, Op.26 (paired with BARTÓK #1 | radio broadcast | digital edition – SWR10044 ℗2013)
- WITTINGER, Róbert (*1945) – String Quartet No.3, Op.20 (included in 20th Century String Quartets alongside BOSE, KELEMEN, KOKKONEN, STRAVINSKY | radio broadcasts | digital edition – SWR10160 ℗2014)
- ZEMLINSKY – String Quartet No.3, Op.19 (radio broadcast | digital edition – SWR10250 ℗2015)