The "Florentine Quartet" was founded by Jean Becker, a violinist of excellent ability, who made his mark in Europe about the middle of the nineteenth century. Becker was travelling in Italy in 1865, and settled in Florence for a time, during which he organised the above-mentioned quartet, with Masi, second violin, Chiostri, viola, and Hilpert, violoncello. In Florence there existed a society for the performance of chamber music, which had been established by a wealthy professor named Bazzini, a violinist and composer who travelled much, and whose influence in Italy, in the cause of German music, was of great value. Bazzini was born in 1818 and died in 1897.
From time to time this society gave subscription concerts, and Becker was invited to lead ten such concerts during the winter of 1865-66. He consented to do so, but found the quartet in a state of dissolution. He brought Hilpert with him, and engaged Masi as second violin, Chiostro being the only member of the original quartet. Masi was not accustomed to chamber music, but Becker took him in hand and he improved rapidly. In order to still enhance his value in the quartet, Becker presented him with a Stradivarius violin. They remained in Florence until their ensemble was absolutely perfect, and then began a series of tours which took them all over Europe. In Vienna the quartet was subjected to comparison with those of Hellmesberger and of Joachim, for the former had just given six chamber concerts, and the latter three. The first concert given by the Florentine Quartet was thinly attended, but the report of its excellence brought an overflowing audience to the second concert, and in all ten were given during the remainder of the season.
About 1875 Hilpert withdrew, and his place was filled by Hegyesi, who remained with the quartet until it was disbanded in 1880.
An excellent series of quartet concerts was founded in Stuttgart by Edmund Singer, who was appointed professor of violin in the Conservatorium, leader of the court music, and chamber musician, in 1861, after a distinguished career of some ten or more years as a virtuoso. These concerts met with triumphant success.
Georg J.R. Heckmann founded a quartet at Cologne and travelled through Europe, but it was surpassed by the Florentine Quartet, and did not gain the highest reputation.
A quartet which has been pronounced to be one of the best in existence is that which is led by Jeno Hubay, in Pesth, and in which Hegyesi, formerly of the Florentine Quartet, is the 'cellist.
Adolf Brodsky, who for a time resided in New York, founded a string quartet at Leipzig, with Hans Becker, son of the founder of the Florentine Quartet, Hans Sitt, and Julius Klengel, the 'cellist, and this quartet was said to have no superior in Europe, and not more than one equal,—the Joachim Quartet of Berlin. In 1891 Brodsky went to New York, where he also established a quartet, but with little success. The organisation was received with respect, owing to Mr. Brodsky's European reputation, but it was admitted on all hands that superior organisations existed in America. Before Mr. Brodsky had time to bring his quartet to a high degree of proficiency, he returned to Europe, and, after a brief stay in Germany, accepted a position in England, where he has established another quartet.
He was succeeded in the quartet at Leipzig and at the conservatory by Arno Hilf, a distinguished violinist with an enormous technique, who was born in 1858 and was taught by David, Röntgen, and Schradieck.
Quartet playing in public was established in England in 1835, when the admirers of Joseph Dando, an excellent violinist, opened a subscription for the purpose of giving some concerts in which the chamber music, and especially the quartets of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Spohr, etc., should be performed. The first concert was given at the Horn Tavern, Doctors'-Commons, in London, on September 23d of that year, and being highly successful, a second was given on October 12th, and a third on the 26th, each proving more attractive than its predecessor. These concerts lasted for two seasons, when a new quartet was formed, with H.G. Blagrove and Henry Gattie as first and second violins, Mr. Dando, viola, and Mr. Lucas, 'cello, for the more perfect study and presentation of quartets and other chamber music. These concerts were given at the Hanover Square rooms, and on account of the care bestowed upon the rehearsals (of which they held seven or eight for each concert), they threw all previous performances into the shade.
The tide of public favour had now set in, and other quartets were formed, but none reached such excellence as that headed by Blagrove, which was invited to play at the Philharmonic concerts, where it produced a great sensation.