Allegri Quartet

The Allegri Quartet is a British string quartet that was founded in 1953 by violinist Eli Goren.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> The other original members were second violinist James Barton, violist Patrick Ireland, and cellist William Pleeth.<ref name=":0" /> It is Britain's longest-running chamber music ensemble.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":1" />

A commitment to refreshing the chamber repertoire had led the Allegri Quartet to give more than 60 world premières since 1964, including specially commissioned pieces by leading composers such as James MacMillan, Jonathan Harvey and Colin Matthews.Template:Cn

Reception

A 2001 review in the Glasgow Herald said that the Allegri Quartet "judged [Berg's Lyric Suite] to perfection, allowing the important inner lines to merge with unusual clarity and plumbing the score's complex textures in a straightforward and unfussy way, firmly resisting any temptation to milk the charged harmonies or wallow in the passages of brooding melancholy."<ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref>

In comparing and contrasting the Allegri Quartet to the now-defunct Amadeus, Bayan Northcott wrote in The Independent in 2004 that "where the older group cultivated a tremulous sweetness of sound, the Allegri always went for a plainer, perhaps more deeply penetrating manner – not to say, more adventurous programming."<ref name=":0" />

Personnel

The names of the current performers are shown in emboldened text. The quartet's members have included:

1st Violin

• Eli Goren – Founder<ref name=":0" />
• Hugh Maguire – Succeeded Goren as leader<ref name=":0" />
• Peter Carter – Became leader in 1976<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />
• Daniel Rowland – Joined after Carter's retirement in 2005Template:Citation needed
• Ofer Falk
• Martyn Jackson

2nd Violin

• James Barton
• Peter Thomas
• David Roth
• Fiona McNaught
• Rafael Todes

Viola

• Patrick Ireland
• Prunella Pacey
• Keith Lovell
• Roger Tapping
• Jonathan Barritt
• Dorothea Vogel

Cello

• William Pleeth
• Bruno Schrecker
• Pal Banda
• Katherine Jenkinson
• Vanessa Lucas-Smith

The Quartet celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2004 with performances at venues including Wigmore Hall, London.<ref name=":0" /> It held a reunion at the Llanfyllin Festival at which many of the past members also performed.Template:Citation needed

References

<references /> Template:String quartets Template:Authority control

Template:Classical-ensemble-stub