Front Cover


Inside Front Cover


Pastorale


Notturno


Scherzo


Variazione


Lindsay String Quartet (1985)
Peter Cropper, violin;
Ronald Birks, violin;
Robin Ireland, viola;
Bernard Gregor-Smith, 'cello

String Quartet No. 1 in A (1969-1970) - Opus 3
This webpage provides information about the André Tchaikowsky String Quartet No. 1 in A (1969-1970) - Opus 3. First are music links (as *.mp3 files) and then text that lists all known details regarding this composition from the book, The Other Tchaikowsky - A Biographical Sketch of André Tchaikowsky.

Here are two brief audio clips, of a radio program "A Study in Contrast" about André Tchaikowsky:
Lindsay Quartet meets André / contrast_lindsay.mp3
Lindsay Quartet mentions the quartets / contrast_quartets.mp3
(For the entire program, see the Miscellaneous link above.)

(2016) String Quartet No. 1 / The Diverso String Quartet
The Diverso String Quartet played the String Quartet No. 1 in three separate concerts in Germany: Mendelssohn Haus in Leipzig (April 22, 2016), Steglitz Hauskonzert in Berlin (April 23, 2016, and Villa Seligmann in Hannover (April 24, 2016). These were memorial concerts to commemorate the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of April 19, 1943 and the Warsaw Uprising of August 1, 1944. The members of the Diverson String Quartet are Marcin Ostrowski violin, Dagmara Forys violin, Magdalena Krawczuk viola and Zofia Lodygowska cello. Their YouTube channel includes works by Karol Szymanowski, Andrzej Panufnik and Leos Janacek.

Music/MP3
Apparently there is no professional recording of the String Quartet No. 1 in A (1969-1970) - Opus 3, however, a recording by the Lindsay Quartet does exist from 1971. (Thanks to John Pope for cleaning up this file.)

String Quartet No. 1 (Complete) / 00_op3_strng_qrt1_complete.mp3
String Quartet No. 1 (Pastorale) 1st / 01_op3_strng_qrt1_1st_mvmt.mp3
String Quartet No. 1 (Notturno) 2nd / 02_op3_strng_qrt1_2nd_mvmt.mp3
String Quartet No. 1 (Scherzo) 3rd / 03_op3_strng_qrt1_3rd_mvmt.mp3
String Quartet No. 1 (Variazione) 4th / 04_op3_strng_qrt1_4th_mvmt.mp3

This performance is on YouTube. Click Here (opens new window)

Music Publisher
This work is published by Josef Weinberger and appears in their catalog of André Tchaikowsky published works. Click Here for a PDF copy of the André Tchaikowsky Weinberger catalog.

From the biography The Other Tchaikowsky
André's String Quartet No.1 in A - Opus 3, was dedicated to Stefan Askenase. It was, in fact, a birthday present, in celebration of Stefan Askenase's 75th birthday. The first performance was at Bad Godesberg, Germany, on July 10, 1971, with the Lindsay Quartet. The Lindsay played it again, on November 18, 1971, for the BBC in London, and then a live performance was given in March 1972, in London. Stefan had moved to Bad Godesberg from Brussels because of his finances. He was practically ruined by his wife's illness and found a situation in Bad Godesberg that would allow her to receive care and for him to save money. Anny Askenase died not long after their move to Germany. Stefan remained in Bad Godesberg after her death.

The String Quartet No. 1 has four movements: Pastorale, Notturno, Scherzo, and Variazione. Untypically, there is little mention by André in his letters to friends of the String Quartet No. 1. One review from the premiere performance included:

World Premiere of a Quartet by André Tchaikowsky

The nicest moment of the concert was in the playing of André Tchaikowsky's "Quartet in A." Here, in the Rolandseck train station, was another production dedicated to the "Arts and Music" -- the world premiere of this wonderful composition.

String Quartet No. 1 was published by Josef Weinberger, Ltd. in 1974.

The Lindsay Quartet enjoyed playing the string quartet and immediately asked André to write another. Eventually, he did: the String Quartet No.2 (1973-1975) - Opus 5. If Quartet No.1 was good, then Quartet No.2 was superior. The Lindsay have included Quartet No.2 on programs more often than Quartet No.1.