String quartet of divertimenti for two solo violins, viola and cello by Viennese composers such as Georg Christoph Wagenseil and Ignaz Holzbauer; and there had long been a tradition of performing orchestral works with one instrument to a part. David Wyn Jones cites the widespread practice of playing works written for string orchestra, such as divertimenti and serenades, with just four players, one to a part, there being no separate (fifth) contrabass part in string scoring before the 19th century. However, these composers showed no interest in exploring the development of the string quartet as a medium. The origins of the string
Oberlin String Quartet Oberlin String Quartet The Oberlin String Quartet is a classical music ensemble associated with the Oberlin Conservatory of Music at Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio. In 1955, violinist and Oberlin Conservatory faculty member Andor Toth formed the Oberlin String Quartet with violinist Matthew Raimondi, violist William Berman, and cellist John Frazer. In 1957, violinist John Dalley (second violinist in the Guarneri Quartet), and cellist Peter Howard (for many years principal cellist in the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra) joined the Quartet. The quartet disbanded after Andor Toth left the faculty in 1959. In late summer 1958, the Oberlin String Quartet toured Germany