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Press, 6 July 1988, Page 20

The Takacs Quartet from Hungary, will give one concert on Tuesday, July 12, in the James Hay Theatre starting at 8 p.m. The quartet performed in New Zealand for the first time in 1985. Christchurch was not included in the first tour of New Zealand but Christchurch concert-goers can now hear the group which has been described as a worthy successor to the great Hungarian and Budapest Quartets. The Takacs Quartet have attended master classes with the leader of the Hungarian Quartet, Zoltan Szekely, and are the quartet in residence at Boulder University,

Colorado, which enables the musicians to study with the viola player of the Hungarian Quartet, Denes Koromzay. The Takacs will play two great works from the chamber music repertoire at the Christchurch concert: Haydn’s “Sunrise” quartet and Beethoven’s Quartet in C sharp minor Op 131. The group will also play two short twentieth century works, one each by Stravinsky and Webern. The Takacs Quartet will perform in seven centres on their New Zealand tour; Napier, Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Dunedin and Christchurch.

The quartet was formed by the cellist, Andras Fejer, in 1975. It won the 1977 Evian International Competition for String Quartets, taking the Critics’ Extra Prize for best performance in the contemporary music category. In 1979 the quartet won the Portsmouth International String Quartet Competition, earning high praise from the president of the jury, Yehudi Menuhin, for its highly finished style and virtuostic quality.

Since their last tour to New Zealand, the Takacs members have taken part in several concert series in Britain.