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Hellmesberger Quartet

Founded 1849. Original membership; Karl Heissler, Mathias Durst and Carl Schlesinger. 1855 line-up: Durst, F.Dobyhal, Borzaga. In 1858 Bernhard Cossmann became the cellist, then in 1859 Heinrich Röver. Reinhold Hummer, Joseph Sulzer and David Popper also appeared as cellist. In 1867 Adolf Brodsky became second violinist, and in 1870, Joseph Hellmesberger jnr. took over. In 1883 the quartet included three Hellmesbergers, with Ferdinand Hellmesberger as cellist. Viola, J. Maxintsak, a pupil of Joseph snr. After his father's retirement in 1889, Joseph jnr. took over the quartet's leadership: the other members were Julius Egghart (violin 2), Theodor Schwendt (viola), and his brother Ferdinand (cello). The quartet was dissolved in 1905, when Ferdinand moved to Berlin.

C. B.