, for the former
had just given six chamber concerts, and the latter three. The first
concert given by the Florentine Quartet was thinly attended, but the
report of its excellence brought an overflowing audience to the second
concert, and in all ten were given during the remainder of the season.

About 1875 Hilpert withdrew, and his place was filled by Hegyesi, who
remained with the quartet until it was disbanded in 1880.

An excellent series of quartet concerts was founded in Stuttgart by
Edmund Singer, who was appointed professor of violin in the
Conservatorium, leader of the court music, and chamber musician, in
1861, after a distinguished career of some ten or more years as a
virtuoso. These concerts met with triumphant success.

Georg J.R. Heckmann founded a quartet at Cologne and travelled through
Europe, but it was surpassed by the Florentine Quartet, and did not gain
the highest reputation.

A quartet which has been pronounced to be one of the best in existence
is that which is led by Jeno Hubay, in Pesth, and in which Hegyesi,
formerly of the Florentine Quartet, is the 'cellist.

Adolf Brodsky, who for a time resided in New York, founded a string
quartet at Leipzig, with Hans Becker, son of the founder of the
Florentine Quartet, Hans Sitt, and Julius Klengel, the 'cellist, and
this quartet was said to have no superior in Europe, and not more than
one equal,--the Joachim Quartet of Berlin. In 1891 Brodsky went to New
York, where he also established a quartet, but with little success. The
organisation was received with respect, owing to Mr. Brodsky's European
reputation, but it was admitted on all hands that superior organisations
existed in America. Before Mr. Brodsky had time to bring his quartet to
a high degree of proficiency, he returned to Europe, and, after a brief
stay in Germany, accepted a position in England, where he has
established another quartet.

He was succeeded in the quartet at Leipzig and at the conservatory by
Arno Hilf, a distinguished violinist with an enormous technique, who was
born in 1858 and was taught by David, Roentgen, and Schradieck.

Quartet playing in public was established in England in 1835, when the
admirers of Joseph Dando, an excellent violinist, opened a subscription
for the purpose of giving some concerts in which the chamber music, and
especially the quartets of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Spohr, etc., should
be performed. The first concert was given at the Horn Tave