EILEEN JOYCE (Pianoforte)
THE VIRTUOSO STRING QUARTET:
MARJORIE HAYWARD (Violin); EDWIN VIRGO
(Violin) ; RAYMOND JEREMY (Viola) ;
CEDRIC SHARPE (Violoncello)
THIS is the second of three quartets dedicated
-I- to Prince Rasoumowsky, whose connection with Beethoven was probably that of patron. Rasoumowsky was the son of a Russian peasant ennobled by the Empress, and he had a distinguished career as an admiral in the Russian navy and ambassador to several European courts. He married one of the ' Three Graces,' the celebrated daughters of the beautiful Countess of Thun, and was thus brother-in-law to Prince Lichnowsky, also a patron of Beethoven, who married another daughter, and to Lord Guildford, who married the third. All three girls were exceptionally musical. Rasoumowsky kept a quartet of string players (of which he was himself second violin) as part of his establishment.