JOACHIM, JOSEPH & HIS STRING QUARTET. (1831-1907). Austro-Hungarian violinist, composer, conductor, and teacher. Four AMusQS including one written and signed by Joachim (“Joseph Joachim”), Czech violinist KAREL HALÍ? (1859-1909, “Carl Halir”), German violist EMANUEL WIRTH (1842-1923, “Em. Wirth”), and cellist ROBERT HAUSMANN (1852-1909, “Rob. Hausmann”). 1p. 4to. Ridgehurst, May 6, 1901. The opening five measures for all four parts of Beethoven’s Quartet No. 13, Op. 130 in B flat major, Adagio ma non troppo, written out by the respective members.

Having studied in Leipzig with Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Joachim began his professional career at Weimar in 1850, as concertmaster under Franz Liszt, who had been appointed director of court music seven years earlier. In 1852, Joachim was named violinist to King George V of Hanover, and strengthened his already close friendships with Clara and Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms, whose music he championed throughout his life. His interpretations, though not technically brilliant, are remembered for their artistic and musical integrity. As an instructor, founder of several musical societies, and organizer of such performances as the Concerts Populaires (1861-1884), he greatly “contributed to the creation of a new, larger, and more diverse musical public,” (The New Grove Dictionary).

Joachim toured widely, bringing his annual Concerts Populaires and other appearances to London beginning in 1866 when he often performed with his own quartet, the personnel of which changed over time. Wirth joined the ensemble in 1877, Hausmann in 1879 and Halí? in 1897.

Halí?, a student of Joachim, was praised for his performances with Joachim of Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins in 1884. In addition to holding high-profile concertmaster and teaching positions in Berlin, he toured widely as a soloist and headed his own quartet for 15 years.

Wirth was concertmaster of the Rotterdam Opera and headed his own quartet before joining Joachim’s with which he performed for 30 seasons, until Joachim’s death. He also served as Joachim’s assistant at the Berlin University of the Arts where he was famous as an instructor of violin and viola.

Hausmann was a prominent teacher of cello at Berlin’s Königliche Hochschule für Musik who was closely associated with Brahms, premiering several of his works and publishing editions of Bach, Mendelssohn and Schumann.

Ridgehurst was the Hertfordshire home of wealthy German banker and music patron Edward Speyer where he and his wife, soprano Antonia Kufferath, hosted many notable composers and musicians, including Edward Elgar, who they meet in 1901, the year our unusually rare item was signed.

Written on a sheet of printed music paper on which Joachim has added an inscription in German in the upper right corner above his signature, followed by five measures on the first stave. The other three musicians have signed in the right margin next to their quotations. Dated in lower left corner. Matted with a photograph of Joachim’s quartet. A small chip and wear to the left margin, covered by the matte.