Johann Svendsen (1840-1911) studied in Leipzig, just like Niels Gade, Christian Horneman and Edvard Grieg. And there he composed his String Quartet in A minor, opus 1, his only work in this genre. In fact, it was a study assignment given by his teacher Carl Reinecke.
Asger Hamerik (1843-1923) was still young when he let himself be led by Gade, and next, he studied with Hans von Bülow. The short, one-part String Quartet in A minor of Hamerik dates from 1859, when the young composer was sixteen years old.
The Swedish composer Elfrida Andrée (1841-1929) was the first woman to conduct an orchestra in Sweden. She too studied with Gade. Her Second String Quartet stands in a long tradition of lyric, pleasant chamber music works, which were being written everywhere in Europe under the influence of the Leipziger Schule in the second half of the 19th century.
Johann Svendsen – String Quartet in A minor, opus 1 (1865).
(1) Allegro, (2) Andantino, (3) Allegro scherzando, (4) Finale
Performing musicians: Oslo String Quartet
CD: CPO
Asger Hamerik – String Quartet in A minor (1859).
Performing musicians: Arild String Quartet
CD: Naxos
Elfrida Andrée – String Quartet in D minor (1887).
(1) Allegro, (2) Andante, (3) Allegro grazioso pastorale, (4) Allegro
Performing musicians: Stockholm Quartet
CD: Caprice
