Arthur Grumiaux
Of the Franco-Belgian school, Arthur Grumiaux is considered to have been one of the few truly great violin virtuosi of the twentieth century. In his relatively short life his achievements were superb. He brought to performances guaranteed technical command, faithfulness to the composer's intent, and sensitivity toward the intricate delineations of musical structure. His fame was built upon extraordinary violin concerto performances and chamber-music appearances with his own Grumiaux Trio.
Grumiaux was born in Villers-Perwin, Belgium, in 1921, to a working-class family, and it was his grandfather who urged him to begin music studies at the age of 4. He trained on violin and piano with the Fernand Quintet at the Charleroi Conservatory, where he took first prize at the age of 11. The following year he advanced his studies by working with Alfred Dubois at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels, and also worked on counterpoint and fugue with Jean Absil. He received his first few major awards prior to reaching the age of 20; he took the Henri Vieuxtemps and François Prume prizes in 1939, and received the Prix de Virtuosité from the Belgian government in 1940. During this time he also studied composition privately in Paris with the famous Romanian violinist Georges Enesco, Menuhin's teacher. His debuts were made in Belgium with the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra playing Mendelssohn's concerto, and in Britain with the BBC Symphonic Orchestra in 1945. Due to the German invasion of his homeland, there existed a short time gap between these two important events. During that time he played privately with several small ensembles, while refraining from public performance of any kind. Regardless of this slight delay in the initiation of his international career, once started, it quickly developed. Following his British debut, he advanced into Belgium academia when he was appointed professor of violin at the Royal Conservatory, where he had once studied. There, he emphasized the importance of phrasing, the quality of sound, and the high technical standards of artistry.
Grumiaux's playing has been included on over 30 recordings, nearly all under Philips, although his name is also seen on the labels of EMI, Belart and Music & Arts. The titles on these releases tend to be the compositions of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, and Schubert, and on occasion include works by Ravel and Debussy. One of his greatest joys in life was his partnership with the pianist Clara Haskil. On occasion, the two would switch instruments for a different perspective and relationship. Grumiaux was left with a professional and personal absence when she died from a fall at a train station, en route to a concert with him. In addition to his solo work, he has recorded Mozart quintets with the Grumiaux Ensemble, and various selections with the Grumiaux Trio, comprised of the Hungarian husband-wife duo Georges Janzer (violin) and Eva Czako (cello). His successful performance career led up to royal recognition, as in 1973, he was knighted baron by King Baudouin, for his services to music, thus, sharing the title with Paganini. Despite a struggle with diabetes, he continued a rigorous schedule of recording and concert performances, primarily in Western Europe, until a sudden stroke in Brussels took his life in 1986. At the age of 65, Grumiaux left behind the memory of his elegant and solid musicianship.
© TiVo
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Haydn: Duet for Violin & Cello, Hob. VI:D1 - Ravel: Sonata for Violin & Cello, M. 73
Arthur Grumiaux, Hermann von Beckerath
Chamber Music - Released by SWR Mediaservices GmbH on 9 Nov 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Complete Concertos Vol.1 - Piano Concertos Nos.1 - 4 etc.
Stephen Kovacevich, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis, Arthur Grumiaux, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Clara Haskil & Arthur Grumiaux: Besancon Festival Recital (1957) (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Ludwig van Beethoven)
Classical - Released by Music and Arts Programs of America on 1 Nov 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
French & Belgian Violin Sonatas
Arthur Grumiaux, Paul Crossley, György Sebök, Istvan Hajdu
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 23 Oct 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Joseph Haydn: Violin Concertos in C & G; Michael Haydn: Violin Concerto in A
Arthur Grumiaux, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Raymond Leppard, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Edo de Waart
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1967
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Corelli: 12 Sonatas for Violin & Harpsichord
Arthur Grumiaux, Riccardo Castagnone
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1975
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No.3; Vieuxtemps: Violin Concertos Nos.4 & 5
Arthur Grumiaux, Orchestre Lamoureux, Manuel Rosenthal
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Telemann: Twelve Fantasias for Violin Solo; Five Violin Concertos
Arthur Grumiaux, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Iona Brown
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 23 Oct 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert, Sonatas for Vioin and Piano
Arthur Grumiaux, Riccardo Castagnone
Classical - Released by Blue Pie Records USA on 1 Jan 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Sonates pour violon et piano K. 301, 304, 376 & 378 (Mono Version)
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1959
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: Concerto for Two Violins and Strings in D minor
Arthur Grumiaux, Jean Pougnet, Boris Ord, Walter Susskind, Philharmonia String Orchestra
Classical - Released by Infinity on 3 Aug 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonatas For Violin and Piano 8 - 9 - 10
Chamber Music - Released by Zeroh on 16 Jun 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Trios Op. 49, Op. 66
Arthur Grumiaux, Pierre Fournier, Nikita Magaloff
Classical - Released by NAR International on 1 Jan 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: Piano Quintet "The Trout"
Ingrid Haebler, Arthur Grumiaux, Georges Janzer, Eva Czako, Jacques Cazauran
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1967
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms & Mendelssohn Violin Concertos - Grumiaux
Classical - Released by Musical Concepts on 8 May 2020
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Récital (Mono Version)
Classical - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Violin Concerto; Academic Festival Overture; Tragic Overture; Alto Rhapsody
Arthur Grumiaux, Aafje Heynis, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Eduard van Beinum
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach, J.S.: Sonatas & Partitas for Violin
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 2001
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
W.A. Mozart: Die späten Violinsonaten
Classical - Released by Philips Classics on 1 Jan 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Essential Violin Masters
World - Released by Classic Music International on 24 Aug 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Saint-Saëns: Concerto pour violon No. 3 - Paganini: Concerto pour violon No. 4 (Mono Version)
Arthur Grumiaux, Orchestre Lamoureux, Jean Fournet
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1957
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo