PARRENIN QUARTET

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28270, 7 May 1957, Page 10

PARRENIN QUARTET

Two Concerts In City The Parrenin Quartet, which will present two concerts in Christchurch this month, was formed in Paris during the last war. several concerts being given in 1943. Their repertoire was formed when they worked for three years from 1944 for Radio Luxembourg, making fortnightly broadcasts. After winning the first prize at the Geneva International Concours they returned to Paris, where their reputation grew steadily, with a major triumph in 1951, when they played the complete Beethoven quartet cycle. The Parrenin Quartet now has a repertoire which includes the six quartets of Bartok, the major quartets of Mozart and Schubert, several by Haydn, and those of Debussy, Faure and Ravel. The quartet’s name comes from the first violinist, Jacques Parrenin. The other members are Marcel Charpentier, second violin, Serge Collot. viola, and Pierre Penassou, violoncello. They were all first prize winners at the Paris Conservatoire, and have won first prizes at international congresses at Geneva and Liege. In 1955 the quartet gave its 600th concert. The Parrenin Quartet is touring New Zealand for the New Zealand Federation of Chamber Music Societies.