Mimi Ezutz recommends Indivisible by Four" by Arnold Steinhardt, first
violinist of the Guarneri String Quartet.

Another interesting book I read is (although not as good IMO as Steinhard's
book) is "The Four and the one.  In Praise of String Quarterts" by David
Rounds with Lafayette String Quartet.  It includes inside stories about the
Lafayette Quartet and information about the string quartet genre in
general.

One interesting difference described in the two books is the attitude
towards Shostakovich.  The Lafayette quartet studied with Dubinsky, which
was in the original Borodin Quartet, and one of their first recordings
includes Shostakovich's third quartert.  A whole chapter in Round's book is
dedicated to Shostakovich's third.  Steinhard, OTOH, describes in his book
how some of the Guarneri members disliked Shosatkovich, considered this
quartet shallow and consequently the Guarneri decided not to perform it.

Dan Zimmerman
[log in to unmask]