Thursday, November 8, 2007

TElephone EXchange NAmes in classical music

Sylvan Shulman (violin) and Alan Shulman (cello) founded the Stuyvesant String Quartet in 1938. How did the quartet get its name? Mura Kievman, daughter of Louis Kievman (viola) explains:

Dad told me (as I recollect, I may be wrong) that he created the name "Stuyvesant Quartet" when he was in a NYC phone booth and had to come up with a name NOW. The phone exchange was "STuyvesant" in that phone book [booth?], and hence the name. I also recall (perhaps equally incorrectly) that within the group there was some debate as to who actually came up with the name. This version was my father's recollection.
Telephone exchange names, offering inspiration in moments of need, perhaps apocryphally!
The Stuyvesant String Quartet on CD
The Stuyvesant String Quartet with Benny Goodman, clarinet
The New Friends of Rhythm (Jazzing the classics!)

Related posts
Telephone exchange names
More telephone exchange name nostalgia
Telephone exchange names on screen
Telephone exchange names on screen (no. 2)
Update: Alan Shulman's son Jay Shulman pointed me to two more CDs:
Rey de la Torre: Works for Guitar, with the Stuyvesant String Quartet
The Stuyvesant String Quartet: Hindemith, Villa-Lobos, Porter
(Thanks, Elaine! And thanks, Jay!)

comments: 2

Jay Shulman said...

2 more Stuyvesant Quartet CDs:

Brahms Clarinet Quintet with Alfred Gallodoro / Mozart K. 499 & 575 (Bridge 9397)

Laura Newell: The Philharmonia Recordings (Artek AR-0067-2) Bax & Malipiero Harp Quintets; Ibert Trio.

Michael Leddy said...

Thanks, Jay. We have the second one.

Elaine says to ask: you know that I’m her husband, yes?