First Piano Quartet

File:First_Piano_Quartet.jpg

The First Piano Quartet was a quartet of pianists first organized in the United States in 1941. Its founding members were Vladimir Padwa, George Robert, Adam Garner, and Henry Holt. The quartet was originally conceived of as a radio group, with a weekly show that soon became twice weekly."Piano Team Gets Additional Time", Anniston Star, June 20, 1941. In 1943, Franz Mittler and Edward Edson replaced George Robert and Henry Holt, who had joined the army."First Piano Quartet Applauded by Civic Orchestra Audience", Norman Nairn, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, December 6, 1943. The quartet made its New York concert debut in 1949.{{Citation needed|reason=Every source I can find for this fact seems to have used this article as its source; substantial overlap in phrasing.|date=March 2018}}

The quartet toured extensively with their four Steinway pianos from the 1940s through the late 1950s, and made recordings in the 1940s and 1950s. Most of its arrangements were made by Adam Garner.Adam Garner, 70, of Piano Quartet, New York Times, June 5, 1969.

By 1950, Padwa had left the quartet, replaced temporarily by George Robert.Harold C. Schonberg, Four Pianists Are Soloists, New York Times, July 28, 1950. In 1952, Glauco D'Attili (1920–2007) became the latest member, replacing George Robert."First Piano Quartet", The Corpus Christi Times, February 18, 1952. D'Attili, a former child prodigy from Rome was brought to the United States in 1927 by Benjamino Gigli and was probably the most well-known of the group. He appeared, along with Edward Edson, Adam Garner, and Frank Mittler, in two movie shorts for 20th Century Fox in 1954, The First Piano Quartette and Piano Encores. Both were directed by Otto Lang, and The First Piano Quartette was nominated for an Academy Award in 1954 in the category Best Short Subject, One-reel.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046981/awards|title=The First Piano Quartette|publisher=IMDb}} The group also appeared on both The Ed Sullivan Show (Episode #7.30) and The Lawrence Welk Show.

In the mid-1950s D'Attili was replaced by William Gunther (Sprecher) and the quartet renamed itself to the Original Piano Quartet. The quartet appeared under its new name at Town Hall, New York on March 29, 1962.Piano Quartet Gives Town Hall Concert, New York Times, March 30, 1962.

In 1970 William Gunther asked Rami Bar-Niv to replace him in the quartet. Bar-Niv was part of the quartet until he returned to Israel in 1972.{{cite journal|title=Piano Foursome Enthralls Arts Hall Audience|journal=Sarasota Journal|date=Dec 1, 1971|volume=4|issue=A}}

The First Piano Quartet's collection of music is housed in the Music Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.{{cite web|title=First Piano Quartet collection of music|url=http://catalog.nypl.org/record=b10984972~S1|website=New York Public Library Music Division|publisher=New York Public Library|accessdate=March 16, 2018}}