Zoltán Székely is remembered today as the first violinist of the famed Hungarian String Quartet but he was also a distinguished soloist in his own right. He studied with the legendary Jenő Hubay and was rated the one of the finest Hungarian soloist of his generation. The Glazunov Concerto featured on this CD was the only commercial concerto recording Székely’s ever made. Also featured is the violinist’s celebrated transcription of Béla Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances. Székely performed frequently with Bartók in recital, andwas the dedicatee of the composer’s Second Rhapsody.

As leader of the Hungarian String Quartet, Székely displays his authoritative command as a chamber musician. The Quartet was particularly renowned for their Beethoven cycle, and made the definitive recordings of Bartók’s six quartets. The HSQ’s recordings of the composer’s Fifth and Sixth Quartets included here were made in 1946 and 1949 respectively, and have particular relevancy as they were coached by the composer himself.