The Washington times., 1914-01-30
UNITY IS SECRET OF
FLONzALEYS SUCCESS
Each Member Sinks Personality
Into Organization to Obtain
Perfect Harmony.

The FIonzaley quartet, which is to oe
Neard tomorrow at 40 O'Clock at the
Masonic Auditorium, is an organization.
No organization ever succeeded with
ut unity Of purpose and a complete
-acrifice of personal aims for the bet
rment of the whole. Concentrated. ef-
1ort spells success for the organized
.Ody.
since 1872 when the Tlonzaley quar-
ct vas organized. there has been no
ueston of its success, but there have
cen many questions maac of the
ames, personality and work OF the
our men who nave SO adroitly welded
heir talent in the. composition of a
eTfect musical stringed organization.
Adolf Betti, first violin, and Ugo
Ara, who plays the viola, are Italians,
Alfred Pochon is a Swiss, and Ivan
DArchambeau is French. Resides these
facts, and the manner in which the
raemOers spend their summer vacations,
Little is ever told of the lives OF the
members of the quartet and their form
er affiliations, except that three Of
them are pupils of the same master,
cesar Thomson.
Is Name of Villa.
The name of the organization. Flon-
galley, is not the name of any member
Of the quartet, but vas taken from the
title%of de Coppets Swiss villa, where
The four artists were originally brought
together. Their method of rehearsal
and study is as unique as are the other
characteristics of the quartet.
Work for coming seasons occupies
most of the spare time of the mem
bers. After a short visit of d'Archam-
beau TO his home in Belgium, and after
Pochon has taste of Paris and the
two Italians of their native land, all
Eather at the home of the parents Of
VI. Pochon, in Tronchet. Lausanne.
The Ponchon meadows are immediate
" below the crumbling towers of the
iOurse, overlooking Lake Geneva, 1000
feet below There the quartet is housed
miles from railway, and ii is there
nat they work out the program for the
coming season. Each year only three or
four programs are prepared.
After an early breakfast followed by
a short individual practice, the four
meet for ensemble playing in a little
1Ower-cOvered chalet, few rods
from the farmhouse. After luncheon,
The same plan is followed, with a re-
spite for tea towards the end of the
afternoon. The evenings, except Fri
day, when a more or less formal re-
hersal is held for the family and few
intimate friends, are free, each follow
ing his own particular bent.
Visit de COppet.
Messrs. Ara and dArchambeau usual
Y play bridge, Betti reads and Pochon
delT-es into the mysteries of composition.
Saturday evenings the four journey to
the home OF Edward de Coppet, the
founder of the quartet, an hours ride
from Tronchet, on the hills of Cher
bTes.
Sunday afternoon a concert is given
to which a few privileged outsiders are
invited. Monday is a day Of complete
recreation, and then the weeks work
rOmmences again.
The quartet is considered the test Of
the genius, scholarship, and taste Of a
composer, and the instances Of the ex-
istence of fine quartets are very rare.
Many will remember the famous Joa-
chin quartet and theS Kneisel quartet
The Flonzaleys have long been spo-
ken Of as the rivals Of the kneisels. In
the devotion OF their entire time to
chamber compositions they have made
themselves Interpreters Of the finest art
Unity Is Secret.
Their unity of purpose, constant at
tention. and perfection of rendition in
every number is the secret of their
unusual success.
No organization can fail to learn from
MS remarkable group of men the ne
cessity for complete harmony and uns
Questioning teamwork.
The essence. OF individual effort is
cast unrestrictedly into the quartet as
q body at every public and private en-
semble concert, making the FlonZaleys
an example, not alone from a musical.
but from business. standpoint.
F. E. Y.