Indivisible by Four: A String Quartet in Pursuit of Harmony

by Arnold Steinhardt

The Guarneri Quartet is fabled for its unique longevity and high-spirited virtuosity. Here is its story from the inside--a story filled with drama, humor, danger, compassion, and, of course, glorious music.

A player who studies and performs the exalted string-quartet repertoire has opted for a very special life. Arnold Steinhardt, tracing his own development as a student, orchestra player, and budding young soloist, gives a touching account of how he and his intrepid colleagues were converted to chamber music despite the daunting odds against success. And he reveals, as no one has before, the intensely difficult process by which--on the battlefield of daily three-hour rehearsals--four individualists master and then overcome the confining demands of ensemble playing.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Musicians

320 pages, Paperback

First published November 24, 1998

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

First violinist Arnold Steinhardt’s amazing chronicle of the Guarneri String Quartet’s first 35 years together. It is extraordinary that such a gifted musician can be equally fluent in his writing. He tells how this group of strong and opinionated individualists work together as equals to produce magic. He is a marvel at describing the tension between the need to work together intimately and at the same time maintain a private space. He includes lots of stories and anecdotes, many of them about famous mentors and guest such as Pablo Casals and Artur Rubinstein, never saying a derogatory or even gossipy word about anyone. He has such a gift for describing the pieces that they play and their emotional impact that you want to immediately go out and listen to them

[Lauretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a marvelous book about chamber music and the relationships within one of the premier (and longest lasting) quartets of our time. I knew Arnold as a young child when he was still in the Cleveland orchestra and was in awe of this talented and handsome man who would periodically come to our house for dinner. The part that he omitted from his story was that my father had been instrumental in getting him out of the army (or at least that's the story as it's been told in our family). I guess Arnold's anxiety and the larger-than-life presence of Szell may have clouded his memory a bit. But it was nice to learn about his life after Cleveland in a more intimate way.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humorously written and extremely interesting on a variety of subjects: a career in classical music 1960s to the present, including encounters with such varied characters as Gingold, Rudolf Serkin and Szell; the vagaries of chamber music are explored with humor and joy; and the personality of the author infuses his insights into both the inner workings of people and music. WELL worth the time of any musician or appreciator of chamber music.

[Stella Zawistowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is pure joy. Steinhardt has wit, humor, and a deep love for his craft that come through on every page. As an amateur musician in a much different context (200-voice choir), I loved getting to look into the thoroughly different world of being in a small group with no leader, in which everyone is good enough to be a soloist but collaborative enough to form one musical organism.

I'm sad that I didn't discover this book in time to hear the Guarneri play live.

[Douglas Baskett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author makes music into a human enterprise with his various discussions of the music itself, the group's interpretations and how they change over decades, and the everyday matters of traveling with its minor setbacks and pleasures. Mr. Steinhardt's prose style is relaxed and it rolls along easily. It also inspired me to listen to many of the pieces I had been unfamiliar with before.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally fascinating. My friends will tell you that I am the least musical, most tone deaf person in the world. But I love reading a well written account of a field about which I know nothing. The same instinct that led me to read Richard Feynman. This book is entertaining, interesting, fast moving and not too technically musical.

[Veronica Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahh how special it is to read a book about classical music by one of the greatest in the field! Told with dry wit, humility, and a certain zest for life, Arnold Steinhardt takes us through his life as a founding member of the Guarneri String Quartet and all the lessons it brought him. This book was a straight up nerd fest for me, but I loved every minute.

The copy I was lent is signed by all four members and I’ve never been so afraid of a rogue drop of coffee or accidental page rip. I tried to explain to my husband (a layman) that it was the classical music equivalent to having a book signed by Led Zeppelin.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a listener of the Guarneri Quartet for for many years I was fascinated to read this inside account of the quartets history. The book of course also includes details of the authors musical and personal history. While they were playing this was the most outstanding classical music quartet in my judgement. Of course other quartets had their strengths but these guys were true heirs to the European tradition embodied in the Budapest quartet. Unless you are a classical music nut and in particular a classical chamber music nut you will probably not be interested. But is you qualify you will find it amusing, well written and full of humor.

[Paul Jellinek · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book about a truly wonderful string quartet. And Steinhardt's self-deprecating humor is the icing on the cake.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book, but even as a violinist I found the detail a bit monotonous. Some parts I sailed through though, so an interesting read overall.

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was exactly the book that I wanted it to be, a long slow thoughtful meditation on what it means to be part of a longstanding artistic collaboration. The author covers how the quartet got together, why each of them chose chamber music rather than a career as a soloist, what they found motivating and joyful about the pursuit, and how their gestalt has ripened over the years. One of my favorite sections of the book was listening to his meditation on hearing their youthful performances of a piece, and then their more recent performances. It wasn't a one-way "oh yeah we've gotten so much better" street -- sometimes he preferred their early work, sometimes the later, and sometimes it wasn't so much a matter of preference as an appreciation of the ranges of expression. I enjoyed the opportunity to temporarily step into their world.

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read for musicians and music-lovers interested in getting a glimpse of the life of a professional string quartet in the 20th century.

Certain quotes bear repeating:
- his suggestion that string quartet audiences must be looking for relaxed sort of entertainment, otherwise they'd be "watching the elephants in the second act of Aida"
- "If you think you're nothing without the violin, then you're nothing with the violin."
- a mentor dancing a "lusty chaconne" during a Bach lesson

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming, but a little unexciting compared to grand music memoires like the one of Piatigorsky. Instead of his stories of playing in a brothel as a kid or meeting legends like Horowitz, Heifetz or Rachmaninoff, we typically get conservatoire stories and encounters with the audience.
The lifestyle and chemistry of a lifelong string quartet is well displayed and offers interesting tidbits here and there, but on the whole, it's missing a bit of the sublime and truly fascinating.

[Vojtech · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers an interesting look at classical music and a career within a renowned string quartet. I enjoyed the many anecdotes and stories about life on the road, as well as the insights into various pieces. I also received some interesting recommendations for further exploring chamber music on my own in the coming months. There is some overlap with "Violin Dreams," so you can decide whether to add that final fifth star based on whether you have already read that book.

[Melita Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely fascinated by this. I'm a STEM graduate and work in a STEM field, but I love music even though I was an indifferent musician (lazy) and singer. The work that goes into being a professional musician; I find it very, very interesting.

[Anne Edvenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for lovers of chamber music. I read it years ago and want to read it again sometime.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb read. Thanks for taking me back into the world of music.

[Andreas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fascinating book if you ever played with other musicians for a while.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written book by a violinist in the Guarneri string quartet, such a joy to read, about the workings and passions of what goes into playing the music. Of course I love chamber music.

[Miranda Peak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating (and well written) account of violinist Arnold Steinhardt's perspective on the decades long run of the Guarneri String Quartet. From his encounter with composer Igor Stravinsky to the Quartet's collaboration with cellist Jacqueline du Pre, his humble recollections as a professional musician of the 20th century had left me in awe.

[Vincent Chao · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book summaries the 50+ years of Arnold Steinhardt ‘s experiences as concert artist and the first violinist of the legendary Guarneri Quartet. His writings are both entertaining, nostalgic and poetic, full of sentiments and witty stories. I found it to be both heart-warming and delighted, and would recommend highly to all the music lovers.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're into music at all, this is a pretty interesting memoir by one of the violinists from the famous Guarneri string quartet. Embedded within many colorful stories is a lot of good advice for chamber musicians (and, I suppose, anybody who works in constant collaboration with others).

[E Sweetman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. I heard an interview on the radio with Mr. Steinhardt talking about playing Bach's Chacon and I was able to order both books on line as a package. He skillfully tells of growing up and becoming an accomplished musician. A very good book.

[Emmy Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up because I'm a string player who loves the string quartet literature. I thought I would enjoy it, but I did not expect to enjoy it so much! One of the best books I've read in quite some time. I was not expecting the writing to be so good. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Marta · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice music memoir.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a how-to on being a successful string quartet, this isn't it. If you want a fairly interesting read about the life of one particular string quartet, you've found your book.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious, super fun book about the life of a string quartet. Even non-musicians will love this book because it is so well- written.

[Ellison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting if you like chamber music but Stienhardt is certainly not a great writer and there is not much drama or emotion here but there is humor and a great love of chamber music.

[R.K. Cowles · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 3/4 stars

[Joe Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written. Fun to read. A good look at what it means to play violin at the highest level.