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Amadeus Quartet

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Amadeus Quartet was a string quartet that existed from 1947 to 1987 without a single change of member in all those years. Three of its members, the violinists Norbert Brainin and Siegmund Nissel and the later violist Peter Schidlof, had to flee Vienna as young Jews after the Anschluss in 1938. They met in British internment camps and afterwards studied free of charge with Max Rostal. Through him they came into contact with the cellist Martin Lovett. In 1947 they formed the Brainin Quartet, which became the Amadeus Quartet in 1948.

Music and breakthrough

The first concert under that name was on 10 January 1948 at the Wigmore Hall in London. The quartet made about two hundred recordings, including all the quartets of Beethoven, Brahms and Mozart. For string quintets and sextets it invited Cecil Aronowitz and William Pleeth. Albums such as String Quintets K 516 & K 593 from 1961 and Der Tod und das Mädchen from 1982 belong to this body of work. Benjamin Britten wrote his last string quartet for them. They played it for the first time after his death.

Influence

The quartet was known for its smooth, refined style, seamless ensemble playing and sensitive interpretation, and was often regarded as Austrian, although it was formed and based in the United Kingdom. It ceased to exist in 1987 when Peter Schidlof died. For many listeners the recordings have become the yardstick for Mozart and Beethoven.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Der Tod und das Mädchen and notice how the four strings play together as a whole and yet each keeps its own voice.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists