Norbert Brainin,
OBE (12 March 1923 in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
– 10 April 2005 in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
) was the first
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
ist of the
Amadeus Quartet
The Amadeus Quartet was a string quartet founded in 1947 and disbanded in 1987, having retained its founding members throughout its history.
Noted for its smooth, sophisticated style, its seamless ensemble playing, and its sensitive interpretat ...
, one of the world's most highly regarded
string quartet
The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinists ...
s.
Because of Brainin's
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
origin, he was driven out of
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
after
Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...
's
Anschluss
The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938.
The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a " Greater Germany ...
of 1938, as were violinist
Siegmund Nissel
Siegmund Walter "Sigi" Nissel (3 January 1922 – 21 May 2008) was an Austrian-born British violinist who played second violin in the Amadeus Quartet and served as its administrator.
Sigi Nissel was born in Munich to a Jewish family from Vien ...
and violist
Peter Schidlof
Peter Schidlof (born Hans Schidlof; 9 July 1922 – 16 August 1987) was an Austrian-British violist and co-founder of the Amadeus Quartet.
Life and career
Born in Göllersdorf near Vienna, Schidlof fled Austria for England following the Nazi ...
. Brainin and Schidlof met in a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
internment camp. Like many Jewish
refugee
A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution. s they had the misfortune to be confined by the British as "enemy
alien
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...
s" after reaching the UK. Brainin was released after a few months, but Schidlof remained in the camp, where he met Nissel. Finally Schidlof and Nissel were released, and the three were able to study with violin pedagogue
Max Rostal
Max Rostal (7 July 1905 – 6 August 1991) was a violinist and a viola player. He was Austrian-born, but later took British citizenship.
Biography
Max Rostal was born in Cieszyn to a Jewish merchant family. As a child prodigy, he started studyin ...
, who taught them free of charge. Brainin won the 1946
Carl Flesch International Violin Competition
The Carl Flesch International Violin Competition (also known as the International Competition for Violinists "Carl Flesch" and the City of London International Competition for Violin and Viola (Carl Flesch Medal)) was an international music competi ...
, which Rostal co-founded.
It was through Rostal that they met cellist
Martin Lovett
Martin Lovett (3 March 1927 – 29 April 2020) was an English cellist, best known for his work for 40 years with the Amadeus Quartet, one of the leading string quartets at the time.
Life and career
Lovett was born in Stoke Newington (nor ...
, and in 1947 they formed the Brainin Quartet, which was renamed the
Amadeus Quartet
The Amadeus Quartet was a string quartet founded in 1947 and disbanded in 1987, having retained its founding members throughout its history.
Noted for its smooth, sophisticated style, its seamless ensemble playing, and its sensitive interpretat ...
in 1948. They became one of the most celebrated quartets of the 20th century; its members were awarded numerous honours, including:
* Officer of the
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
, presented by the
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
(1960)
* Doctorates from the Universities of
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, and Caracas
* The highest of all
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
awards, the
Grand Cross of Merit
* The
Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art
The Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (german: Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst) is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria and forms part of the Austrian national honours system.
History
The "Austrian D ...
(1974)
The quartet disbanded in 1987 on the death of Schidlof, whom the surviving members considered irreplacable. Brainin continued to perform as a soloist, often with pianists
Günter Ludwig
Günter Ludwig (born 1931) is a German pianist.
Life and career
Born in Großkrotzenburg, Ludwig attended the Musisches Gymnasium Frankfurt. He then studied piano with August Leopolder and Marguerite Long and conducting with Kurt Thomas. He ...
and
Maureen Jones
Maureen Jones (born 6 June 1927) is an Australian classical pianist.
She was born in Sydney and grew up in the Sydney suburbs of Warrawee, Turramurra, and Gladesville. At primary-school age she was invited to study at the Sydney Conservatorium ...
. In 1992, he performed a
benefit concert
A benefit concert or charity concert is a type of musical benefit performance (e.g., concert, show, or gala) featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate hu ...
in Washington, D.C. for then-jailed presidential candidate
Lyndon LaRouche
Lyndon Hermyle LaRouche Jr. (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2019) was an American political activist who founded the LaRouche movement and its main organization the National Caucus of Labor Committees (NCLC). He was a prominent conspiracy ...
.
[Murphy, Caryle]
"Fund-Raiser for LaRouche Draws Complaints at GU"
Washington Post, 12/07/1988
His instruments included the "Rode"
Guarnerius del Gesu of 1734, the "Chaconne" Stradivarius of 1725 and the
"Gibson" Stradivarius of 1713.
See also
*
List of British Jewish entertainers
This list of British Jewish entertainers includes entertainers (actors, directors, screenwriters, musicians, film makers and others, including well known writers, social reformers, journalists, intellectuals, painters, photographers, fashion desi ...
References
External links
Martin Lovett remembering Norbert Brainin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brainin, Norbert
Jewish classical musicians
Austrian classical violinists
British classical violinists
British male violinists
Jewish emigrants from Austria to the United Kingdom after the Anschluss
Austrian people of Russian descent
Musicians from Vienna
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Recipients of the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art
1923 births
2005 deaths
LaRouche movement
People interned in the Isle of Man during World War II
20th-century classical violinists
Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom
Male classical violinists
20th-century British male musicians