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 ...

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

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

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.

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

See also

References

External links