Peter Schidlof (born Hans Schidlof; 9 July 1922 – 16 August 1987) was an Austrian-British

violist ; german: Bratsche , alt=Viola shown from the front and the side , image=Bratsche.jpg , caption= , background=string , hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= , related= *Violin family ...

and co-founder 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 ...

Life and career

Born in

Göllersdorf Göllersdorf is a town in the district of Hollabrunn (district), Hollabrunn in Lower Austria, Austria. Peter Schidlof (1922–1987), the Austrian-British violist and co-founder of the Amadeus Quartet, was born in Göllersdorf. Geography Göllers ...

near

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, Schidlof fled

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

for

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

following the

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

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 ...

in 1938. He left Austria in December 1938, together with his younger sister Ilse, as part of the

Kindertransport The ''Kindertransport'' (German for "children's transport") was an organised rescue effort of children (but not their parents) from Nazi-controlled territory that took place during the nine months prior to the outbreak of the Second World ...

programme. He won a scholarship to

Blundell's School Blundell's School is a co-educational day and boarding independent school in the English public school tradition, located in Tiverton, Devon. It was founded in 1604 under the will of Peter Blundell, one of the richest men in England at the tim ...

in Devon. Following the start of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

in September 1939 and enactment of

Defence Regulation 18B Defence Regulation 18B, often referred to as simply 18B, was one of the Defence Regulations used by the British Government during and before the Second World War. The complete name for the rule was Regulation 18B of the Defence (General) Regulati ...

, he was interned in Onchan Internment Camp on the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

as an enemy alien. He was interned from August 1939 to April 1941. It was while he was interned that he first met

Norbert Brainin Norbert Brainin, OBE (12 March 1923 in Vienna – 10 April 2005 in London) was the first violinist of the Amadeus Quartet, one of the world's most highly regarded string quartets. Because of Brainin's Jewish origin, he was driven out of Vie ...

and

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 ...

. After years of internment, like Brainin and Nissel, Schidlof became a pupil of

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 ...

, and it was Rostal who became the mentor of the Amadeus and persuaded Schidlof, who had been a violinist, to become a viola player. With

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 ...

as cellist, the Amadeus gave their first concert at the

Wigmore Hall Wigmore Hall is a concert hall located at 36 Wigmore Street, London. Originally called Bechstein Hall, it specialises in performances of chamber music, early music, vocal music and song recitals. It is widely regarded as one of the world's leadin ...

in 1948. Schidlof’s separate contribution to the Amadeus is difficult to assess, so much were the four a team, although his nickname "Eagle ears" shows his particular insistence on technical accuracy. His calm, questing manner and his close knowledge of a wide range of music beyond the chamber music repertory, combined with his cultivated and kind manner as a person, were an important part of the quartet's chemistry. Schidlof's playing was noted for its warm, sensitive and rich tone. This was also clear in his solo playing away from the Amadeus. Brainin and he often came together for Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante. Schidlof performed solos on many occasions in

Harold en Italie ''Harold en Italie,'' ''symphonie avec un alto principal'' (English: ''Harold in Italy,'' ''symphony with viola obbligato''), as the manuscript calls and describes it, is a four-movement orchestral work by Hector Berlioz, his Opus 16, H. 68, w ...

, where he characterised the solo part with a keen sense of Berliozian romanticism. He was always ready and willing to tackle contemporary work, and gave several premieres. The quartet gave their first performance as the Amadeus Quartet in London on 10 January 1948. Touring extensively, the Amadeus performed throughout Europe, Canada, the United States, Japan, and South America. The quartet made some 200 recordings, among them the complete quartets of Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, and W.A. Mozart. Though they emphasized a standard Classical and Romantic repertory, they also performed works by such 20th-century composers as Béla Bartók and Benjamin Britten (who wrote his third quartet expressly for them). The group disbanded upon the death of Schidlof in 1987. He played for many years on the "MacDonald" Stradivarius of 1701 as well as owning fine examples by Testore and Bergonzi. Peter Schidlof - Golders Green Crematorium

Peter Schidlof - Golders Green Crematorium

Schidlof died in 1987 in

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumb ...

, England. His ashes and those of his wife are interred in the gardens of

Golders Green Crematorium Golders Green Crematorium and Mausoleum was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000 (the equivalent of £135,987 in 2021), ...

, London.

Awards and recognition

The Amadeus was one of the most celebrated quartets of the 20th century, and its members were awarded numerous honors, including: * 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. * The highest of all German awards, the Federal 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 ...

. * Doctorates from the Universities of London, York, and Caracas.

References

* Campbell, Margaret. ''Peter Schidlof. A Profile'', in: ''The Strad'', 94 (1983/84), p. 261-264. * Riley, Maurice W. ''The history of the viola'', Vol. II, 1991. * Townend, P. ''Who's Who in Music and Musicians' International Directory 1962'', Hafner Publishing Co., 1962.

External links

''Peter Schidlof Is Dead''
Obituary in The New York Times, August 17, 1987 (retrieved January 22, 2010) * Video recording of a solo performance {{DEFAULTSORT:Schidlof, Peter British classical violists Austrian classical musicians Jewish classical musicians Jewish emigrants from Austria to the United Kingdom after the Anschluss 1922 births 1987 deaths People educated at Blundell's School Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany People interned in the Isle of Man during World War II 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century British musicians Officers of the Order of the British Empire Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom 20th-century violists