Amadeus Quartet

Black and white image of members of the Amadeus Quartet stood in a line, with a noticeboard behind them. Credit National Archive of the Netherlands
This collection of storymaps explores the mobile lives of the Amadeus Quartet, the most successful and most widely travelled string quartet of the 20th century. The quartet was formed by Viennese émigrés Norbert Brainin, Siegmund Nissel and Peter Schidlof with London-born RCM alumnus Martin Lovett and played together for almost 40 years.

Image: National Archive of the Netherlands, used under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication

Please click on the drop-down sections below to explore storymaps related to the Amadeus Quartet. Each storymap will open in a new tab.

Scroll down to follow each story, zoom in on the maps and enjoy historical images, archival materials, recordings and videos. A link at the bottom of each map will take you back to this page, or to the next story map in a sequence.

Amadeus Quartet: Journey to the Fifth Quartet Part 1: Early years and the Anschluß

This storymap explores the stories of a number of émigrés and refugees who are connected to Joseph Horovitz’s Fifth Quartet. Here, the story begins with their early years, and the Austrian Anschluß.

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Amadeus Quartet: Journey to the Fifth Quartet Part 2: Early years in Britain

This storymap continues the story of the émigrés and refugees connected to Joseph Horovitz’s Fifth Quartet. In this section, the narrative turns to their early years in Britain.

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Amadeus Quartet: Journey to the Fifth Quartet Part 3: Established careers and later lives

This storymap concludes the story of the émigrés and refugees connected to Horovitz’s Fifth Quartet, and explores the success of their careers.

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Around the Globe with the Amadeus Quartet: Touring activity 1953-1987, based on agendas written by the group

This storymap examines the global reach of the Amadeus Quartet and illustrates their touring activity throughout the second half of the twentieth century.

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