Violist Peter Schidlof; His Death Could Be End of Amadeus Quartet

Peter Schidlof, violist of the internationally popular Amadeus Quartet, has died and his demise probably will mean the end of the 39-year-old group.

Martin Lovett, the quartet’s cellist, told The Times of London that Schidlof’s death Saturday at his vacation home in Sunderland in northern England also spelled the end of one of the longest-lasting associations in the musical world.

“Peter’s death means the end of the Amadeus Quartet. He is simply irreplaceable,” Lovett said.

Schidlof was 65 and friends said he had complained of chest pains after jogging last week but otherwise appeared to be in good health.

Lovett added that the group will be forced to disband because “there is no repertoire for two violins and cello.” The Amadeus did perform during the 1982-83 season as a trio, but that was forced by the illness of second violinist Siegmund Nissel. Critical notices reflected his absence unfavorably.

Additionally, Lovett, Nissel and violinist Norbert Brainin all have jobs with Britain’s Royal Academy, which they plan to retain.

“I am sure we will carry on teaching,” Lovett said.

Known for their interpretation of the works of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert, the British Broadcasting Corp. recalled that the quartet had “won all the major awards for its recordings.”

Schidlof actually was the genesis for the Amadeus. A Jew born in Austria, Schidlof fled the Nazis in 1938, settling in England where he attended music school. But when World War II started he was placed in an internment camp with other refugees and there, in Shropshire, he met another young Austrian musician, Brainin, whose husky tones and what some saw as over-stylized interpretations were later to produce some critical displeasure.

At a second camp, on the Isle of Man, Schidlof encountered Nissel, another fellow Austrian.

After their release, the three instrumentalists continued their studies and in 1946 Schidlof was introduced to Lovett, an Englishman. The four began rehearsing and made their debut as the Amadeus Quartet in London in 1948.

Over the years they gave more than 4,000 concerts and made about 200 recordings, which sold in the millions. Those included complete renditions of the Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven quartets. What is believed to be their last recording, the Schubert C-major Quintet in which they were joined by cellist Robert Cohen, was released a few weeks ago.