Amadeus Quartet Essentials

Three musicians of Jewish descent fled their native Vienna and joined a British cellist to form a quartet in 1947 that would dominate the chamber music world for four decades. They brought a style that seemed to be made for the music of Beethoven and Schubert in particular, combining an elegance of phrasing and a sophisticated engagement with the music. As well as recording all the key works of the string quartet literature, the Amadeus frequently teamed up with viola player Cecil Aronowitz and cellist William Pleeth. An exploration of their music is thrilling for modern audiences, offering a glimpse into a lost world.