Siegmund Nissel facts for kids

Siegmund Nissel (born January 3, 1922 – died May 21, 2008) was a British violinist. He was born in Austria. He played the second violin in the very famous Amadeus Quartet.

Early Life and Music

Siegmund Nissel, often called Sigi, was born in Munich. His family was Jewish and came from Vienna. He started playing the violin when he was just six years old. When he was nine, his mother passed away. His father took him to Vienna, where he continued his music studies. One of his teachers was Max Weissgärber. However, the situation for Jewish people in Austria became very unsafe. So, in 1938, young Sigi was sent to Great Britain for safety.

The Start of the Amadeus Quartet

When World War II began, Nissel was held in a special camp on the Isle of Man. This was a common practice for people from enemy countries, even if they were refugees. While there, he met two other talented violinists, Peter Schidlof and Norbert Brainin. They spent a lot of time playing music together. Because they were such gifted musicians, they were later allowed to leave the camp. They went on to study with the famous violin teacher Max Rostal. It was there that they met a British cellist named Martin Lovett. Martin's wife was also a student of Rostal. The four musicians started playing string quartets together. Peter Schidlof switched to playing the viola for the group. At first, they called themselves the Brainin Quartet. But then, Nissel had a great idea for a new name: the Amadeus Quartet. "Amadeus" is one of Mozart's names.

The Amadeus Quartet's Success

The Amadeus Quartet, sometimes called "the Wolf Gang" by their friends, played their first concert in 1948. This was at the Wigmore Hall in London. The hall was completely full, and hundreds of people couldn't even get in! After this amazing first concert, they were invited to perform all over the world. They quickly became the most famous string quartet of their time. They made about 200 recordings of their music. The quartet was especially known for playing pieces by great classical composers. These included Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms. However, they also performed works by more modern composers from the 20th century. These included Bartók and Benjamin Britten. Britten even wrote his third quartet especially for them. Siegmund Nissel was also the person who managed all the business side of the group.

Later Life and Legacy

The Amadeus Quartet stopped performing when Peter Schidlof passed away in 1987. After this, Nissel became a well-known teacher. He taught young string quartets at the Royal Academy of Music. He helped many new musicians develop their skills. Siegmund Nissel lived to be 86 years old. He had a family, including a wife, a son, a daughter, and three grandchildren. He received many special honors during his life. These included an OBE in 1970. He also received honorary doctorates from York University and the Royal Academy of Music.

• Muriel Nissel, Married to the Amadeus: Life with a String Quartet, [[[International Standard Book Number|ISBN]]: 1-900357-12-7], Giles de la Mare Publishers Limited, 1998 (a book by Nissel's wife about her life with the Amadeus Quartet)

Siegmund Nissel - Obituary: The Independent, 26 May 2008