Obituary: cellist Bruno Schrecker

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The distinguished cellist Bruno Schrecker,  best known for his three decades as a member of the Allegri Quartet, died on 23 August, four days short of his 98th birthday.

Born in Frankfurt, Germany, on 27 August 1928, Schrecker came to Britain as a child after his family fled the Nazi regime. A late starter to learning the cello, he nevertheless won a place at the Royal College of Music, graduating with Ernest Bloch’s Schelomo as his concerto choice. After early work with the Peter Gibbs Quartet, he turned down an invitation to join the newly formed Allegri Quartet in order to study with Pablo Casals in Prades on a French government scholarship. There he became one of the great cellist’s later pupils, absorbing not just his musical insights but also his humanitarian outlook.

Schrecker later played in the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra under Szymon Goldberg, sharing a desk with the Dutch cellist Anner Bylsma (who was to become a leading exponent of the period performance movement), before returning to London for a varied career as recitalist, chamber musician and broadcaster. In 1967 he finally joined the Allegri Quartet, succeeding William Pleeth,  remaining with the ensemble until 1998. During his 31 years with the quartet he performed internationally and contributed to acclaimed recordings including the Schubert quartets and Elgar’s Piano Quintet, with the British pianist John Ogdon. He also worked directly with Benjamin Britten to prepare for the Allegri’s recordings of the composer’s First and Second String Quartets.

In 1971, Schreker founded the Llanfyllin Music Festival in Powys, Wales. He was also a guest coach at Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester. He is remembered as a respected teacher and coach whose warmth and musicianship influenced generations of string players.