Klemperer and Fischer-Dieskau
Dontait...@aol.com
recording of Bach's St. Matthew Passion reminded me of a story told by
Daniel Barenboim. I gather that he heard it from people who were at
the recording sessions. I think it's a great example of Klemperer's
mordant wit.
He and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (whom Klemperer called "Herr
Fieskau," which might have annoyed the singer) could not agree about
how one of the major arias should go. Neither would give way. So
recording it kept being put off (there were many recording sessions).
One day Fischer-Dieskau said, "Doctor Klemperer! Last night God came
to me in a dream. He said my way with the aria is the right way!"
Klemperer did not react at all. Nothing. Not a word, not even a
look. Silence.
The next day, out of the blue, Klemperer suddenly said "Herr
Fieskau! Last night, God came to ME in a dream.
*He's never heard of you!*"
Don Tait
Matthew B. Tepper
Wasn't it Artur Rodzinski who claimed to make decisions based on his personal
conversations with God?
--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
My personal home page -- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/index.html
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Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of my employers
M. A.
>
> He and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (whom Klemperer called "Herr
> Fieskau," which might have annoyed the singer) could not agree about
> how one of the major arias should go. Neither would give way. So
> recording it kept being put off (there were many recording sessions).
> One day Fischer-Dieskau said, "Doctor Klemperer! Last night God came
> to me in a dream. He said my way with the aria is the right way!"
>
> Klemperer did not react at all. Nothing. Not a word, not even a
> look. Silence.
>
> The next day, out of the blue, Klemperer suddenly said "Herr
> Fieskau! Last night, God came to ME in a dream.
> *He's never heard of you!*"
A funny story, thank you.
By the way, "fies" is the German word for "nasty", which may be the reason
for Klemperer's pun on Dieskau's name and the latters possible reaction to
that...
M. A.
Dontait...@aol.com
> Your Klemp and Fi-Di story made me laugh out loud!
>
> Wasn't it Artur Rodzinski who claimed to make decisions based on his personal
> conversations with God?
Glad you liked the Klemperer/F-D story!
Yes, I gather that Rodzinski did what you wrote. Did I ever post
here the story that Robert Marsh (a Rodzinski buddy) told about
Rodzinski firing NYPSO members in 1943 and what God told Rodzinski?
Plus Arthur Judson? I might have, but I'll repeat it if requested.
Don Tait
scott...@gmail.com
The way I've read that story in a couple of spots was that it was
during the Matthew Passion recording, and that F-D had been urged by
some of the other singers to speak to Klemperer about the slow tempos.
It also had Klemperer referring to him as "Fischer."
Dontait...@aol.com
wrote:
That could be correct. What I related is how Daniel Barenboim tells
it.
Don Tait
Bob Harper
that a tempo was really slow, Klemperer replied, "You will get used to
it." Perhaps his interlocutor was F-D.
Bob Harper
Paul Goldstein
says...
t
>IIRC, it was during the recording of the SMP that, to the observtion
>that a tempo was really slow, Klemperer replied, "You will get used to
>it." Perhaps his interlocutor was F-D.
Maybe that's a line Klemp used more than once? I remember reading that he said
that to Walter Legge when the latter questioned his tempo in the Dvorak New
World Symphony.
m babb
ecital -Schubert?
No
Schumann?
No
Well then what?
Brahms!
There's no necessity for that
- replied Klemperer
Malcolm Babb
"Paul Goldstein" <pgol...@newsguy.com> wrote in message
news:ghcl9...@drn.newsguy.com...
3Bs
stories about Klemperer.
My favorite is the Mary Poppins one, although I can only find a brief
retelling in this group, straight from Grubb's book, it would appear.
I swear there was a longer version someplace else (either that or I
have really puffed it up because I've retold it so many times.)
I also dream of a "32 Short Films About Otto Klemperer".
Neil
> recording of Bach's St. Matthew Passion
Don Tait of WFMT fame? -- the station that introduced me to
Klemperer's magic on the morning program --
Brahms Symphony 1 Movement 3, particularly the oboe solo
Bach St. Matthew Passion Final Chorus
Thanks for the anecdotes
Neil Miller, author: The Piano Lessons Book & Piano Classics Analyzed
Methods and theory for confident memorized performances.
To buy, or view pages, search at Amazon.com and books.google.com –
Neil Miller Piano Lessons Book or Neil Miller Piano Analyzed
Matthew B. Tepper
typed in news:5c3eaf25-98de-4fb7-b0a7-84323f455304
@j39g2000yqn.googlegroups.com:
> The thing that is most missing from the Web is a site devoted to
> stories about Klemperer.
That could be good, but I'd really like such a site for Beecham.
> My favorite is the Mary Poppins one, although I can only find a brief
> retelling in this group, straight from Grubb's book, it would appear.
> I swear there was a longer version someplace else (either that or I
> have really puffed it up because I've retold it so many times.)
>
> I also dream of a "32 Short Films About Otto Klemperer".
No no; "32 Long Films About Otto Klemperer."
Matthew B. Tepper
letters to be typed in news:8Dj_k.316679$4p1.166846@en-nntp-
09.dc1.easynews.com:
> IIRC, it was during the recording of the SMP that, to the observtion
> that a tempo was really slow, Klemperer replied, "You will get used to
> it." Perhaps his interlocutor was F-D.
I thought it was "You vill get used to it," and that he said it to Legge.
Recovered Reviewer
"3Bs" <three...@aol.com> wrote
There's a 1980 compilation by Charles Osborne of Klemperer racconti, now out
of print of course. The great disadvantage of this is that unless your local
library has a copy, you have to pay actual money to acquire it. Tepper
wouldn't like that, I dunno about you...
and no, I don't have one for sale.
--
John Wiser
Jicotea Used Books
Howells NY 10932 0136 USA
cee...@frontiernet.net
http://www.amazon.com/shops/ceeclef
grobbe...@gmail.com
wrote:
> "3Bs" <threebs...@aol.com> wrote
>
> > The thing that is most missing from the Web is a site devoted to
> > stories about Klemperer.
>
> > My favorite is the Mary Poppins one, although I can only find a brief
> > retelling in this group, straight from Grubb's book, it would appear.
> > I swear there was a longer version someplace else (either that or I
> > have really puffed it up because I've retold it so many times.)
>
> > I also dream of a "32 Short Films About Otto Klemperer".
>
> There's a 1980 compilation by Charles Osborne of Klemperer racconti, now out
> of print of course. The great disadvantage of this is that unless your local
> library has a copy, you have to pay actual money to acquire it. Tepper
> wouldn't like that, I dunno about you...
> and no, I don't have one for sale.
The one Klemperer story I remember came from George Solti’s
autobiography. Solti wrote that he once visited Klemp in his hotel
suite in Budapest where after the war, Klemp was Music Director. Solti
relates that when he entered Klemperer’s room, he found Otto lying on
the sofa half naked and “with lipstick marks all over his body.”
Klemp seemed nonchalant and said to Solti “I hear you like Toscanini?’
Solti said “Yes, I do,” then Klemp said “What sort of family life must
Toscanini lead? His wife stays here in Europe while he works in New
York –how terrible!”
Dil.
William Sommerwerck
> now out of print of course. The great disadvantage of this is that unless
> your local library has a copy, you have to pay actual money to acquire it.
> Tepper wouldn't like that, I dunno about you... and no, I don't have one
for
> sale.
How about just posting the story? That's "fair use", and I don't think John
Atkinson will object.
The one Klemperer story I remember came from George Solti’s
autobiography. Solti wrote that he once visited Klemp in his hotel
suite in Budapest where after the war, Klemp was Music Director. Solti
relates that when he entered Klemperer’s room, he found Otto lying on
the sofa half naked and “with lipstick marks all over his body.”
Klemp seemed nonchalant and said to Solti “I hear you like Toscanini?’
Solti said “Yes, I do,” then Klemp said “What sort of family life must
Toscanini lead? His wife stays here in Europe while he works in New
York – how terrible!”
Is this supposed to imply that Mrs. Toscanini had visited Klemperer’s room
for a lipstick-laced assignation?
grobbe...@gmail.com
wrote:
No, I don't believe that was the implication.
Dil.
Nils-Eivind Naas
No, it was the fourth movement of Beethoven's 6th symphony, and the
producer was Suvi Raj Grubb. He told the story in a short interview
in The Gramophone.
--
nen
Matthew B. Tepper
following letters to be typed in news:ghdujq$jmh$1...@news.motzarella.org:
grobbe...@gmail.com said in news:1ad17439-4f1e-49f6-9aca-
93dfcc...@w35g2000yqm.googlegroups.com:
>
>> The one Klemperer story I remember came from George Solti’s autobiography.
>> Solti wrote that he once visited Klemp in his hotel suite in Budapest
>> where after the war, Klemp was Music Director. Solti relates that when he
>> entered Klemperer’s room, he found Otto lying on the sofa half naked and
>> “with lipstick marks all over his body.” Klemp seemed nonchalant and said
>> to Solti “I hear you like Toscanini?’ Solti said “Yes, I do,” then Klemp
>> said “What sort of family life must Toscanini lead? His wife stays here in
>> Europe while he works in New York – how terrible!”
>
> Is this supposed to imply that Mrs. Toscanini had visited Klemperer’s room
> for a lipstick-laced assignation?
No; Toscanini had affairs with his friends' wives, while Klemperer frequented
prostitutes. I'm surprised you weren't aware of this distinction.
Bob Harper
Bob Harper
William Sommerwerck
>> Klemperer’s room for a lipstick-laced assignation?
> No; Toscanini had affairs with his friends' wives, while
> Klemperer frequented prostitutes.
Must have been "channeling" Brahms.
> I'm surprised you weren't aware of this distinction.
I didn't know much of their sex lives, one way or another. The people whose
sex lives I want to know about -- Harry Partch, William Malloch, the
Count -- have had little, if anything written about them.
Matthew B. Tepper
How about Henry Cowell?
William Sommerwerck
>>>> Klemperer’s room for a lipstick-laced assignation?
>>> No; Toscanini had affairs with his friends' wives, while
>>> Klemperer frequented prostitutes.
>> Must have been "channeling" Brahms.
>>> I'm surprised you weren't aware of this distinction.
>> I didn't know much of their sex lives, one way or another. The people
>> whose sex lives I want to know about -- Harry Partch, William Malloch,
>> the Count -- have had little, if anything written about them.
> How about Henry Cowell?
Nah. Partch, the Count, and Malloch were all eye candy, the latter being an
especially spectacular example of thickly bearded Saturnine hippie-bear.
Woof cubed. (Talented guy, too.)
Matthew B. Tepper
I'll have to take your word for it.