We asked Christoph Müller to share some of his funniest memories, and he was generous with his anecdotes. Here are the most memorable ones:
When I was starting out, a famous artist's agent wanted to convince me to invite his mediocre orchestra to Gstaad. After ...
We asked Christoph Müller to share some of his funniest memories, and he was generous with his anecdotes. Here are the most memorable ones:
When I was starting out, a famous artist's agent wanted to convince me to invite his mediocre orchestra to Gstaad. After I politely declined, he came back with another offer: he proposed hiring me as the solo cellist for Penderecki's Concerto for 3 Cellos, alongside Rostropovich and Micha Maisky! I burst out laughing, as much as I was appalled by this blatant attempt at bribery.
In 24 editions, we have only had to cancel one concert, and that was due to a storm. Amidst the chaos, we spontaneously organised a concert with the Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra in the Palace’s Baccarat Room for the evening's sponsor, enabling him to delight his guests!
Two days before his recital, a very famous tenor broke his big toe while playing football with his son. It took some effort to convince him, but he finally agreed to sing. However, he had to go on stage with a plaster cast and crutches. But he didn't want the audience to know that he had broken his big toe. So, we gave no explanation for the fact that when he wasn't singing, he sat down and raised his feet... which was unusual for the audience, to say the least. Some thought it was a staged performance, others looked on in horror at the sight of him sitting casually with his legs in the air... a real tragicomedy!
We organised several concerts at the mountain resort of Les Diablerets, which is located at an altitude of over 3,000 meters, usually followed by a fondue. During one recital, a famous singer was performing Gershwin songs when, in the middle of her set, she felt unwell and asked me to take a break. Shortly afterwards, she even briefly lost consciousness backstage! In fact, due to the altitude, she was suffering from a lack of oxygen. Fortunately, the hut warden had a respirator and was able to pump air into her lungs, allowing her to finish her concert with flying colours!
Negotiations with stars regarding their hotel room preferences, the number of accompanying persons, and the desired number of hotel stars were frequently arduous. In contrast, I think back with amusement to the renowned Wagnerian singer Klaus Florian Vogt, who arrived in a camper van and asked for nothing more than a place on the Saanen campsite…
By Saskia von Altishofen
