A leisurely chat with cellist Daniel Rothmuller (part 1 of 2): the LA Phil’s former Associate Principal shares his stories, opinions, and post-retirement plans

September 25, 2012 3 Comments

If you’ve followed the Los Angeles Philharmonic at all during the past 40+ years, you’ve undoubtably seen Daniel Rothmuller.  He’s a tough guy to miss.

In concerts, not only did his role of Associate Principal Cello put him at the front of the stage, he had the habit of being the only gentleman to liven-up his black-and-white  concert formal wear with a splash of bright red.  After concerts, he was regularly seen holding court with friends and musical luminaries at the restaurant on the ground floor beneath the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (variously known throughout the years as Otto Rothschild’s, Otto’s, and now Kendall’s).

Even on video, Mr. Rothmuller tends to pop up seemingly more often than others.  Two examples:

  • In One Minute, Maestro, a 1984 documentary for Finnish TV,  there is the outspoken cellist remarking immediately after Esa-Pekka Salonen’s US debut with the LA Phil:  ”I always wait for the concert.  A lot of conductors, a lot of musicians — people can do things at rehearsals, but the only thing that really counts is the performance:  see how that comes off.  And that came off even better than I thought it would.”  He later adds, rather presciently, “I feel he will be, I think, a real star.  There’s no doubt about it.  I mean, he’s so good.” (You can view it HERE, on the “Celebrate Salonen” website, if you search for “1984″ and fast-forward the video to about 4:28.)
  • In Huell Howser’s behind-the-scenes look at the orchestra’s 1993 tour to the Lucerne Easter Festival (Switzerland), there he is again, this time being asked about how his assigned Stradivarius (aka “Cello Rothmuller”) gets its own frequent flyer miles.

That’s all about to change.

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RIP Kurt Sanderling

September 19, 2011 2 Comments

Kurt SanderlingKurt Sanderling, prominent conductor in Eastern Europe before and after World War II, principal conductor of the Berlin Symphony from 1960-1977, and later a frequent guest with major European and American orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, has died at the age of 98.  He was two days away from his 99th birthday.

During the interregnum between the music directorships of Andre Previn and Esa-Pekka Salonen, he took the LA Phil on a two-week tour of Europe.  The 1991 concerts were very well regarded, most particularly for Mr. Sanderling’s interpretation of Shostakovich.  At the end of the tour, the LA Phil’s Principal Trumpet, Thomas Stevens, told the Los Angeles Times:  “He is really a great presence and is totally in charge. He was thorough in his rehearsals, uncompromising. So in terms of preparation we were maybe in better shape than we have ever been.”

The Guardian states that:

The verdict of players in all the British orchestras he conducted, including the BBC Symphony, the BBC Philharmonic (or BBC Northern Symphony, as it then was), remained the same: a Sanderling concert was always an event, the conductor a rare figure to be respected – and permitted to talk at length about his point of view – by otherwise unimpressible musicians.

Finally, Mrs. CKDH remembers a story told by Jeffrey Reynolds, retired bass trombone of the LA Phil who frequently gave pre-concert lectures, about a rehearsal where Maestro Sanderling described the difference between Germans and Russians:

  • “When Germans are sad, Russians are very sad”
  • “When Germans are very sad, Russians are very very sad.”
  • “When Germans are very very sad, Russians are very very happy.”

Complete obituaries from:

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Photo credit:  Associated Press

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