Ten years ago, a friend of mine working at the Sydney Symphony Orchestra called with a thrilling tale involving the great German violinist, Anne-Sophie Mutter. On the first day of her first-ever visit to Australia, mid-rehearsal on Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Ms. Mutter had stepped unwittingly into the path of a wild gesticulation from over-excited chief conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy. Wedging his errant baton into the body of her violin, Ashkenazy tore the instrument from Ms. Mutter’s hands, sending it spiraling toward the floor of the Sydney Opera House.
The Stradivarius and the Free Market
The Stradivarius and the Free Market
The Stradivarius and the Free Market
Ten years ago, a friend of mine working at the Sydney Symphony Orchestra called with a thrilling tale involving the great German violinist, Anne-Sophie Mutter. On the first day of her first-ever visit to Australia, mid-rehearsal on Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Ms. Mutter had stepped unwittingly into the path of a wild gesticulation from over-excited chief conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy. Wedging his errant baton into the body of her violin, Ashkenazy tore the instrument from Ms. Mutter’s hands, sending it spiraling toward the floor of the Sydney Opera House.