[Violinists & Cellists] Stern, Isaac. (1920-2001)
Signed Letter Declining to Perform in Germany
TLS from the masterful violinist. 1 page, letterhead of the Israel Philharmonic. July 31, 1967. To Dirk Nabering of the Gustav-Mahler-Gesellschaft in Berlin, stating that "As you may know I have not played in Germany for obvious and personal reasons. There has been no change in my attitude about this and therefore I cannot accept your invitiation." Two-hole punch along left edge, else fine and sold together with the original envelope.In explaining why he could not bring himself to perform in Germany, Stern later wrote how, when he played, "I am engaging in a dialogue between myself and my listeners. It's as if I'm making love to the audience. . . My visceral memories of that dreadful, inhuman Nazi period make it impossible for me to talk to and make love to audiences of Germans.” He called it “my personal burden.” Stern did lead nine days of master classes in Cologne, in 1999, but he never performed publicly in Germany. (12167)
TLS Classical Music