Wagner and Stockhausen

 

 

A colleague, Neil Dalrymple became the executor for Friedelind Wagner. I knew Friedelind a bit. She was adorable. Poor thing had exactly the head of her grandfather but was a totally different personality of course. She used to pepper her conversation with Yiddish for a start. She wanted to build a sort of Bayreuth for contemporary music on Teeside where she and her (femail) companion lived. She asked me to arrange a meeting with Stockhausen to see if he would help.

The story of their meeting in my house in London is a bit painful. Stockhausen behaved really badly, not looking at her but doodling on a piece of paper all the while she was speaking. I think he even may have made some disapproving remarks from time to time. I felt so sorry for Friedelind.

However, when the time came to depart, he presented the by then rather complicated doodle to Friedelind as a present. I think he had meant to do that all along and that it had been done for her.

You have to remember that with a self-image such as his, he would have regarded this gift as something extremely valuable. Sadly I don't think the doodle has survived among Friedelind's papers.

The other impression I had of the meeting was that Stockhausen was 'punishing' Friedelind as he would have liked to 'punish' her grandfather. Frequent comparisons with Wagner were not welcome. He said Wagner drew together historical strands but he, Stockhausen broke with the past and created something really new.

Later I was sent the following Friedelind memo by Neil Dalrymple;

I had an unbelievable meeting with Stockhausen the other night. He doodled all the time and signed  it for me at the the end - quite a souvenir, believe me... He did an all Stockhausen concert, a bit to much of the same, but much of it very fascinating. I hope that he will do something with us up in Teesside and he seems very game to do so.

Apparently she once referred to me (in writing) as a 'Prachtmensch und Schatz' which I treasure.