Michael Rainer

 


A true gentleman and lovely person, the French agent Michael Rainer was very kind to me and we worked together very well. His father had been an agent before him. During the war he was in the Rainer office in New York and joined the army there. At the liberation of Paris he parachuted into France and was able to be re-united with his parents. He represented many great artists including Rubinstein, Serkin, Van Cliburn, Karajan, the Stern Istomin Rose trio, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Birgit Nilsson, Joan Sutherland etc. One of his great strengths was his minute reading of every contract - something I cannot be accused of.

At the end of his career he wanted me to take over the general management of Sylvain Cambreling which I was happy to do. I never managed to establish the same kind of relationship with Cambreling. How could I? Michael had represented him from the start of his career and was a kind of father figure to him. We had a couple of years collaboration only. When it came to an end, I must say Sylvain behaved impeccably in terms of honouring outstanding contracts which is not always the case in these circumstances.

I remember Michael with affection and hasten to pay tribute to him in these pages. A true gentleman of the old school. One of the few big agents who was also kind and friendly. He was married to Lena (formerly a singer) who met a sad end. Michael did not survive her for long. they had no children. His artists were his family. He made me feel as if I was also personally connected to him and his wife.

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