‘My 1710 Stradivarius had done a somersault through the air’
Celebrated German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter says she ‘shrieked’ when a rehearsal accident sent her precious violin flying.
The one thing I need in my dressing room backstage is ... bananas.Usually after a tour I’m almost allergic to bananas because I eat so many. They are high in vitamins and sugars, which gives you an energy boost.
My most frightening moment on stage was ...with former Sydney Symphony Orchestra principal conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy in a rehearsal. By accident he hit my left hand while he was conducting and my 1710 Stradivarius propelled out of my hand. It was like it was in slow motion and I shrieked. I played the concert with mixed feelings because I didn’t know how broken the instrument was. The violin didn’t sound great after that and I was very concerned so I flew directly from Sydney to Paris to see my instrument guru. It turned out there was a tiny little scratch on the surface. The violin had done a somersault and landed on its side, which saved its life. I have been living with that fiddle for 40 years this year.
The strangest letters I have received from fans ... are from people who thought we were actually engaged and should get married and things like that. So it’s always really uncomfortable (laughs) letting them know that, sadly, we are not on the same page here.
Joining the SSO to perform John Williams’s Violin Concerto No. 2, which he wrote especially for me is ... really a dream come true. Because don’t we all know John Williams since we were basically breathing? I got to know his film music in the late ’70s through Star Wars. I would never dare to dream that, first of all, I would meet the man, and second of all, that he would write so many pieces for me.
My view of getting married for a third time would be ...that it’s not for me. Marriage can be wonderful. But I think that you can have a wonderful life with a companion without having all the bureaucracy – and with the Catholic Church having shown us that it’s such a flawed system. I’m not Catholic, but for me being married would encompass going to church and doing the full ceremony. I am rather let down by the official religious system; not by religion itself, but by how it is represented on this planet. I think one can have a happy life without all the added extra paperwork.
The one thing I’ve learned about dealing with grief (her first husband and father of her children, Detlef Wunderlich, died of cancer in 1995) is ... that life is also about grief and loss and illness and death, and it’s going to come for us and for our loved ones. There is no reason why we should feel “why me?” It’s going to happen anyhow. Most important is to know that other people suffer too, and that better times will come eventually.
Life at six was ... growing up at the foot of the Black Forest (an area of southwest Germany) among animals, trees, meadows. Beautiful nature is still my source of energy and joy. At that age, I found this little wooden box with which life seemed to be wonderful. I also could connect through the violin with other people and could feel how we all in the same room would have the same emotions. I thought it was just totally magical.
Life at 16 was ...like all the teenagers, broken hearts and being insecure. I was turning into a young woman and feeling not very settled in my skin. I was always a tomboy growing up with older brothers. I think the first time I went to a hairdresser was in my 20s. I suddenly realised I’m supposed to be a young woman but I’d rather go fighting in the forest and fishing. Music helped me find an island where I could have fun and find answers, while connecting with other people.
Life at 60 is ... being very excited to connect with Iranian composers, female composers, and trying (to use) contemporary music to bring different aspects of life – and whatever that means in a certain country – to the public’s attention. I think contemporary music is a great vehicle for understanding belief systems and what it means to be an artist in certain circumstances, let’s say in countries where democracy is not reigning. The older I get, the more grateful I am for living in a democracy. I have given a commission to a young Iranian female composer (which is soon to be announced) who lives in the Netherlands.
I am looking to retire from performing as a violinist ... certainly within the next 10 years, if not beforehand!
Simone Young will conduct Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Music of John Williams: Cinematic Favourites at the Sydney Opera House, November 9-11.
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