Musique & Neige Anecdotes

The moment looks exceptional. The Catholic church (we played there too) is almost too full. The cashier is radiant. Espace 2 has installed its microphones, the concert is broadcasted live on l'Heure musicale. In the hall, the pianist Nikita Magaloff has come from Château-d'Oex in a Vespa 400. How did he manage to get into this tiny car and, above all, how did he get out of it?

At 5.05pm, the announcer announces: "Sorry, but the concert won't be taking place". The horror!

The Quartet then gave just one concert and disbanded.

The rehearsal is about to begin. The cellist has forgotten his mute.

Solange Lugrin goes immediately in search of a wooden clothespin.

Phew, the trick is done!

After the concert at the Lugrin's, the members of the Sextet enter the chalet. Ana Chumachenko sees the instruments in the living room.

- You're going to play us something!

Faced with these great performers, we are not going to make fools of ourselves.

At the end of the meal, Ana insists. Marcello Fagioni is at the piano, Thierry Waelli at the saxophone, Jean Lugrin at the drums, Wolfgang Melhorn, the cellist, takes the double bass and Oscar Lysy has taken his viola.

As we leave, Ana takes our hands: Thank you for the music! To cry...

The English chapel has no dressing rooms. After the rehearsal, the musicians change in the hall. The photographer enters just as the musicians are bare-chested. The pianist quickly puts on his bow tie and settles at the piano. The moment is immortalized!

After-concert at the Lugrin's, as usual. Thierry Waelli's spaghetti is excellent. Electricity failure! We light a candle. Paul Coker rushes to the old Steinway and plays ... the Moonlight Sonata!

The English chapel is crowded; the members of the trio are settled. We can hear noises coming from the ice rink. The musicians are waiting and Raphaël Oleg announces: - I would still like to know who is going to score the goal!

A few concerts earlier, another pianist was grumbling (very rare in MN!), the piano didn't fit and was out of tune. The instrument's supplier had warned us beforehand. She came in wearing a horrible red dress and played very badly. On the other hand, Mihaela, a few sizes up, asked, at the end of her rehearsal, if there was somewhere she could retire to.

- Poor thing, there is only one other room, it is the boiler room and there is just a stool.

- It is perfect! she retorted. Mihaela played very well.

For the thirty years of the Festival, a Great Friend offered a fireworks display. The concert took place at the Maison des Congrès.

A lady asked: - in case of bad weather, how will it work?

- We'll have the fireworks inside the hall!

At this concert, we notice a listener who has a birthmark on his scalp, the same as a certain Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev. It's not a look-alike, it's him!

A few concerts later, a man is sitting in the front row of the gallery. My English-speaking neighbor said to me: - he looks like Keanu Reeves. But no, Dear Madam, it's really him! Yes...

Sir Peter has difficulties to move. He is supported by Thierry Waelli. They enter the temple by the side door; Sir Peter sits on the bench of the first row and during a moment, he plays the organ. Physically affected, but his head is fine!

One hundred and fifty characters migrate in four cars completely rebuilt by PWC volunteers. Some visitors leave with tears in their eyes!

Werner Güra, a great tenor but absent-minded, forgot his suspenders. It's the president who has to hold his own pants in his hand - fortunately, not during the concert!

Tonight is the last concert of the European tour. The Ladies of Song are welcomed to Aigle by members of the committee. The "Chez Rose" lounge car has already been assembled in Les Diablerets; the TPC want to be sure that it will be warm enough. How thoughtful! A snack is served to the ladies by a justice of the peace and a judge from the Court of Human Rights. Did they notice? It snowed all night, now the sky is blue - what a sight!

Arrived near the House of Congress, big fights in the snow. Fastest way to make blacks, all white! This is not valid for the musical notes...

Before entering the temple, Brigitte says to Gerard, squinting: - if I do like that, it is that I do not know any more where I am!

During a piano recital in the temple, all seats on the left are reserved.

A lady insists; she wants to see the pianist's hands.

- Listen Madam, the pianist plays on a left-handed piano!

Among others, two men are tap dancing. They are only world champions: the Surbeck brothers!

Gérard Wyss, pianist, brings us two promising young musicians: Patricia Kopachinskaya, violinist and Sol Gabetta, cellist.

While the latter is extremely affectionate, the former is dressed in a beautiful red dress, but the shoes are admittedly unsuitable. We only find out later that Patricia always plays barefoot!

It's a sunny Saturday. The four musicians arrive from Paris: - It's a dream! The two violinists want to go cross-country skiing. Ouch, it's their first time! Hired equipment, Solange Wacker does the loop with them. A lot of laughter, despite a few fortunately harmless falls: - If we didn't have a concert tonight, we'd do a loop again!

It's well worth an exhibition, especially since both author Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz and composer Igor Stravinsky spent time in Les Diablerets; the latter composed on the workbench of the carpenter who rented him the chalet.

For the exhibition, we had to meet Ramuz's daughter. An appointment was made, and she received us in jeans and lipstick. Not all ladies in their nineties are so coquettish!

- My cleaning lady is here; I am obliged to receive you in my father's office.

What a discovery. You have the feeling that the author of our history has just gone out for a cigarette and is about to reappear. No, without his black cape, because it's hanging from a nail on the desk! We have just learned that this office will remain in the Maison de la Muette in Pully.

At the end of the concerts, we don't offer bouquets of flowers to clutter up the luggage, but a jar of local honey ... or Bitter Diablerets!