During the 70s and 80s it was quite a feat to fit in the competing demands of Kent Opera and the Schütz Choir. The typical day looked like: 7-9 study; 10-1 opera rehearsals; 2-5 opera again; 7-10 study and planning.

On one famous occasion, for the Bach John Passion, I took 4 rehearsals in one day: 10-1, 2-5, 6-9, and 9-midnight. A little on the heavy side.

At the peak of my career (say 2000-2015) I was working 26-28 weeks a year. That’s every other week away, and 50-60 flights a year. It normally involved around 70-75 different works to learn, revise, or memorise, which of course was what went on during the home weeks. The weeks were apportioned roughly as follows: Stuttgart 12, Camerata 4, Guesting 10, Teaching 2.

26 weeks a year at home doesn’t sound too bad, and Nalderhill was a wonderful place to relax in. But we didn’t do a great deal of socialising, and the planning of building and garden works took a good bit of time.

Four months of Sundays in late 2001 gives an idea of fairly ceaseless movement:

Wiesbaden, Ghent, Wiesloch, Linz, Paris, London, Salzburg, Malaga, Stuttgart, Home, Sapporo, Tokyo, Home, Rome, Paris, Stuttgart.

An example of repertoire for one Season (2001/2)

(72 works)

Beethoven Symphonies 1,2,3,5,6,8,9

                   Overtures to Egmont and Leonore 1,2,3

                   Mass in C

Piano Concertos 2 and 3

Berlioz Fantastique

Britten Matinées Musicales

Brahms 1

Bruckner 6

Eder Viola Concerto

Elgar 1

Handel Fireworks, and an Organ Concerto

Haydn 103

Liszt Faust Symphony, Totentanz

Mahler 1, Blumine, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen

Maw Violin Concerto

Mendelssohn 4,5, Violin Concerto

Mozart 25, 38,39,40,41, 3 Ouverture Symphonies,      Concertos for Flute, Oboe and Bassoon,  Requiem,Gran Partita, Posthorn Serenade, Magic Flute and Titus Overtures, Mauerische Trauermusik, Piano Concerto K453

Prokoviev ViolinConcerto

Schönberg Verklärte Nacht

Schubert 3,6,8, Rosamunde, Orchestrated Lieder

Schumann 2, Overture Scherzo and Finale

Strauss Metamorphosen

Tchaikovsky 5,6, Violin Concerto, Rococò Variations, Mozartiana

Vaughan Williams 3,5

Wagner Wesendonck Lieder

Walton Facade, Violin Concerto

Weber Oberon Overture

The story of one crazy week is told in the Vienna Philharmonic chapter.

SUM UP

70 concerts a year was the average.

70-75 works each year.

Around 4,000 concerts in a 60-year career.

My whole repertoire was approximately 300 works.