Luzern and Salzburg were the place to meet fascinating ladies of a certain age. At various concerts there over the years I met Frau Furtwängler, Frau Kripps, Frau Müller-Kray,

Frau Karajan, Frau Solti, and also Klemperer’s daughter Lotte. Lotte was always very kind to me. She came to our Beethoven Experience in London, when we gave a totally transformed performance of Beethoven 9. I was very fearful when she asked to come round at the end. but much to my relief she had absolutely loved it. I told her I had sung it under her dad, and surely she must have found it a bit shocking. No, she said, it restored her faith in modern music making! She used to phone or leave me a note at subsequent concerts. A real dear. I’m not sure the other ladies knew quite what on earth we were up to, though Eliette Karajan was always very friendly, and used to invite us to St Tropez (we never dared).

Ursula VW, Ralph’s widow, lived lived five minutes away, next door to my friend Jonathan Miller in Camden Town. She was always very welcoming, and used to come to some of my recording sessions of the symphonies with the LPO. A delightful lady.