In Memoriam
Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2006 6:32 am
Copied from http://www.cpn.help.org, where I posted it on Friday:
The 'cellist Jacqueline du Pré died in October 19th 1987. She was born in January 1945, so was only 42. I remember reading a biography maybe just three years before this, at about the same time as I first showed signs of having multiple sclerosisi myself, the disease which caused her premature death. She married Daniel Barenboim, the pianist and conductor in 1967, in Jerusalem, in the aftermath of the six days war, so not the best of times. She went on to make several recordings with the self-styled "Jewish Musical Mafia": Barenboim, Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman and Zubin Mehta, but in 1973 she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and her playing very rapidly came to an end. Her first symptoms were just lack of sensitivity of the finger tips, but fourteen years later, she was dead. Elgar, to me, is not the most memorable of composers, except for one piece, the cello concerto, and Jacqueline's rendition of it has never been bettered. Even before her death it would bring tears to my eyes, now I just can't bear to listen to it. Perhaps one day I will be able to.
I have a 'cello myself, bought by David when we married because I don't like wearing rings. It is a beautiful old English 'cello which has been much repaired but has a rich, lustrous golden brown oil varnish. I was still only learning when my hand gave out. Now I can play for a little while, my arms are strong enough again for a while, but I can't quite hold the bow properly. Now, I guess if I was willing to practise for hours and hours I would eventually be able to, but I prefer to paint. I am never going to be a brilliant 'cellist but I'm not a bad artist, and am able to make money with it, so most of the time the 'cello sits in its case in a corner of my studio.
Yesterday as well as being the nineteenth anniversary of Jacqueline's death, we heard on the BBC evening news that a man had been given thankfully only a suspended sentence for assisting in the suicide of his dreadfully disabled wife who was 59, in a wheelchair and needed everything doing for her. She had previously tried to kill herself several times. She was suffering from multiple sclerosis. Whilst 42 is nothing like the normal age that most people with MSi are expected to live to, according to certain sites, neither is 59. Both women were extremely well looked after and cared for, they wanted for nothing except their health.
Sarah
The 'cellist Jacqueline du Pré died in October 19th 1987. She was born in January 1945, so was only 42. I remember reading a biography maybe just three years before this, at about the same time as I first showed signs of having multiple sclerosisi myself, the disease which caused her premature death. She married Daniel Barenboim, the pianist and conductor in 1967, in Jerusalem, in the aftermath of the six days war, so not the best of times. She went on to make several recordings with the self-styled "Jewish Musical Mafia": Barenboim, Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman and Zubin Mehta, but in 1973 she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and her playing very rapidly came to an end. Her first symptoms were just lack of sensitivity of the finger tips, but fourteen years later, she was dead. Elgar, to me, is not the most memorable of composers, except for one piece, the cello concerto, and Jacqueline's rendition of it has never been bettered. Even before her death it would bring tears to my eyes, now I just can't bear to listen to it. Perhaps one day I will be able to.
I have a 'cello myself, bought by David when we married because I don't like wearing rings. It is a beautiful old English 'cello which has been much repaired but has a rich, lustrous golden brown oil varnish. I was still only learning when my hand gave out. Now I can play for a little while, my arms are strong enough again for a while, but I can't quite hold the bow properly. Now, I guess if I was willing to practise for hours and hours I would eventually be able to, but I prefer to paint. I am never going to be a brilliant 'cellist but I'm not a bad artist, and am able to make money with it, so most of the time the 'cello sits in its case in a corner of my studio.
Yesterday as well as being the nineteenth anniversary of Jacqueline's death, we heard on the BBC evening news that a man had been given thankfully only a suspended sentence for assisting in the suicide of his dreadfully disabled wife who was 59, in a wheelchair and needed everything doing for her. She had previously tried to kill herself several times. She was suffering from multiple sclerosis. Whilst 42 is nothing like the normal age that most people with MSi are expected to live to, according to certain sites, neither is 59. Both women were extremely well looked after and cared for, they wanted for nothing except their health.
Sarah