Steven Isserlis

It is so sad that I’ve been compelled to write so many farewells within the last 12 months –mostly unrelated to the virus. And now another one – to the loveable, warm-hearted, indomitable Wolfgang Boettcher, for many years principal cellist in the Berlin Philharmonic and the Brandis Quartet, an important teacher as well as solo and chamber performer.

It was in the latter category that I got to know him, when I was booked to play a series of Schubert quintet performances with the Brandis Quartet when I was in my 20s. I went first to Berlin to rehearse; with typical generosity Wolfgang and his similarly warm-hearted wife Regina invited me to stay in their house. It was a lively household, full of children and music; the whole family was so welcoming and friendly! Berlin (I remember Wolfgang showing me, with great pride, his wonderful music library.) Wolfgang was by nature fatherly, and insisted on looking after me both in Berlin and during the subsequent tour. He dubbed me ‘the Cello Beatle’, and was always giving me wise advice, musical and otherwise. (Once, he got very worried when I went out walking in the rain – which came quite naturally to me as an Englishman, of course. ‘Steven, I am like a father to you. You must wrap up better!’ he advised me earnestly.) Playing with him was marvellous too, of course. Can one play those two-cello passages in the Schubert quintet with someone one doesn’t like? I doubt it. Anyway, that was certainly not an issue here: Wolfgang’s innate warmth of heart came through every note he played. And he loved to play! Rehearsing with him was great fun; for some reason, I keep remembering a moment in the last movement: whenever we reached a certain chord, he would invariably call out ‘Tristan!’ his face wreathed in smiles. He was so enthusiastic about everything! Irresistibly charming – and utterly genuine.

As the years went by, I would occasionally see him, to my invariable delight, in Berlin; but alas our contact was less and less frequent, as happens all too often. Just a few months ago, however, I met, by complete coincidence, his godson Tom Pause. We talked of our mutual fondness for Wolfgang; and then, at the end of January, Tom wrote – and I’m immensely grateful for this – suggesting that I call Wolfgang for his birthday, and sending me the number. I did – and it was wonderful! We had a lovely reunion on the phone. I knew that there had been tragedy in his life, and also that he’d had health problems recently; but he sounded exactly the same as ever. I asked him if he was still playing; he replied that he was having balance problems since a recent operation – but that since he played sitting down, it was no problem for his cello-playing! Not a trace of self-pity – on the contrary, I felt all the former smiling, positive energy in his voice, quite undimmed. I put down the phone feeling uplifted, enriched.

And now, just a few weeks later, he’s gone; hard to take in. But I feel so grateful to have known such a special, deeply good man.