The acclaimed cellist Steven Isserlis was born in London in 1958 to musical parents. His grandfather was a Russian composer and pianist; one sister is a viola player, the other a violinist. In addition to his many recordings and performances, Isserlis is the author of children’s books, including Why Beethoven Threw the Stew and Why Handel Waggled His Wig. He will be appearing at the Harrogate international festival on 14 July and at the BBC Proms on 15 August. His latest book, Robert Schumann’s Advice to Young Musicians: Revisited by Steven Isserlis, will be published by Faber in September.
1 | Film
I went with my girlfriend on a whim and loved it – I laughed almost all the way through. It was charming and clever. I liked the characterisation, the witty lines. I suppose it was a bit like an 18th-century Dallas, in that the main character seemed to be able to get all the other characters to do exactly what she wanted without them realising it, which reminded me of JR – although the language was a little different. It was a delightful film, and it’s one we came out of with big smiles.
2 | Theatre
This was recommended to me by the outgoing chairman of the National Theatre, and it’s one of the best productions I’ve seen there: it was powerful and very gripping. It’s set in Africa, and it’s about the effects of colonialism and its demise. Nice to see a cello on stage as well, in the middle of Africa – it’s there to represent something [a character you never see], and it was thought-provoking.
3 | Music
Kirill Gerstein playing Tchaikovsky at the Proms
My friend Kirill Gerstein is playing [on 7 August] what has turned out to be the authentic version of the famous Tchaikovsky first piano concerto, which is so much nicer than the version everybody plays. He found that the version we’ve been playing is wrong: somebody made an addition that wasn’t necessarily approved by Tchaikovsky, but it became the standard edition. Funnily enough there’s a wrong version of a cello piece by Tchaikovsky too, and people were playing it for many years. Kirill is a super-intelligent, serious musician, and he’s a master at the piano. I’m looking forward to hearing the piece live.
4 | Nonfiction
My Guardian Demon: Letters of André Tchaikowsky and Halina Janowska
This is an amazing book made up of letters between the Polish pianist André Tchaikowsky and a friend, Halina Janowska. It’s not all about music; it’s more about their relationship. Tchaikowsky was gay, and Janowska was madly in love with him, even though she married twice during the course of their correspondence. They first met when they were young, but then they met very few times after that [she was behind the Iron Curtain] and they didn’t really get on. Their relationship is painful at times, but they’re both so intelligent, so articulate. I was completely gripped.
5 | Fiction
An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris
I found this fascinating. It’s very closely based on the Dreyfus case in Paris, which divided France. An innocent Jewish man was accused of spying. A lot of people knew he was innocent, but had been ordered to protect the corrupt upper echelons of the army, which caused him to be falsely imprisoned. It seemed like the more they knew he was innocent, the worse they treated him. Harris turns it into a novel, although he’s constantly quoting true sources. It’s very powerful. I was shocked by the extent of antisemitism in France at that time. It really brings home how awful it was.
6 | Restaurant
I like going to restaurants where it’s not just about the food, it’s the welcome. I often go to my local restaurants. When we go to Allora, it’s like we’re doing the proprietor a favour; she thanks us for coming. The food is very good [traditional northern Italian] – it’s not haute cuisine but it’s nice and nutritious. And the people there are just so sweet. You feel as if they’re genuinely glad to see you. We knocked over a table once – it wasn’t really our fault but we did knock it over – and glasses broke and things, and they were so nice about it, they kept apologising. You wouldn’t get that in every restaurant.
