Sadness: Milein is gone

Sadness: Milein is gone

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norman lebrecht

November 24, 2017

We have been informed that the artist Milein Cosman died earlier this week, at home in London, at the age of 96.

She was a constant presence in London concert halls for seven decades, sketching in rehearsal, observing closely in performance, summarising shrewdly at the post-gig party.

As wife and widow of the musical savant Hans Keller, Milein knew every maestro from Stravinsky to Salonen and saw far beyond the official facade.

Like Hans, she never uttered a false opinion or a second-hand thought.

Comments

  • daveferre says:

    There is a show of her artist sketches at Wigmore Hall (London) right now and she was the artist for the cover of the Andre Tchaikowsky biography as viewed with this link:

    http://andretchaikowsky.com/biography/book/cover_image_600.jpg

    In my visits, before and after Han’s passing, she was always a delight.

  • Philip Moores says:

    Very sad news. I inherited a number of her drawings (plus large oil pauntings bybher of Toscanin and Klemperer) from my friend Donald Dean, who knew Milein and Hans well. They give me much pleasure. I will be at Wiggie on 3 December so hope her sketches will still be on display. RIP Milein.

    • Andrea RAUTER says:

      Milein Cosman’s exhibition of wonderful drawings of musicians in the Restaurant of the Wigmore Hall is a permanent exhibition and well worth while visiting!

  • Fritz Curzon says:

    From drawing lessons in the late fifties to my last visit to see her in Hampstead some three years ago, I have nothing but the fondest memories of Milein. Clifford and Lucille will doubtless welcome her with equal warmth. She was even a sketch-link to my real mother from Covent Garden in 1947. Adieu, dear Milein.

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