Anne-Sophie Mutter: I have Coronavirus

Anne-Sophie Mutter: I have Coronavirus

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norman lebrecht

March 26, 2020

The German violinist, 56, has just announced it on Facebook:

Despite this, she will appear tonight in a pre-repcrded quartet with members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra here.

Part of her message is this: ‘In my case, I’m 56, I’m not smoking…the smokers out there, my fans, you should really consider to stop now. Stay healthy!’

Comments

  • Una says:

    Hopefully not in hospital but safe at home and remains like that. Get well soon.

  • Music Lover says:

    Get well soon, Anne Sophie Mutter! All the music world is cheering for your fast recovery!

  • Jeffrey Biegel says:

    Please be safe. Hope you are in a safe and healthy location.

  • Gustavo says:

    Anne Sophie is spot-on about the smokers!

    She should extend her wishes to all car drivers producing respirable dust in (not only German) cities.

    Politicians worldwide will hopefully learn from the corona crisis experience and feel encouraged to ban cigarettes and diesel for good.

  • MezzoLover says:

    The video message is as engaging and inspiring as any of her performances. Forward and upward indeed!

  • Willymh says:

    Great message. Wishing her a return to health and the concert stage.

  • Couperin says:

    Sure, get well soon.

    By the way, how and why are all these celebrities with mild symptoms getting tests?

    • sycorax says:

      Because in Germany most people who show any symptoms are tested.

    • Willymh says:

      Probably the same way as the rest of us – by reporting symptoms to the appropriate triage line or government agency who then feel that the indications are that they should being tested?

    • Malcolm James says:

      In Mutter’s case, because she’s in Germany. They’re testing people even if they don’t have severe symptons, so she’s hopefully not badly ill.

    • Bruce says:

      For those who live outside the US, it’s probably because they have a decent healthcare system.

      For those who live in the US, it’s probably because they have money.

      • SVM says:

        Bruce’s generalisation does not stand to scrutiny. In the UK, we certainly have a decent healthcare system, despite which there is still a severe shortage of testing capacity. And there are serious questions about the fairness of who gets tested — despite having only mild symptoms, Prince Charles got a test (it came back positive), whilst many people on the front line and/or in far worse health have been refused a test.

        But, as others have said, Mutter is in Germany, which seems to be doing a lot better when it comes to testing people for covid-19.

      • Sue Sonata Form says:

        This is a truly parlous situation for the USA and, I’d suggest, other nations are not far behind you. Most of their healthcare systems are funded by horrendous, unsustainable debt and I think this house of cards is going to collapse very soon. Please watch the first 10 minutes of this.

        (The interviewer is a pain, but just listen to Ms. Shriver):

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPjKxu3WVRw

        • Tamino says:

          Funny you point out healthcare, not the war industry, when it comes to horrendous, unsustainable debt.

          The financial problem of the health care system is an ethical one.
          We have better and better possibilities to prevent people from dying.
          We also have people getting older and older.
          We then spend an enormous amounts of money, when these very old people get sick at the end of their lives, to keep them alive and well for just a bit more.
          Nobody has a solution for this, except we just have to pay for it.

        • Saxon Broken says:

          Actually, having a National Health Service turns out to be very cheap. Most European countries spend less on healthcare than the US but manage to treat everyone regardless of their wealth, and have better health outcomes. The US system is both expensive and crap for most of the population.

    • MezzoLover says:

      It never ceases to amaze me how the glass is always half-empty for some people.

    • Gustavo says:

      Because the virus has gone viral…

      It is chic to suffer mildly.

      It also distracts from other deficiancies.

  • Fred says:

    Oh, no! All the best to Anne-Sophie, who is one of my heroes.

  • Concerned says:

    When did the LPO officially find out about ASM testing positive for COVID-19? Why were soloists who rehearsed with her on the 12th March told to keep quiet for TWO days? Only for LPO members to find out today *after* the ASM Facebook post…
    How many dangerous and unnecessary ‘contacts’ gave there now been as a result of this (Nick?)…

  • Christina Henson-Hayes says:

    The ‘og:image’ property should be explicitly provided, even if a value can be inferred from other tags or it comes up on FB without the picture and will discourage sharing.

  • Christina Henson-Hayes says:

    You don’t need to publish this, I just thought I would tell you I tried to scrape it and this is missing.

  • Greg Bottini says:

    Dear, sweet, brilliant Anne-Sophie: get well quickly!! Forward and upward!!

  • anin says:

    half of the population will be positive, it will be commonplace, if not already in places like Italy or Spain and GB

    • Saxon Broken says:

      It is likely around one-in-forty have it in Britain, perhaps more. This number will be a little higher in Spain and Italy. But the number of have it is far less than half the population.

  • Kongzi says:

    What about the other young musicians from all over the world who had to stay with her for the last two weeks?

  • Bill says:

    “despite this”? why would being sick be cause for not broadcasting a pre-recorded concert?

  • David Gee says:

    Best wishes. There must be performances in the future!

  • John King says:

    Ah, I always loved Anne-Sophie. Hope she gets better.

  • Ernest Low says:

    Beautiful message – very uplifting! Wishing ASM and everyone infected a complete recovery.

  • Gustavo says:

    Looking forward to DGG’s release of the John Williams/VPO/ASM concerts in Vienna, January 2020!

    That release will boost my immune system, for sure!

    It will definitely be one of my desert island discs (under quarantine) or one to hear before I die (no matter what the cause) – or one to die for.

  • Jean says:

    Who cares, really ?

    • Tamino says:

      Others than you, many, to answer your question.

    • HugoPreuss says:

      Anyone who has an ounce of compassion or sympathy? Anyone who has enjoyed one of her performances or recordings?

    • engineers_unite says:

      One can’t help wondering at the pomposity, narcissic & self agrandandizing pretentious behaviour of all these so called “artists”.

      In the past musicians such as Bartok & Fricsay went down with the most painful types of cancer, but didn’t emblazon their suffering all over every newspaper in town.

      When Bush & the Americans supported by that criminal Tony Blair started their “war on terror” in Iraq to find WMD which didn’t exist, more than 200 000 innocent civilians died, while they poisoned their own servicemen with DU.
      It’s a lot worse than this little virus will do.

      It sickens me to see the hypocrisy we have in the west, especially when nobody gives a damn about what will happen to the poor Kurds or the 100s of 1000s in refugees camps who will die like flies in northern Syria over the coming weeks.

      If ASM in her “global elite” mode, had the slightest bit of humanity in her she would be concerned about others, not thrusting herself into the media spotlight.

  • Frank says:

    Why do people do this, this pseudo coming out? I mean, with AIDS, there was a political purpose to saying one had it. However I see no purpose here.

    • Gustavo says:

      BoJob has it.

      It will be used politically, maybe as an additional argument for sealing off national borders post-Brexit.

  • silvana Scarinci says:

    Recover quickly, Anne-Sophie! Thanks for the encouraging message! Be well soon and come out to play!

  • Dan says:

    Speedy recovery!

  • Carole Bayer says:

    Colorado Public Radio just had you on playing the Brahms Concerto. It was wonderful as always; we are all thinking of you and thanking you for the joy you have brought to all of us since you were so young.

  • Dimitri Vassilakis says:

    The Soulages painting on her wall is very nice . Great taste , Mme Mutter !

  • james says:

    I am hoping for the quickest possible recovery. The world is not done receiving your gifts.

  • Richard Margitza says:

    She is a great violinist, and a wonderful person. I wish her a speedy recovery.
    God Bless

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