Rudolf Kempe. An appreciation by Heather Harper

In the sixties I worked very often with Rudolf Kempe as he was the Music Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, but I had never sang opera with him. So when a communication arrived from Wieland Wagner inviting me to sing 'Elsa' in a new production at the Bayreuth Festival I knew I had to speak to Kempe before accepting.

He had asked for me and so I in turn asked him to hear me first before I gave my answer to Bayreuth. But there was very little time and Kempe was a very busy conductor, so we arranged that he would come to my home in London after travelling all night by train from Scotland where he had been conducting.