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26th AMENDMENT SIGNING | MEMORIES

Page Turner
(collaborative artist - me)

A dear friend (beginning after my sophomore year in college, 1957) was John Wustman. I didn’t realize it at the time, but Johnny was probably the best pianist/accompanist (collaborative keyboardist) in the world. I was attending the Robert Shaw workshop at San Diego State College for the summer and Johnny was giving vocal lessons and coaching.

Phyllis and I got married the next year and moved to New York to pursue a degree at Union Theological Seminary School of Sacred Music. Johnny, of course, lived in NYC and traveled the world accompanying the very best singers, including Luciano Pavarotti, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, Renata Scotto, Mirella Freni, Régine Crespin, Christa Ludwig, Birgit Nilsson, Carlo Bergonzi, Nicolai Gedda, etc. He was participating in a recital in Carnegie Hall accompanying Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, and asked me if I would assist him by being his page turner for the recital. I was honored and thrilled to do so. I arrived at Carnegie early and was introduced to Schwarzkopf and was instructed by Johnny that I would be seated on his left (upstage) and should stand, use my left hand to turn the page. I could easily see the music on the printed page and performed my duty without ever missing the turn. Johnny, of course, would also slightly nod his head when he wanted me to turn the page. This greatly helped to relax my anxieties of being on the stage of Carnegie with what many considered the finest soprano and accompanist in the world.

At one point, I saw that we were nearing the “turning point” but Johnny did not nod to signal that I should turn. Much to my chagrin, I failed to perceive that there was no “second page” and merely stood, reaching the music with my left hand. Johnny quietly whispered, “Sit down!” I was so embarrassed at my mistake, especially realizing that there was a total of only three people on that enormous stage and everyone in the audience could see my error. I quickly and as unobserved as possible (impossible) sat down and hoped that I did not distract from the beauty of the singing and playing.

At the end of the final composition, Schwarzkopf took her bow, motioned for Johnny to bow, and much to my surprise, she motioned for me to also bow to tremendous applause. That was my first applause on the stage of Carnegie Hall, but not my last. She also gifted me with a wonderful recording which I still have in my collection.

Elizabeth Schwarzkopf

John Wustman

AFTER THOUGHT – Johnny and his wonderful wife, Nancy, invited Phyllis and me to dinner at their New York apartment. When parking our car in front of the apartment, upon opening the door for Phyllis to exit the car, and unbeknownst to me, that precious record fell out of the car and landed in the snow. I was devastated that I could not find the record when we returned to our apartment. Johnny called me and told me that he had found and retrieved the record in front of his apartment and later presented it to me a second time.