Zunächst muss ich gestehen, dass ich kein besonders großer Cellofan bin. Weder habe ich viele Cello-CD’s noch spreche ich gerne übers Cello an sich. Für mich ist es vielmehr Mittel zum Zweck, und dieser heiligt bekanntermaßen die Mittel. Der Zweck? Musikmachen, und zwar so oft, impulsiv, intensiv wie nur möglich. Wenn ich jetzt über die Gründe der Cellobegeisterung spreche, sehe ich mich also in gewisser Weise als Außenstehender, da ich mich außer beim Üben wenig mit dem Instrument beschäftige.

A long season is coming slowly towards an end, playing a recital at one of Germany’s nicest summer festivals, the Rheingau-Musikfestival. Last night was my my fourth concert in 12 years at Schloss Johannisberg, a chateau on top of one of many hilly vineyards with a grand view over the area and a gorgeous concert hall. My good friend Steven Osborne and me met for this one concert the day before in Frankfurt to rehearse a program we had never played in that combination, though each piece was familiar to both of us. Starting with the intense and tiring Schnittke Sonata we went straight into the Brahms e-minor without stopping in between, no chance for the discplined audience to clap which meant the first half was over at 8:55 pm after uninterrupted 50 minutes of music.

My last blog entry came only minutes before I had to rush off to the registry in Berlin Mitte to get married to the love of my life with the beautiful and equally brilliant name Gergana Georgieva Gergova-Gerhardt. So much Ger in Germany, who could come up with anything like it?!

The wedding itself was an unbelievably memorable experience eveb for, as I have been told, our guests (well, they have to say that, I guess, but it sounded surprisingly sincere :)). About fourty friends (mainly the ones who had travelled far) and family members had made it to the registry in the early afternoon, and the gentleman who finally married us at around 1:52 pm, stiff as all German officials, gave us some serious advice even though he claimed he wasn’t there to give us any, but as we were surrounded by many of my little nieces and nephews, it had such natural and loving atmosphere that I didn’t even mind that guy. A little reception with a bit of champagne and nibbles followed at the Radialsystem, the place, where I had played all the Bachsuites in July 2010, to kill the time until the departure of a little boat we had chartered to take us on a two and a half hour trip on the Spree River all the way through the center of Berlin to the government district and back, a little sight-seeing tour absolutely worth doing – if it wasn’t for the lousy weather we encountered. A week prior we had almost summer-like temperatures, but on that specific day, March 31 2012, it rained, snowed, and once in a while we even had blue sky and sun, yet freezing cold – a unique experience; at least we got some good photos!

This will be probably a rather short little post: While my future wife Geri is being made even more beautiful by some stylist I am sitting on the floor trying to book some little details to our honeymoon to Venice. Yes, I am getting married for a second time, I can’t wait to finally make our love official. Am I nervous? Not really – extremely excited, but as I know that this is by far the best I can do for my life I am so much looking forward to a hopefully simple ceremony in the registry and later on a wonderful party at Berlin’s Radialsystem. We haven’t invited too many people as we don’t want it to become too impersonal: 80 friends and family members are planning, guided by my youngest sister Pamina, some surprises – soooo touching to see through how much effort they go to make this day as memorable as possible for us.