Find Page One on APPLE PODCASTS or STITCHER.
Episode image is a detail from the cover of Das Spiel Ihres Lebens by Anon, published in 1954, cover art by F.M. Kieselbach; cover photo © Associated Press Photo.
Kicking off with a super-cool track by Patric’s erstwhile band Will Frosta, this 30th edition of the Second Hand Book Factory features discussion of the perfect man, the dangers of writing a book about people who can kill you and a defining moment in modern German history. Both Charles Adrian and his guest Patric Schott are members of the Berlin-based ensemble Nico and the Navigators whose production of Rossini’s Petite Messe Solonelle was about to play at the Grand Théâtre, Luxembourg when this episode was recorded.
Nico, who is mentioned a few times during the course of the episode, is Nicola Hümpel, director of Nico and the Navigators. The shows mentioned are Rossini’s Petite Messe Solonelle, Shakespeare’s Sonnets and Anaesthesia. The Theresa mentioned is the Austrian soprano Theresa Dlouhy.
Other present and past ensemble members of Nico and the Navigators featured on the podcast include Ted Schmitz (Page One 30), Marcel Schwald (Page One 50), Filippo Andreatta (Page One 51) and Soojin Anjou (Page One 99).
Das Spiel Ihres Lebens by Anon is also discussed in Page One 167.
This episode was recorded at the Grand Théâtre in Luxembourg for London Fields Radio.
This episode has been edited to remove music that is no longer covered by licence for this podcast.
A transcript of this episode is below.
Episode released: 15th July, 2013.
Book listing:
Gomorrha by Roberto Saviano (trans. Friederike Hausmann and Rita Seuß)
Die Vermessung Der Welt by Daniel Kehlman
Das Spiel Ihres Lebens by Anon
Links:
Rossini’s Petite Messe Solonelle by Nico and the Navigators
Shakespeare’s Sonnets by Nico and the Navigators
Anaesthesia by Nico and the Navigators
Episode transcript:
Charles Adrian
I don't know if I'm ready or not today. [laughs]
Patric Schott
I'm really excited.
Charles Adrian
Yeah. [laughs] Thank you, Patric.
Patric Schott
Thank you so much, Adrian.
Charles Adrian
So, Jingle...
Patric Schott
Just a second! I... I... [fading into distance] bring me a water.
Jingle
You're listening.... you're listening... to London Fields Radio.
Charles Adrian
Hello and welcome to the 44th Page One. This is the 40th Second Hand Book Factory. I'm Charles Adrian, as ever, and I'm sitting with Patric Schott in the Grand Théàtre, Luxembourg [/lʊksəmbɜːrg/] - or Luxembourg [/luːksəmbɔːrg/].
Patric Schott
Luxembourg [/luːksəmbɔːrg/].
Charles Adrian
Luxembourg [/luːksəmbɔːrg/] - which is where we're playing this week. I was a bit disappointed, actually. I thought we were going to be playing in the main space and it turns out they've put us in the studio.
Patric Schott
What is not that bad. It's a nice atmosphere inside.
Charles Adrian
[speaking over] It's okay. It's okay. Last time we were backstage [laughs]...
Patric Schott
Exactly. So it's a step...
Charles Adrian
[speaking over] [indistinct] some kind of... Yeah, we're crawling our way upwards. We're going to start with a song by you, Patric.
Patric Schott
Yeah, by my own.
Charles Adrian
Tell... Tell us about it quickly.
Patric Schott
Yeah, shortly: I had a band, her name is Will Frosta. It's actually not existing any more but we created this song Steven Seagal in the meaning that we have not anymore the perfect man.
Charles Adrian
In the world?
Patric Schott
In the world. And everybody is looking for it - even the mens [sic], even the girls are looking for the perfect man. And in this case we created this song.
Music
[Steven Seagal by Will Frosta]
Charles Adrian
So that was Will Frosta with Steve [sic] Seagal and Patric's voice...
Patric Schott
[speaking over] Patric's...
Charles Adrian
[indistinct] ehemals - is that right?
Patric Schott
Yes, ehemals.
Charles Adrian
Ehemals.
Patric Schott
Patric's voice and also Daniel.
Charles Adrian
Daniel.
Patric Schott
Daniel's voice.
Charles Adrian
[speaking over] Was he doing the [imitates part of the track]?
Patric Schott
Yes. And he was screaming in the end.
Charles Adrian
Oh, cool!
Patric Schott
Yeah. [in strangled voice] “Du bist der tollster Mann!”
Charles Adrian
Ah that was him?
Patric Schott
That was him as well.
Charles Adrian
[speaking over] Fanstastic. Okay.
Patric Schott
[speaking over] Yeah. And it was always full of energy, of course, onstage and that helps a lot for screaming.
Charles Adrian
Yes.
Patric Schott
Yeah. But I have to say we didn't found [sic] it.
Charles Adrian
What do you mean?
Patric Schott
The perfect man.
Charles Adrian
Oh! Oh, really?
Patric Schott
Yeah. It's a... it's a kind of a [sic] illusion. I think because we created that song how we want to have the perfect man so we [indistinct]...
Charles Adrian
[speaking over] Yes. He has to be big and strong and...
Patric Schott
Nice, smart, clever. Gently [sic]. Understander [sic].
Charles Adrian
[speaking over] Awww. Yeah, you're asking a lot. Okay.
Patric Schott
Yeah, so it's very difficult.
Charles Adrian
And he has to dance well, doesn't he?
Patric Schott
Yes.
Charles Adrian
Yeah.
Patric Schott
Yeah. And he have [sic] to make compliments. He have [sic] to be not jealous at all. All that's difficult stuff. It's really difficult to find, I guess.
Charles Adrian
[speaking over] Yeah, I think when you focus on that too much then... then you... you miss, for example, me.
Patric Schott
Yeah.
Charles Adrian
That's the...
Patric Schott
For example.
Charles Adrian
For example.
Patric Schott
Yeah. So it's not existing.
Charles Adrian
Let's talk about...
Patric Schott
Yes.
Charles Adrian
Let's talk about you for a moment. Describe yourself to me, Patric.
Patric Schott
I would say about myself that I'm a friendly, open-minded, teamwork-orientated person.
Charles Adrian
Yeah, I would agree with that. I think that's true. Especially the teamwork stuff. That's the big... a big strength.
Patric Schott
I think... Yeah, I know... I know that it's, for me, very important to work in a team that it works that the team is the strongest. And I'm not that good - I have to say that - in working alone. There's different reasons: for concentration, for inspiration, whatever. And I feel, when the... when the work is good in the team, I feel that power and this makes me stronger as well. So as a sniper in the Afghanistan war I would be fail [sic]... I...
Charles Adrian
You would be really useless.
Patric Schott
Totally useless. I think I would [be] killed in the first day.
Charles Adrian
Okay. Right. But it's good, you're in the right profession. You're a performer and you are also a bar manager. And I think in both of those roles...
Patric Schott
Absolutely.
Charles Adrian
... your skills are well used.
Patric Schott
Absolutely. Without that [sic] skills. I would not have success.
Charles Adrian
Yeah. Plus, you're a good person in the night.
Patric Schott
Yes.
Charles Adrian
That's important.
Patric Schott
Definitely. Yes.
Patric and Charles Adrian
[laughter]
Charles Adrian
So let's... And what book have you brought that you like? This is also, I think, important for giving us some idea of who you are.
Patric Schott
Yeah. Actually, I have this book from Roberto Saviano: Gomorrah. And it's... Actually I['m] read[ing] it a second time already. I'm already almost in the end from... from the second time. And, of course, it's connected to my girlfriend because she is from Napoli and the book is about Napoli, about the Camorra, about the structure of a mafia. And this book shows very well in very hard pictures how it is. Of course, he added something on but I think he was kind of... he made a well research.
Charles Adrian
So this is... this is a documentary book rather than a novel.
Patric Schott
It's a novel.
Charles Adrian
Oh, it is a novel? Okay.
Patric Schott
It's a novel but he put a lot of parts of documentary inside because he lived there for long years. So he have [sic] a lot of insider knowledge but of course he added something on top to make it... but it's... because it's a novel. But also the fact that he have [sic] to be after he['d] written the book... have to escape and to...
Charles Adrian
[speaking over] Yes, I was going to say, it must have been very dangerous.
Patric Schott
He had so many... I don't have in English... Morddrohung - that you get killed from someone and they send letters and...
Charles Adrian
[speaking over] Yeah, death threats.
Patric Schott
... and he have [sic] to move... to leave the country and he's not allowed to travel alone and he don't [sic] use the highways any more because of bomb fear. Now it's get [sic] a little bit silence around him and... The point is also I thought... I started to read something else from him but it's not good.
Charles Adrian
Ah, interesting. Okay
Patric Schott
[speaking over] He's really this kind of guy...
Charles Adrian
[speaking over] This was his... This was his book.
Patric Schott
This is his book and I think there will not coming [sic] something else. Yeah.
Charles Adrian
But read us the first page.
Patric Schott
Please. I'm very sorry, it's in German.
Charles Adrian
I think there's going to be a lot of German today.
Patric Schott
Okay. I start, yeah?
Der Hafen
Während der Kran ihn auf das Schiff hievte, trudelte der Container, als schwimme er auf der Luft. Der Spreader, der ihn am Kran hält, konnte die Bewegung nicht stoppen. Die schlecht verreigelten Öffnungen sprangen plötzlich auf, und Dutzende von Körpern fielen heraus. Sie sahen aus wie Schaufensterpuppen. Doch beim Aufprall auf den Boden barsten die Köpfe, als wären es echte Schädel. Und es waren Schädel. Aus dem Container regnete es Männer und Frauen. Auch einiger Kinder. Tot. Tiefgefroren, übereinandergepackt, hineingeschichtet wie Heringe in die Dose. Die Chinesen, die ewig leben. Die Unsterblichen, die ihre Papiere vom einen zum anderen weiterreichen. Hier also waren sie gelandet. Die Leichen, über die die wildesten Gerüchte umgingen, es heiß, sie würden in Restaurants verkocht, auf den Grundstücken um die Fabriken herum vergraben, in den Krater des Vesuv geworfen. Da waren sie. Zu Dutzenden purzelten sie aus dem Container, um den Hals Schildchen mit ihrem Namen. Alle hatten Geld beiseite gelegt, um sich in ihren Heimatorten in China begraben zu lassen. Ein Teil des Lohnes war einbehalten worden als Garantie für die Rüchreise, als Tote. Ein Platz im Container und eine Grube in einem Fleckchen chinesischer Erde. Als der Kranfahrer aus dem Hafen mir die Sache erzählte, bedeckte er sein Gesicht mit den Händen und blickte mich durch die Fingerzwischenräume an. Also ob diese Maske der Hände ihm Mut mache, weiterzuerzählen. Er hatte die Leichen herausfallen sehen und nicht einmal Alarm schlagen oder jemanden benachrichetigen müssen. Kaum war der Container auf den Boden herabgelassen, tachten wie aus dem Nichts Dutzende von Menschen auf, stapelten die Leichen wieder hinein und schwemmten die Reste mit einem Wasserschlauch weg. So lief das. Der Kranfahrer konnte es selbst noch nicht fassen, hoffte, es sei nur eine Halluzination, wegen die vielen Überstunden. Er schloß die Fingerzwichenräume, bedeckte das ganze Gesicht mit den Händen und sprach weinerlich weiter, aber ich konnte ihn nicht mehr verstehen.
Charles Adrian
I didn't understand everything but it sounds pretty amazing.
Patric Schott
Yeah, there's a container that came into the port and was not rel... locked and on the crane, with the movement, the doors get open and...
Charles Adrian
And all these people fall out.
Patric Schott
All these people fell down. It was Chinese worker [sic]. Yeah. Yeah, this is the book that I read the second time.
Charles Adrian
Yeah, and I can... it fits with you. A good choice.
Patric Schott
[speaking over] It fits for me.
Charles Adrian
[speaking over] Good choice. Let's listen to your second track. This is Blaue Augen by Ideal.
Patric Schott
Exactly. This is a, kind of, a travel in my past.
Music
[Blaue Augen by Ideal]
Charles Adrian
So that was... that was Blaue Augen by Ideal. So the singer is Nina...
Patric Schott
Annette Humpe.
Charles Adrian
Annette Humpel. [sic]
Patric Schott
Yeah. Humpe.
Charles Adrian
[speaking over] Ah O... Hump... [laughing] Sorry. Annette Humpe.
Patric Schott
Yes.
Charles Adrian
Okay. Now this is my book for you.
Patric Schott
[gasps] I'm excited.
Charles Adrian
I don't know if you're going to like it. I don't know... It's a very different book from the one that you brought now. But I'm... I'm very proud of myself for having read this. This is the first book I've read all the way through in German...
Patric Schott
[gasps]
Charles Adrian
... not counting De [sic] Fünf Freunde.
Patric Schott
Okay.
Charles Adrian
[indistinct] Fünf Freunde. Okay.
Patric Schott
Okay.
Charles Adrian
That I read. But this I bought a few years ago and I tried to read it and it took me about two hours to read the first page. So I gave up. And then I started again in... in March, I think, this year, and I took it away with me when I was working in Halle, and I finished it. But the reason I'm... That's part of the reason I wanted to give it to you - because it's a German book that I've read that you might read - but... So it has three characters in… main... main characters. One is this mathematician called Gauß - it's about real people - and he always wants to go home and I identify with that very much.
Patric Schott
[laughs]
Charles Adrian
But the other [laughing] two main characters, Alexander von Humboldt and the guy who travelled with him, who's called Bonpland - he's a French guy... And their relationship reminds me very much of the relationship between our characters in the piece we're doing with Filippo.
Patric Schott
Yes.
Charles Adrian
So I'm going to try and read the first page to you. The whole book is about this moment in the eighteenth century when there was just an explosion of science and the ability to measure things. And... And they haven't really got the technology to do things in the way that we measure things now but Humboldt, for example, drew amazing maps of things just using, you know, a thing to look at the stars and... and a watch. And he worked out where they were going across the sea and... and how the coastline was. And Gauß was inventing all these mathematical ways of measuring things just sitting at home and thinking.
Patric Schott
Wow.
Charles Adrian
It's really an incredible time in Germany, apart from anything else. But... So I will try to read the first page.
Patric Schott
What is the title?
Charles Adrian
Ah, it's called... Yes, good... good question. It's called Die Vermessung Der Welt by Daniel Kehlmann. Yeah?
Die Reise
Im September...
Ah no, I was wrong. It's not the eighteenth century, it's the nineteenth century.
Patric Schott
Yes.
Charles Adrian
[laughs]
Patric Schott
I was trying to... [indistinct]
Charles Adrian
It's my history. Yeah. The gaps in my history showing through.
Patric Schott
[laughs]
Charles Adrian
Thanks for your...
Patric and Charles Adrian
[laughter]
Charles Adrian
... for your politeness.
Die Reise
Im September 1828 verließ der größte Mathematiker des Landes zum erstenmal seit Jahren seine Heimatstadt, um am Deutschen Naturforschenkongreß in Berlin teilzunehmen.
[laughing] Thanks for nodding at me while I struggle through this.
Selbsvertändlich wollte er nicht dorthin. Monatelang hatte er sich geweigert, aber Alexander von Humboldt war hartnäckig geblieben, bis er in einem schwachen Moment und in der Hoffnung, der Tag käme nie, zugesagt hatte.
Nun also versteckte sich Professor Gauß im Bett. Als Minna ihn aufforderte aufzustehen, die Kutsche warte und der Weg sei weit, klammerte er sich ans Kissen und versuchte seine Frau zum Verschwinden zu bringen, indem er die Augen schloß. Als er sie wieder öffnete und Minna noch immer da war, nannte er sie lästig, beschränkt und das Unglück seiner später [sic] Jahre.
Does that make sense that phrase? Yeah?
Patric Schott
[speaking over] Yeah.
Charles Adrian
Da auch das nicht halft [sic], streifte er die Decke ab und setzte die Füße auf den Boden.
Grimmig und notdürftig gewaschen ging er die Treppe hinunter. Im Wohnzimmer wartete sein Sohn Eugen mit gepackter Reisetasche. Als Gauß ihn sah, bekam er einen Wutenfall: Er zerbrach einen auf dem Fensterbrett stehenden Krug, stampfte mit dem Fuß und schlug um sich. Er beruhigte sich nicht einmal, als Eugen von der einer... einen und Minna von der anderen Seite ihre Hände auf...
And that's the end of the first page.
Patric Schott
Wow.
Charles Adrian
Did you get any of that?
Patric Schott
Ich hab' alles verstanden.
Charles Adrian
[with German pronunciation] Super! Ich, wenn ich lese verstehe, aber wenn ich lese... out loud...
Patric Schott
This is... it's a little bit of a timing question.
Charles Adrian
Yeah. Okay.
Patric Schott
But I got everything.
Charles Adrian
Okay. In the production I just finished with Nico I had quite a lot of German text at one point and then [laughing] little by little, with each of the run-throughs, Nico said, “Mmm... maybe we should make this easier for you, Adrian”.
Patric and Charles Adrian
[laughter]
Patric Schott
But I understood everything as well...
Charles Adrian
[speaking over] Great!
Patric Schott
... on the performance as well... on the Shakespeare Sonnette.
Charles Adrian
Yeah, well that was the last version.
Patric Schott
I'm curious: Die Vermessung Der Welt.
Charles Adrian
Yeah. And I think... I find it a very funny book. It's very dry. It's nice.
Patric Schott
Yeah, mit hindergrundigen [sp?] Humor.
Charles Adrian
Yeah, exactly. That's a good way of describing it.
Patric Schott
Yeah.
Charles Adrian
Let's... We're just going to have a little jingle and then we're going to go straight on...
Patric Schott
Yes.
Charles Adrian
... to the book that you're going to give to me.
Patric Schott
Yes.
Jingle
London Fields Radio... it's London Fields Radio.
Charles Adrian
It is, it's London Fields Radio. Recording from the Grand Théàtre in Luxembourg, I'm Charles Adrian and I'm here with Patrick Schott...
Patric Schott
Hello.
Charles Adrian
... my colleague and friend. And now you're going to give me a book.
Patric Schott
Yes. And, of course, I have to say, to choose a book for you was not easy for me. Because I know that you read almost everything.
Charles Adrian
Almost, yeah. [laughs]
Patric Schott
Almost everything, almost every book existing in this world. I think every flea market is not safe for you because you will go there and find everything. And I thought, “Hmm... should I make really a big research?” and I decided to give you a book that is [sic] changed, not really [it]my life, but I think it's describing a time where it changed Germany.
Charles Adrian
Okay. Yeah.
Patric Schott
And the book is from the year 1945 - no, ’54... 1954 - and it's about the winning of the World Cup of Germany.
Charles Adrian
[laughs] This is... Can I just say, this is what I call a Winnie the Pooh present.
Patric Schott
[laughs]
Charles Adrian
I don't know if you ever read any Winnie the Pooh. It's an English... [laughs] English children's story. And my favourite story from that is when he gives... he gives Eeyore a pot of honey for his birthday because Winnie the Pooh likes honey so much...
Patric Schott
[laughs] Exactly.
Charles Adrian
... he thinks maybe Eeyore will also like it.
Patric Schott
Exactly. I tried to make it now a little bit... to sell it a little bit better...
Charles Adrian
[laughs]
Patric Schott
... [indistinct] in society questions.
Charles Adrian
Yeah.
Patric Schott
I have to talk... say a little bit about this book because it's original from that time.
Charles Adrian
It looks... It looks it. It's great. I like it.
Patric Schott
I checked already if it's worth [sic] or something like that, if I can sell it.
Charles Adrian
[laughs]
Patric Schott
But no, I checked it on eBay, it's €5 they want to give me for that so I decided to keep it. I found it on a flea market, this book. So... But what I have to say for this time - because it's 1954 and you know the World War... the second World War finished in ’45 - and you have to mention, in this [sic] short years - in this period - the German society was completely depressed, unsecure [sic] and not motivated, in a way. And then twelve or fourteen young mens [sic] - they actually were also soldier [sic], not really but directly after the war - went to Swiss [sic] and they won against all the teams. And they won... they won the World Cup. And from that moment on Germany get, kind of, more secure for themselves. They get self-confident again a little bit.
Charles Adrian
Yeah. How interesting.
Patric Schott
And it changed a lot of [sit] economy as well. And, yeah, the self-confidence of the people because from that moment they say, “Hey, we are not only the war makers, we are, kind of, something”. So this is what I say, football brings...
Charles Adrian
[speaking over] It's so interesting. And is that why... Do you think that's why football is so important here in Germany?
Patric Schott
Absolutely. Absolutely.
Charles Adrian
Well, not here in Germany but in Germany.
Patric Schott
[speaking over] It's everywhere. I would say football... People see a lot - the people who are interested in football - see a lot themselves inside. And I think also when we have more football in the world we have less wars.
Charles Adrian
[laughing] We might disagree about that.
Patric Schott
[laughs]
Charles Adrian
Read me the first page.
Patric and Charles Adrian
[laughter]
Patric Schott
Der große Tag von Bern
Es läßt sich nicht leugnen: im Himmel wird kein Fußball gespielt! Sonst hätte Petrus sich anders verhalten. Er machte sich böse Miene zum guten Spiel, denn er öffnete seine Schleusen und berieselte das Berner Stadion, als gelte es, einen schwelenden Brand im Keime zu ersticken. Und tatsächlich, es brannte. Es brannte lichterloh vor Erwartung im weiten Rund. Das sensationellste Spiel der letzten zehn Jahre stand bevor: Endkampf um die Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft zwischen Deutschland und Ungarn!
Und nun regenete es an diesem 4, Juli 1954. Es regenete mit einer aufregenden Gleichmäßigkeit. Dabei war es am frühen Vormittag das herrlichste Wetter gewesen, als wir mit unseren Rädern aus Solothurn aufbrachen, um beim Endspiel in Bern dabei zu sein. Wir waren nämlich zu fünft. Und zu fünft trugen wir die Kleidung der Boyscouts, also kurze Hose und Fahrtenhemd, Wadenstrümpfe und den bekannten breitkrämpigen Hut. Dieser Hut war heute das Praktischste an unserer Kluft. Er fing die rieselnden Regentropfen gemächlich auf, sog sich voll und gab dann die gesammelten Bächlein stoßweise von sich, um die umstehenden Nachbarn nicht zu kurz kommen zu lassen.
[laughs]
Wir fünf hatten natürlich standesgemäß Stehplatz mit Himmelsdach. Und da dieses Dach heute schon ab elf Uhr recht durchlässig war und Tommy, unser englischer Freund und Ältester (er wurde schon 18), optimistich von der Mitnahme von Zeltbahn und Regenjacke abgeraten hatte, so waren wir shon „durch”, ehe wir gegen 13 Uhr überhaupt ins Stadion kamen.
Charles Adrian
Super. Thank you, Patric. I am sure I am going to read this book.
Patric and Charles Adrian
[laughter]
Patric Schott
It's not that...
Charles Adrian
It's not very long...
Patric Schott
... long...
Charles Adrian
... and it has pictures.
Patric Schott
... and it has pictures inside as well.
Charles Adrian
Oh! Amazing pictures!
Patric Schott
This is...
Charles Adrian
Ah, that's beautiful.
Patric Schott
[speaking over] You'll have fun... have fun.
Charles Adrian
Okay, I will. No, I will. I think I will enjoy that. Thank you very much.
Patric Schott
[speaking over] I will also have fun with your book, I'm quite sure.
Charles Adrian
[speaking over] Yes! I hope so. Now we're going to finish with a track that I have chosen. And this... this reminds me... Well, this makes me think of you because when we first met and worked together it was on a piece... a Händel piece - or a piece using Händel's music - and this was, I think, the most beautiful aria from it. It was my favourite...
Patric Schott
I guess I have a [sic] idea.
Charles Adrian
[speaking over] ... piece of music. Yeah. [laughing] Yeah, I think you do. And I also... I really enjoyed this... this moment in the piece. We would process down through the scenery and then do this... this... this choreography with our hands that everybody was very excited about, that I remember took us a long [laughing] time to get right.
Patric Schott
[speaking over] Yes. Also a lot of nerves.
Charles Adrian
Exactly. And up in the corner, on the side of the stage - stage left as I would say but stage right as you would say - on a sort of tower, Teresa would stand and she would sing this, which is here being sung by... Emmanuelle Haïm, I think? Anyway, it's a beautiful... it's a beautiful recording. This is Tu Del Ciel from Il Triomfo Del Tempo E Del Disinganno. Thank you so much, Patric.
Patric Schott
Thank you so much. I wish you a good time.
Charles Adrian
Thank you and Toi! Toi! Toi! for tomorrow.
Patric Schott
Toi! Toi! Toi!
Patric and Charles Adrian
[laughter]
Music
[Tu Del Ciel by Georg Friedrich Händel sung by Emanuelle Haïm]
[Initial transcription by https://otter.ai]