Turning the Pages

Recollections of a Musical Autograph Collector and Page-Turner for the Amerstadam Concertgerouw

Author: Robert Brouwer and Theo Olof

These recollections reveal the story of music aficionado Robert Brouwer, who never lost the love of music that was born when he landed a job as a small boy turning pages for some of the 20th century’s finest musicians. Brouwer describes the remarkable autograph collection he gathered at the Concertgebouw and working with many of his musical heroes.

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"Can you read music too?" This question, addressed by the singer Lili Kraus in 1936 to the 15 year-old Robert Brouwer, then a regular autograph collector haunting the artists' entrance of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, was the start of his short but memorable years as a page-turner to many of the great musicians who performed there before 1940. The author's passion for music, starting with his time at the Concertgebouw and continuing throughout his life in many parts of the world, shines vividly in the pages of this book. Here, enlivened with photographs and with some of the gems from the author's youthful collection of autographs, we meet many of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. But there is more than that. From his discussion of Willem Mengelberg, the conductor who made the Concertgebouw Orchestra great but ended his life in eclipse, to his account of Nigel Kennedy taking time off to jam in a "hole-in-the-wall" night club in Kowloon, it is the author's gift to relate, on a personal level to the musicians he met, that serves to make these recollections of what they did and said, and of the opinions they expressed, both fascinating and endearing.

Critic Reviews

Rob Brouwer’s memories of the Concertgebouw mirror my own; the place, the performers and above all, the music. These images have stayed with him as they have with me, a time of my youth when to go to a concert at the Concertgebouw was the only thing that mattered.
Bernard Haitink

There are three elements to make up a good concert; the music, the performer and the listener … Robert Brouwer is an ideal audience for his dedication and love of music. His memoir shares the joy of music with us on every page.
Mitsuko Uchida

You have had the most remarkable extra career as a listener … a necessary and great duty in the music world. Your book tells it all and embraces us with all the excitement of performances you attended and the great artists who became your friends, including Georg Solti and of course his helpmate, me.
Lady Valerie Solti

About the Author

Robert Brouwer was born in Amsterdam in 1921 and was passionate about music from an early age. During the Nazi occupation of Holland he engaged in resistance work and after the war studied law and joined the diplomatic service. Later he became a professional reinsurer based in Hong Kong, which enabled him to travel world-wide. His last working years were spent in private banking before he and his wife retired to their homes in Switzerland and Spain.