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Misha Mengelberg

Misha Mengelberg was an internationally renowned pianist in jazz and improvised music and a close friend of Otto Frank.

Person

  • Michael Mengelberg
  • Born on: June 5, 1935
  • Born in: Kiev, Oekraïne
  • Died on: March 3, 2017
  • Died in: Amsterdam

Misha Mengelberg and his parents were among Otto Frank's closest friends after the war.

Misha was born in Kiev (Ukraine), where his mother was a harpist in an orchestra. In 1938, the family moved to Amsterdam.[1] He attended Preparatory School No. 51 from 7 December 1939, the kindergarten class of the Sixth Montessori School in Amsterdam and the Sixth Montessori School proper from 13 August 1941 to 12 July 1947. Subsequently he went to the Montessori Lyceum.[2]

On his 22nd birthday in 1957, Misha Mengelberg received a 'comet-like visit' from Otto Frank.[3] In the 1960s he sought Otto's business advice. He was working on recordings and had some copyright issues. He wrote: "Apart from this bizniz issue, it would be nice to meet you in person again."[4]

  • In 1969, together with Peter Schat, Harry Mulisch and Hugo Claus, among others, he was involved in the opera Reconstruction, performed by the Dutch Opera Foundation as part of the Holland Festival.[5] The show received fierce criticism for various reasons.
  • In 1971, together with, among others, Nelly Frijda, Renate Rubinstein, Karel van 't Reve and Martin van Amerongen, he signed a petition against the threatened extradition of an American deserter. ​​​​​[6]
  • In 1981, he participated in a 'total theatre' Opera Suite, together with Han Bennink, among others.[7]
  • Together with Art Blakey, he received a 'Bird', the award of the North Sea Jazz Festival, in 1989.[8]
  • In 1993, in an interview, he paraphrased Karel Appel when he said about himself: "I just mess around a bit".[9] He remained active as an unconventional and controversial musician until an old age.

Source personal data.[10]  Addresses: Kiev; Uiterwaardenstraat 406, Amsterdam (1938).[11]

Footnotes

  1. ^ “We waren net op tijd vertrokken”, NRC, 8 april 1993.
  2. ^ Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Anne Frank Collectie (AFC), reg. code A_Montessorischool_I_0001, volgnr. 906: A_Montessorischool_I_0002, volgnr. 516.
  3. ^ AFS, AFC, Otto Frank Archief (OFA), reg. code OFA_085: R. Mengelberg – Draber aan Otto Frank, 20 mei 1958
  4. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code OFA_085: M. Mengelberg aan Otto Frank, 18 november 1965.
  5. ^ “Uitgaan in Amsterdam van 4 tot en met 13 juli”, Algemeen Handelsblad, 4 juli 1969
  6. ^ “Aan de demissionaire regering-De Jong”, NRC, 9 juni 1971.
  7. ^ “Totaaltheater als laboratorium”, de Volkskrant, 23 november 1981
  8. ^ “Birds”, Het Parool, 20 april 1989.
  9. ^ “Ik klungel maar wat aan”, De Groene Amsterdammer, 7 april 1993.
  10. ^ Stadsarchief Amsterdam (SAA), Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Gezinskaarten (toegangsnummer 5422): Gezinskaart K.W.J. Mengelber; Obituary”, The Guardian, 8 maart 2017
  11. ^ SAA, Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Gezinskaarten, toegang 5422: Gezinskaart K.W.J. Mengelberg