The Risk Taker When he was a mere boy, Robert Paterson decided that - PDF document

The Risk Taker When he was a mere boy, Robert Paterson decided that he would 'do things with music'. In due course he became a fabulously successful impresario, a friend to the rich and famous. Then it all went wrong... By Cal McCrystal — 23 JUNE 1991 THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY ROBERT PATERSON was two him by David Frost when they were months short of his 51st birthday when he partners. Records of favourite concert died on the afternoon of 12 May 1991. He performances were stacked in a corner. had been on a life-support machine in Modest bookshelves were stuffed with Westminster Hospital's intensive care unit biographies of musicians both here and for three days. Before that, he had been on gone. On the floor lay a couple of pieces of income support. Before that, he had been Indonesian sculpture. very rich and much sought after by the A couple of weeks ago I met Paterson's famous. mother here. She has failing eyesight and In Paterson's heyday, the 1970s, it was using a magnifying glass to inspect her was his custom to hire West End son’s possessions. An arthritic hip restricts restaurants (at around £5,000 a go) for her movement. She had a somewhat entire evenings, to fly his staff on imperious manner, but, after hesitation, she unexpected holidays to Hong Kong and de- scribed an incident that seemed to Bali. He had grand houses, to which world- confirm friends' estimate of her only son: renowned musicians would be invited for that he was born great but, in the final years the entertainment of the latest Paterson of his precarious life, seemed intent on coterie. He enjoyed the abiding esteem of thrusting greatness from him. some of the legendary figures of our time, The incident concerned Robert among them Marlene Dietrich, Igor Paterson's childhood, the early part of which Stravinsky, Juliet Greco, Bob Hope, Bing was spent on Dartmoor, where his wealthy Crosby, Liza Minnelli and Duke Ellington. parents had a large house. Because the child Yet he died penniless and alone. suffered with severe asthma, Kenneth In the council flat that was to be his Paterson, an officer with the Gurkhas, sent last refuge, his 1991 diary boasted little his wife and son to South Africa for the remaining contact with the great and the curative climate. They remained in Cape glittering. It is a plain office diary, which Town for 10 years, visiting England reveals a fastidious nature vainly coping annually. At Bishop's School (South Africa's with ruin: "Stanley ... £20", "Brian ... £50". Eton), the boy developed a passion for The trivial debts to acquaintances willing cricket. to part with what they could afford are "Passion" is a word that crops up listed neatly in red ballpoint. frequently when Paterson's name is The third-floor flat in Elm Park mentioned. His mother recalled: "When Gardens, Chelsea, contained much Robert was about 10, our car broke down on evidence of his former greatness. Framed the way to Cape Town and we had to wait correspondence from Dietrich, Stravinsky for a bus. After a time the bus was stopped and Terence Rattigan hung on a wall; by two Afrikaaner policemen, big burly alongside a photograph of a grinning chaps, who came aboard and began Paterson measuring his large nose against searching for someone. They went upstairs Barry Manilow's. There were pictures of and arrested this black man, who may have Paterson with Prince Charles and Bing been drinking – I'm not sure. One of the Crosby, and a cartoon of Paterson given policemen had caught hold of his ankles and 1

was pulling him downstairs. His head was IT IS difficult, following a long going bump-bump-bump on the metal decline and death, to reconstruct the former edges; dreadfully cruel, though nobody dimensions of a figure such as Paterson. seemed to see anything very unusual in it. Even David Frost, seldom at a loss for But Robert was very angry. He marched, words, struggles for adequate phrases to this small boy, right up to one of the describe his friend: "He was ... he was a policemen. He was quivering with passion great and good man." IIItyd Harrington, and rage. 'You are wicked, wicked, do you former deputy leader of the Greater London hear! And this is a wicked country. And I Council and a familiar figure at concerts and will not stay here! I shall return to first nights, describes him as "a latter-day England!’ The policeman was very Diaghilev with a fine line in grand impressed by the boy's bravery. He said to overcoats, expensive cigars, generous bowls Robert: 'Oh, don't worry yourself, sonny; of brandy and large breakfasts at they've got heads like coconuts.' " Claridge's." Paterson's intolerance of the Marlene Dietrich called Paterson "my deliberate infliction of indignity on his Führer". It was her habit, when people fellow man stayed with him all his life. He telephoned her Paris home, to pretend to be would explode in anger if one of his a Spanish maid and announce: "Miss companions in a restaurant snapped his Dietrich is not at home." Paterson, calling fingers at a waiter. Racism, even milder from London or New York, would explode forms of it, had a similar effect. As in laughter: "1 know it's you, you old cow!" practised in South Africa, it should have A friend said: "Robert could say things to turned him resolutely against that country. her because he behaved normally." But it didn't, for he had cause to be grateful Paterson once said in a radio for his years there. programme that he had originally found Around the time of the bus incident, Dietrich "a tremendous challenge, not only Julius Katchen, the American concert because she was a demanding lady, which pianist, arrived in Cape Town for a recital. she had a right to be, but because I was Mrs Paterson bought tickets, as well as a rather young-looking when we first met, and Katchen recording of Bach's Jesu, Joy of she had always been represented by older Man's Desiring, which she presented to her impresarios. son as an introduction to classical music. "We did have a problem after an The boy was determined to have it immaculately run dress rehearsal, when autographed, and sought out the pianist at Marlene picked an argument with her agent his hotel hours before the recital. Katchen, over something which had not actually then 24, signed the record and promised to happened. So I ran from the back of the play the piece as an encore. The boy told theatre and said: 'Miss Dietrich, please him: "I am going to do things with music address criticisms to me. I'm producing the one day." show.' And she left the theatre, slamming In the 1960s, when Paterson began to the door. But that evening, which was the "do things with music", Katchen – the first opening night, I was summoned to her pianist to play the complete works of dressing room. She asked the two people she Brahms in four recitals – allowed him to was with to leave and very deliberately set up his British concerts. locked the door. She looked at me and said: It put the young promoter firmly on 'this morning, Mr Paterson (in those days the road to success. When Katchen died of she called me that; we got much more cancer in 1970, Paterson was said to be friendly later on), you recognised that I was inconsolable. And when Paterson himself behaving like a spoiled child. And as you died, his mother had Jesu, Joy of Man's probably know, every German girl needs a Desiring played at the cremation service. 2