Watching TV in the Netherlands just got a glimpse into the bedroom of Baron Éric de Rothschild, thanks to the tying of Rembrandt's Marten & Oopjen. A documentary about the sale showed an engaging old gentleman who put the two paintings on either side of his bed up for sale in order to pay the taxes. Historically, the Rothschilds are best known for being wealthy and Jewish, two factors that have
… often made this banking family the target of the most absurd conspiracy theories. Either way, the Rothschilds were a boon to art. The London branch of Nathan Mayer Rothschild liaised with a variety of prominent musicians. His daughter Hannah was a student of Mendelssohn and Rossini, among others. Daughter Charlotte kept an album in which the visiting musicians could record an 'album sheet'. The album is the starting point for this beautiful recital (1993, reissued 2019) by a contemporary descendant, also called Charlotte. This soprano also has Nathan Mayer as an ancestor. There are plenty of big names here: Mendelssohn, Meyerbeer, Spohr, Liszt, Chopin, Bellini, Barber, Poulenc ... But also beautiful are the songs of Mathilde de Rothschild, who was a daughter of Charlotte. (HJ)more
