no. 18/07 - GstaadLife print edition
no. 18/07 - GstaadLife print edition
no. 18/07 - GstaadLife print edition
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Friday, August 31 20<strong>07</strong><br />
No. <strong>18</strong><br />
gstaadlife.com<br />
Menuhin<br />
Festival Gstaad:<br />
frisson from<br />
the New World<br />
by Alison Chabloz<br />
At the age of 12, my mother took<br />
me to see the Halle Orchestra.<br />
During the finale of Beethoven’s<br />
5th, I was suddenly overcome by<br />
a new and wonderful sensation:<br />
the music sent shivers along my<br />
spine. Even if life’s opportunities<br />
have provided similar sensory<br />
pleasures (<strong>no</strong>t always musical), 30<br />
years on, I still remember this<br />
first, intense moment of bliss.<br />
With high hopes of more musical<br />
marvels, I took my seat in Gstaad’s<br />
festival tent for last Saturday’s<br />
performance by Zubin Mehta and<br />
the Israel Philharmonic. In front<br />
of a full house, Mehta was relaxed<br />
and convincing. He conducted<br />
two of the evening’s works from<br />
memory, the third being so recent<br />
continued on page 6<br />
Local butcher<br />
to close<br />
by Gregory Zwygart<br />
Making an effort to support local<br />
businesses can help Saanenland<br />
maintain a plentiful and high<br />
quality selection of homegrown<br />
produce. The upcoming retirement<br />
of local butcher Hansjörg Bieri in<br />
October once again demonstrates<br />
the vulnerability of independent<br />
continued on page 3<br />
Arnaud<br />
de Borchgrave<br />
At the Gstaad<br />
Symposium<br />
page 7<br />
Dolores Smithies<br />
A great friend<br />
of Saanen’s<br />
elderly<br />
page 6<br />
Zubin Mehta<br />
In concert at the<br />
Menuhin Festival<br />
page 6<br />
Above, the Zingre field (on the right as you drive into Gstaad from Saanen) will be rezoned from<br />
agricultural to residential land, with the restriction that all chalets built will be for local residents.<br />
Rezoning for the future<br />
Local council president Andreas Hurni talks to <strong>GstaadLife</strong> about land rezoning, maintaining<br />
local traditions, and slowing the increase in the number of vacation homes. Planned<br />
changes include two new proposed hotels and the rezoning of agricultural land.<br />
“We do <strong>no</strong>t want to lose our<br />
traditions, our originality, or our<br />
authenticity,” said Gemeinde<br />
president Andreas Hurni when<br />
talking about the Gemeinde’s<br />
goals as they pertain to the current<br />
land use plan revision. In the final<br />
stages of the review process, the<br />
Gemeinde is soliciting a second<br />
round of public input from<br />
residents and guests on the<br />
proposed zoning changes.<br />
Interested individuals have until<br />
September 7 20<strong>07</strong> to view the<br />
plans at the Gemeinde and to send<br />
in their comments. The finalized<br />
revision is expected to come<br />
before the voters by spring 2008.<br />
by Diana Oehrli<br />
Cantonal approval would be<br />
sought by the beginning of 2009.<br />
“The consensus is that we want to<br />
see a functioning agricultural<br />
sector,” Hurni commented. “We<br />
want to keep the beauty of our<br />
landscape, and we want to keep<br />
our villages as villages. We don’t<br />
continued on page 3<br />
Photo: Andrea von Siebenthal
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latest news, tips, and events from <strong>GstaadLife</strong> and the Anzeiger von Saanen. You’ll even<br />
find classified ads from the Anzeiger in English, commentary and perspectives, as well<br />
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<strong>GstaadLife</strong>.com<br />
let the conversation begin…<br />
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on grounds of 1500 m 2 , in a quiet setting near shops and the town centre.<br />
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info@cfimmobilier.ch – www.cfimmobilier.ch
Friday, August 31 20<strong>07</strong> · gstaadlife.com<br />
Page 3 Local news<br />
Rezoning for the future<br />
continued from page 1<br />
want to become a city.” Hurni<br />
believes that keeping the traditional<br />
chalet style is crucial.<br />
In Saanenland there is currently a<br />
local housing crisis, which the<br />
Gemeinde has described as<br />
precarious. A recent poll concluded<br />
that 23% of employees of local<br />
businesses live outside the<br />
Gemeinde. In light of a predicted<br />
population increase of 5-10%, from<br />
today’s 7,100 the Gemeinde plans<br />
to create 300-500 apartment units<br />
for local residents and has decided<br />
to purchase plots of land for this<br />
purpose. Local residents are those<br />
who pay income/wealth taxes here.<br />
This excludes foreigners who pay<br />
the Pauschal tax or alternative<br />
lump-sum tax.<br />
The Gemeinde also wants to halt<br />
the transformation of primary<br />
homes into vacation residences.<br />
Over the last 15 years, 210 primary<br />
residences have become vacation<br />
homes, more than half of the total<br />
371 secondary residences added. Of<br />
the existing 5,800 total residence<br />
units, nearly half are vacation<br />
homes. The Gemeinde plans on<br />
Local butcher to close<br />
continued from page 1<br />
shopkeepers with regard to<br />
wholesalers, as well as the risks of<br />
taking over a specialized store.<br />
Hansjörg Bieri has been a butcher<br />
in Saanenland since 1975. To this<br />
day, he is in charge of the<br />
Metzgerei in Schoenried, Gstaad<br />
and Zweisimmen. The meat<br />
business is a family tradition and<br />
dates back to 1949 when<br />
Hansjörg’s father opened the<br />
butcher in Gstaad’s village center.<br />
Over the decades Hansjörg shared<br />
the work in the three branches<br />
with his two brothers, Christoph<br />
and Arthur. Things started to<br />
change in 2000 when Christoph<br />
took charge of the production site<br />
on Turbachstrasse, and in 2006<br />
when Arthur retired due to health<br />
reasons. Ever since, Hansjörg and<br />
his wife Edith have been in charge<br />
of all three shops.<br />
Hansjörg also faces health<br />
problems and, following the<br />
advice of doctors, decided to close<br />
his branches in Gstaad and<br />
making more money available to<br />
subsidize rents through a special<br />
<strong>no</strong>n-profit fund. Thanks to this<br />
fund, those local residents falling<br />
under a yet-to-be determined<br />
income/wealth level would receive<br />
up to 25% rent reduction. The<br />
Gemeinde is also trying to make it<br />
attractive for developers to create<br />
apartments for local residents by<br />
increasing the maximum number<br />
of units that can be built on a lot by<br />
one third. “When this element is<br />
used, the construction of apartments<br />
for local residents becomes<br />
interesting,” Hurni said. On the<br />
flip side, Hurni said that new<br />
Gemeinde developments would<br />
<strong>no</strong>t be as dense as the Rütti<br />
development, which had a housing<br />
density of 50%.<br />
Rezoning plan, take two:<br />
The following rezoning will <strong>no</strong>t<br />
happen: two proposed hotel<br />
projects—one with adjoining golf<br />
grounds in Schönried, and the<br />
other possible hotel/health clinic in<br />
Saanen, because property owners<br />
have decided <strong>no</strong>t to make their<br />
land available. The same goes for<br />
the Rosey and Turbach projects.<br />
Zweisimmen as of September 27.<br />
The location in Schönried will<br />
close a month later. “The decision<br />
was <strong>no</strong>t easy,” said Bieri, “The<br />
solidarity and collaboration of<br />
Schönried and Saanen clients was<br />
magnificent. Sadly, I am <strong>no</strong>w<br />
forced to retire.”<br />
Finding a successor is <strong>no</strong>t easy.<br />
Out-of-town-retailers were<br />
interested in the Schönried<br />
location, yet the Bieris wanted to<br />
keep the butchers local. They<br />
succeeded when Buure-Metzg<br />
offered to take over the business.<br />
While a family from St-Stephan<br />
will be running the Zweisimmen<br />
branch, the Gstaad location still<br />
has <strong>no</strong> takers. “Gstaad is a special<br />
location,” said Bieri. “Besides<br />
expertise in the trade, language<br />
and communication skills are<br />
indispensable.” It is always a<br />
pleasant change, as well as an act<br />
of solidarity, to support local<br />
producers. Local cows are grassfed<br />
and are kept in a healthy,<br />
natural environment. Although<br />
Bieri is closing his shops, there is<br />
However, the following rezoning<br />
is being suggested:<br />
Schönried – (1) Hotel complex<br />
would require the rezoning of<br />
three agricultural plots of land into<br />
hotel zones. Staff housing would be<br />
next to the Horneggli lift and the<br />
hotel would be near the<br />
Schlittmoos/Gruben area (the<br />
walking path from Schönried to<br />
Gstaad via Gruben). (2) Rezoning<br />
of agricultural land into a residential<br />
zone in the Waldmatte<br />
neighborhood (behind the second<br />
Horneggli lift); 70% of the units to<br />
be rented to local residents.<br />
Saanen – (1) Rezoning of land<br />
including and around the parking<br />
lot next to the Gemeinde’s<br />
administrative building and more<br />
Gemeinde employee housing near<br />
the train station. (2) Rezoning part<br />
of the Mühle land on the left side<br />
entering Saanen from Gstaad. (3)<br />
The rezoning of agricultural land<br />
that Moratti currently uses as a<br />
landfill into a commercial and<br />
storage zone near the Saane River.<br />
Gstaad – (1) Rezoning of the<br />
Zingre field from an agricultural<br />
zone into a dense residential zone<br />
(allowing two rows of chalets) with<br />
the restriction that 100% be<br />
occupied by local residents. The<br />
adjacent residential areas would be<br />
granted more lot coverage. (2) The<br />
building height requirement for<br />
the area around the St Niklaus<br />
chapel in the Promenade would be<br />
reduced from 10m to 8m. The<br />
purpose of this is to maintain the<br />
village feeling in the area stretching<br />
from Tabac Fuhrer to the Romang<br />
shoe store. (3) Rezoning of<br />
agricultural land across the main<br />
Gstaad-Saanen road from the Ebnit<br />
school for the purpose of building<br />
a milk processing plant.<br />
Grund – (1) Rezoning of the E<br />
Huber-Brand land to enable the<br />
development of two to four chalets;<br />
70% must be occupied by local<br />
residents. This would mean<br />
rerouting the cross-country skiing<br />
trail. (2) The rezoning of three<br />
agricultural lots including and<br />
surrounding the Chlösterli into a<br />
hotel zone.<br />
Abländschen and Giferhorn - Two<br />
areas will be turned into protected<br />
wildlife reserves: the Underi Bire-<br />
Gambach in Abländschen and the<br />
Hohberg-Gifer, on the eastern side<br />
of the Giferhorn.<br />
No successor for the Gstaad location of the Bieri butcher has<br />
been found so far.<br />
still the Buure-Metzg where one<br />
can buy locally produced meat.<br />
Excellent meat products are also to<br />
be found at other local butchers<br />
such as Boucherie André Reichenbach<br />
in Rougemont, Patrick Buchs<br />
in Chateau-d’Oex and Chez Willy<br />
in Les Moulins.<br />
The butcher Nydegger in Saanen<br />
will also be closing next spring.<br />
Based on an article by Ernst Hodel<br />
published in the Anzeiger von Saanen<br />
Photo: Andrea von Siebenthal
Arts<br />
gstaadlife.com · Friday, August 31 20<strong>07</strong><br />
Page 4<br />
A vibrant art scene right on your<br />
doorstep by Tim Kilchenmann<br />
The region of Gstaad is home to a surprisingly wide variety of art galleries. Over 20 sites exhibit works ranging<br />
from Saanenland Scherenschnitten (paper cuttings) to <strong>no</strong>torious 20 th century masters.<br />
Ober-Gstaad has the highest<br />
density of artwork in Saanenland<br />
and Pays d’Enhaut. In keeping<br />
with its location right next to the<br />
Gstaad Molkerei, the Adler<br />
gallery is currently exhibiting<br />
cows painted in a patriotic Swiss<br />
red. A<strong>no</strong>ther highlight is Walter<br />
Schlup’s plexiglass photo-art.<br />
Adler’s neighboring gallery,<br />
Patricia Low Contemporary, is<br />
quite literally hosting Christian<br />
Ward. Ward is the artist in<br />
residence at the newly set up<br />
Artist’s Chalet in Château-d’Oex.<br />
Low is also portraying Dan<br />
Holdsworth’s island photography,<br />
which focuses on the intricacies<br />
of nature’s beauty.<br />
Galerie Lovers of Fine Art can be<br />
found just off Gstaadplatz, behind<br />
the von Siebenthal houswares<br />
store. It has been 15 years since<br />
owner Irène Schönholzer first<br />
presented celebrated classical and<br />
contemporary masters to the<br />
Gstaad audience. This season’s<br />
artist is Cecile Wyck, a<br />
photographer who has successfully<br />
exhibited her work in galleries<br />
around the world.<br />
In the same part of town, Simple<br />
Gallery distinguishes itself by<br />
showcasing new artists. Apart<br />
from Greg Holt and Harald<br />
Reichenbach who have become<br />
regulars, the gallery also holds<br />
exhibitions showing works by<br />
such undiscovered talents as<br />
Nicolas Bernière. Bernière does<br />
away with profane picture frames,<br />
creating windows through which<br />
one can inspect his work.<br />
If, on the other hand, local art is<br />
your thing then there is just as<br />
much choice. Chäller Gallery<br />
exhibits Scherenschnitte by many<br />
local artists. Beatrice Straubhaar<br />
and her mother Elisabeth Bottesi-<br />
Fischer, Wendy Perren-Novell<br />
and Heinz Pfister all have a wide<br />
variety of works on display.<br />
Ranging from classical landscapes<br />
to modern, abstract and colorful<br />
cuts, these artists have brought a<br />
traditional Swiss handicraft to<br />
life. One can even watch them at<br />
work on Friday after<strong>no</strong>ons.<br />
Staying on the local scene, Atelier<br />
d’Artiste, a gallery opposite the<br />
Grand Hotel Bellevue, is home to<br />
a number of works in progress.<br />
Herbert Buchs, the local artist on<br />
display welcomes onlookers whilst<br />
he is at work. In turn, Oskar<br />
Buchs is exhibiting a selection of<br />
his oil paintings at his own gallery<br />
in Gschwend. Gueri<strong>no</strong> Pathenghi<br />
in Château-d’Oex is celebrating<br />
his gallery’s 20th anniversary.<br />
Some of the major artists they<br />
have showcased in the past have<br />
returned, including Anne Rosat,<br />
Isabelle Villancourt, Giuseppe<br />
Rivieri and Piero Mosti.<br />
In Rossinière, visitors can enjoy<br />
the Fondation Balthus exhibition<br />
A Kingdom of Cats currently on<br />
display at the Grand Chalet.<br />
Before his death in 2001, Balthus<br />
A s t r o photo<br />
e custom Videos e Documentaries<br />
e Event Filming e Production<br />
e Post Production e DVD Authoring<br />
e Film conversion to dVD<br />
e and more…<br />
Craig Youmans, Rougepierre, 1660 Les Moulins, Switzerland<br />
Tel +41 (0)26 924 79 75, Mobile +41 (0)79 310 90 48, Fax +41 (0)26 924 30 62<br />
email: craig.youmans@bluewin.ch<br />
was the only living grand master<br />
to have his paintings exhibited at<br />
the Louvre.<br />
For exquisite antiques, Saanenland<br />
is also a place of plenty. Urs von<br />
Unger, the Saaner antiques<br />
merchant, boasts the region’s<br />
oldest antique, a 225 million year<br />
old petrified wood fossil that has<br />
been molded into wood-shaped<br />
sculptures ideal for interior<br />
decoration. The Atelier für Buch<br />
und Bild in Gstaad also displays<br />
some artistic decorative features.<br />
Pays d’Enhaut’s equivalent to von<br />
Unger is Allegri Antiquités in<br />
Flendruz, with its collection of<br />
intricately decorated Swiss<br />
farmhouse dressers from the 16th<br />
and <strong>18</strong>th centuries. Art in<br />
Saanenland is <strong>no</strong>t limited to<br />
permanent galleries. With<br />
Christian Lapie’s large black<br />
sculptures, Caroline and Eric<br />
Freymond once again present<br />
exceptional art in Chalet Farb,<br />
Saanen. The old building was<br />
re<strong>no</strong>vated a few years back and<br />
has become an attraction in its<br />
own right. The exhibited<br />
sculptures give the place its special<br />
feel. With their rough features,<br />
the sculptures can<strong>no</strong>t be pinned<br />
to any particular culture; instead<br />
they symbolize the bridge<br />
between them. The exhibition is<br />
open on request until the end of<br />
October.<br />
Based on an article by Tina Dosot,<br />
published in the Anzeiger von Saanen<br />
Photos: Tina Dosot
Friday, August 31 20<strong>07</strong> · gstaadlife.com<br />
Page 5<br />
Discounted rail travel,<br />
cable cars and more<br />
A half-price rail card guarantees<br />
50% off the price of most rail, boat,<br />
bus and tram tickets in Switzerland.<br />
Ticket fares to EU countries also<br />
work out cheaper as the card covers<br />
the Swiss leg of the journey.<br />
Available from main railway<br />
stations, the rail card is valid for up<br />
to three years. For example, if you<br />
use the train to get from Gstaad to<br />
Geneva airport more than twice a<br />
year (full-price first-class return of<br />
FYI<br />
IMPortAnt nuMberS<br />
Ambulance 144, Police 117<br />
Fire-brigade 1<strong>18</strong><br />
Saanen Hospital 033 748 02 00<br />
Château-d‘Oex Hospital 026 923 43 43<br />
Car accident service 033 744 88 80<br />
Veterinary 033 744 35 31<br />
Medical emergency 0900 57 67 47<br />
Dental emergency 033 748 02 00<br />
For additional useful numbers please visit<br />
www.gstaadlife.ch/usefulnumbers<br />
For the latest local<br />
weather forecast visit<br />
gstaadlife.com<br />
ChurCh ServICeS<br />
St Peter`s english-speaking Anglican<br />
Church: Sunday September 2 17h30<br />
Service.<br />
roman Catholic Church St Josef,<br />
Gstaad: Saturday September 1 <strong>18</strong>h00<br />
eucharistic ceremony. Sunday September<br />
2 11h00 eucharistic ceremony with<br />
baptism, 16h00 Santa Messa (Italian).<br />
Wednesday September 5 16h30 Rosary,<br />
17h00 eucharistic ceremony.<br />
Friday September 7 <strong>18</strong>h30 eucharistic<br />
ceremony<br />
by Alison Chabloz<br />
SFr 162 reduced to SFr 81) even the<br />
year-long option will save you<br />
money. The card also entitles the<br />
holder to a reductions on Gstaad<br />
Mountain Rides, as well as being<br />
valid for deals on car hire.<br />
A one-year costs SFr 150, two years<br />
SFr 250 and three years SFr 350<br />
There is currently a special oneyear<br />
offer priced at SFr 91 for<br />
teenagers born in 1991.<br />
For your next StAy In GStAAd<br />
*****Gstaad Palace: Le Restaurant,<br />
La Grande Terrasse, Snack & Barbecue,<br />
The Lobby Bar, Le Bar du Grill & GreenGo<br />
Nightclub, Beauty & Spa, Outdoor Pool &<br />
Snack, Tennis. Tel 033 748 50 00,<br />
Fax 033 748 50 01, info@palace.ch,<br />
www.palace.ch<br />
*****Grand hotel Park, Gstaad:<br />
99 luxurious rooms, exclusive Guerlain-<br />
Spa Chakra, Restaurants & bars: Marco<br />
Polo, Le Grand Restaurant, Greenhouse,<br />
Chalet Waldhuus, Le Bar and Marco Polo<br />
Bar. Tel 033 748 98 00<br />
www.grandhotelpark.ch<br />
*****Grand hotel bellevue, Gstaad:<br />
GaultMillau Hotel of Year 2003, 114 beds,<br />
2,500 m2 SPA, Restaurant Prado,<br />
Restaurant Coelho with sun-terrace,<br />
Bellevue-Bar, Porsche 911 Club,<br />
Car<strong>no</strong>tzet. Tel 033 748 00 00<br />
www.bellevue-gstaad.ch<br />
FYI / Events<br />
First bowls club in<br />
German-speaking world<br />
Gstaad <strong>no</strong>w has a bowls club. Also<br />
k<strong>no</strong>wn as lawn bowling and related<br />
to bocce or pétanque, bowls is an<br />
English precision sport that dates<br />
back to the 13th century. To win<br />
the game, opponents must roll<br />
slightly asymmetrical heavy balls as<br />
close as possible to a smaller white<br />
ball, or jack. Popular in English-<br />
speaking countries, the sport is<br />
gaining popularity in Japan. The<br />
At the Sportzentrum<br />
Gstaad there <strong>no</strong>w is<br />
an indoor bowls<br />
field, open daily<br />
during the <strong>no</strong>ncurling<br />
season.<br />
n FrIdAy, AuGuSt 31 20<strong>07</strong><br />
21h00, dress to Impress Party,<br />
Saanenpub, Saanen: Black and White.<br />
Info: Tel 033 744 34 94.<br />
22h00, Local Stranger Party, Chlösterli,<br />
Gstaad: DJ Paia J, Italy, clubbing.<br />
Info: Tel 033 748 79 79.<br />
19h30, 51st Menuhin Festival Gstaad,<br />
Festival Tent, Gstaad: Today’s Music,<br />
George Gershwin‘s Rhapsody in Blue and<br />
Porgy and Bess; Basel Chamber Orchestra<br />
and Gauteng Choristers from the Total<br />
Miagi Festival South Africa; Alexander<br />
Melnikov, pia<strong>no</strong>; David Stern, director.<br />
<strong>18</strong>h00 Pre-concert Talk with David Stern<br />
and Dr Hans-Georg Hofmann, St Niklaus<br />
Chapel, Promenade, Gstaad. Info: Tel 033<br />
748 83 38.<br />
by Diana Oehrli<br />
Gstaad Bowls Club is the first club<br />
of its kind in a German-speaking<br />
country. The club’s two synthetic<br />
greens have been in use since<br />
August 1 in the curling hall. Active<br />
members have the possibility to<br />
play daily during the <strong>no</strong>n-curling<br />
season and during opening hours at<br />
the Sportzentrum. For more<br />
information call club president<br />
Kurt Iseli on 033 744 37 59.<br />
Event corner Friday August 31 – Thursday September 6<br />
<strong>18</strong>h30, Concert of the Music<br />
Association Gstaad, Festival Tent,<br />
Gstaad: Opening program of the Menuhin<br />
Festival Gstaad program; association<br />
celebrates its 100th anniversary.<br />
Info: Tel 033 744 09 40.<br />
n SAturdAy, SePteMber 1 20<strong>07</strong><br />
19h30, Folk evening at Alpenland,<br />
Hotel Alpenland, Lauenen. Typical Swiss<br />
folk music. Info: Tel 033 765 91 34.<br />
19h30, 51st Menuhin Festival Gstaad,<br />
Festival Tent, Gstaad: Emotional Release,<br />
Martha Argerich, pia<strong>no</strong>, Russian National<br />
Orchestra; Charles Dutoit, conductor.<br />
Info:Tel 033 748 83 38.<br />
20h00 Ländler Stubete, Hotel Bären,<br />
Gsteig: various folk music groups perform<br />
including Kapelle le Collibri, Châteaud‘Oex.<br />
Info: Tel 033 744 56 39.<br />
22h00, Freak Farm Party, Chlösterli,<br />
Gstaad: DJ Scott, live percussion by Sämi<br />
Bauer Old and new funky grooves.<br />
Info: Tel 033 748 79 79.<br />
09h00, Paragliding Club 20th year<br />
Anniversary, Base station Wispile,<br />
Gstaad: Flights, food and drinks,<br />
entertainment for adults and kids.<br />
Info: www.gcgstaad.ch<br />
10h00, 11th hornberg hornusset,<br />
Hornberg, Saanenmöser: Hornusset<br />
competition. Info: 033 744 47 21.<br />
n SundAy, SePteMber 2 20<strong>07</strong><br />
09h00, 26th rellerli Alp Schwing Fest,<br />
Rellerli Alp, Schönried: traditional<br />
wrestling competion in saw dust.<br />
Info: 033 744 12 82.<br />
Photo: Diana Oehrli
Photo: Alison Chabloz<br />
Photo: Netti de Scheel<br />
People<br />
Menuhin Festival Gstaad:<br />
Frisson from the New World<br />
continued from page 1<br />
that he has perhaps <strong>no</strong>t yet had<br />
time to memorize it. The forceful<br />
opening bars of Mozart’s Jupiter<br />
symphony are an invitation to sit<br />
up and pay attention: this is a<br />
masterpiece! The music seemed<br />
to flow from Mehta’s very gesture.<br />
Not using sheet music, allows<br />
the conductor to be truly free<br />
when it comes to interpretation.<br />
Zubin Mehta amazed the<br />
public at the Menuhin Festival.<br />
The music, the musicians and<br />
the audience become one.<br />
Thematic variation came with<br />
Bardanashvili’s flute concerto,<br />
composed in 2006. Yossi Arheim,<br />
possibly the most casually dressed<br />
man in the tent, performed on<br />
three different instruments. In<br />
contrast with percussion<br />
instruments as diverse as chimes<br />
and a rainmaker, Arheim made<br />
full use of each flute’s potential.<br />
Finally, Mehta gave everybody<br />
what they wanted to hear:<br />
Dvorak’s symphony From the<br />
New World. Five movements and<br />
40 minutes worth of well-loved<br />
themes transported us to America’s<br />
wide open spaces.<br />
My only regret? The improved<br />
acoustics of the festival tent<br />
produce a clear, honey-like sound,<br />
but volume is dissipated into the<br />
sheer size of the venue. More of a<br />
light frisson than an earth-moving<br />
tremor.<br />
gstaadlife.com · Friday, August 31 20<strong>07</strong><br />
GStAAdLIFe: editorial: Antoinette de Scheel antoinette.descheel@gstaadlife.ch; Xavier Ferguson xavier.ferguson@gstaadlife.ch; Frank Müller frank.mueller@gstaadlife.ch; Diana Oehrli<br />
diana.oehrli@gstaadlife.ch; Andrea von Siebenthal andreavs@gstaadlife.ch. Advertising: Peter Kuntze-Schneider peter.kuntze@gstaadlife.ch. Publishing, conception, <strong>print</strong>ing: Müller<br />
Marketing & Druck AG, Gstaad. Subscriptions: Elsbeth Wyss tel 033 748 88 74.<br />
Donation for local<br />
disabled children<br />
On August 11 Countess Secco<br />
d’Aragona (née Catarina de<br />
Habsbourg) presented and signed<br />
her book “Ces Autrichiennes,<br />
nées pour régner” at the Gstaad<br />
Yacht Club. The event was<br />
organized by the Swiss delegation<br />
of the Constantine Knight Order,<br />
a chapter of the Bourbon-Sicily<br />
royal house. In conjunction with<br />
the book presentation, a donation<br />
of SFr 7,000 was made to the<br />
Heilpädagogische Sonderschule<br />
in Gstaad. This local school<br />
specializes in helping mentally<br />
and physically disabled children.<br />
Page 6<br />
by Tim Kilchenmann<br />
The delegate of the<br />
Constantine Knight Order<br />
handing over a cheque to the<br />
directors of the HPS school.<br />
Dolores Smithies’ dream come true<br />
Three years after her passing, a wooden hut has been built in her memory along the Saane river. by Alexandra de Scheel<br />
Dolores Smithies, devoted<br />
mother, daughter, sister and<br />
grandmother and long time<br />
Gstaad visitor died peacefully at<br />
her home in Key Biscayne at the<br />
age of 65 three years ago.<br />
Dolores will be sadly missed here,<br />
as she gave so much to the<br />
community she called home. As<br />
was her wish, she was buried here<br />
in Saanen. She spent a great deal<br />
of time helping the elderly; going<br />
shopping for them, walking with<br />
them and ensuring they were well<br />
looked after. She also hosted a<br />
yearly summer party at the Gstaad<br />
Palace, with all profits going to<br />
the elderly.<br />
Her great wish was to build a<br />
home for senior citizens in<br />
Saanen. Following Dolores’ death,<br />
her friends decided to ho<strong>no</strong>r her<br />
by making a donation. The idea<br />
was to build a hut opposite the<br />
Alpenruhe, close to the river<br />
where Dolores used to walk<br />
with her elderly acquaintances,<br />
with benches inside for people<br />
to rest.<br />
The hut has recently been<br />
completed and was inaugurated<br />
by Dolores’ friends and dedicated<br />
to her memory.<br />
Friends of Dolores Smithies at the inauguration of the hut built in her memory (from left): Toni<br />
von Grünigen, Nadia Colussi, Yannick Letort, Olivier Huguet, Claudine Pereira, Sergei Boissier<br />
with daughter Yasmina Charlotte, Heidi Eckes-Chantré and Janice Branco.<br />
Of course, she will also be<br />
remembered by those whose lives<br />
she helped to save and enrich;<br />
through her work with<br />
underprivileged families, children<br />
suffering from AIDS, as well as<br />
Cuban refugees. She has even<br />
dabbled in the arts, helping to<br />
promote the work of young<br />
Cuban and other Latin American<br />
artists. In her younger days, she<br />
worked in Harlem as a<br />
psychotherapist and in various<br />
local soup kitchens. Even in such<br />
places she was loved by all,<br />
trusting the local drug dealer to<br />
watch her car.<br />
She will be missed and<br />
remembered across the globe and<br />
in each town where she spent<br />
time and performed her magic.<br />
Dolores, even after her death, is<br />
still helping those in greatest<br />
need, and Gstaad is certainly a<br />
better place thanks to her<br />
participation.<br />
Photo: AvS
Friday, August 31 20<strong>07</strong> · gstaadlife.com<br />
Page 7 Events<br />
New world order vs. new world disorder<br />
Over seventy people attended a speech by Arnaud de Borchgrave at the Gstaad Palace. by Andrea von Siebenthal<br />
“This man can<strong>no</strong>t be spoken of in<br />
the past tense”, said famous<br />
columnist Taki Theodoracopulos<br />
when an<strong>no</strong>uncing the highprofile<br />
speaker of last Sunday’s<br />
Gstaad Symposium. In fact, after<br />
a long and outstanding career in<br />
journalism, Arnaud de Borchgrave<br />
is <strong>no</strong>w the Director of the<br />
Transnational Threats division at<br />
the CSIS, the Center for Strategic<br />
& International Studies in<br />
Washington DC. In this function,<br />
he spoke about the critical<br />
challenges of the 21 st century.<br />
Commenting on the rapid<br />
evolution of technical resources as<br />
well as increasing religious<br />
fanaticism and terrorism, de<br />
Borchgrave painted a rather<br />
pessimistic view of the near<br />
future.<br />
Whilst the decade of the 90s was<br />
dominated by the fall of<br />
communism and the emergence<br />
of the US as a superpower, the<br />
very beginning of the new<br />
millennium was overshadowed<br />
by the 9/11 attacks in New York,<br />
and the Iraq war.<br />
De Borchgrave <strong>no</strong>w foresees a<br />
decade of, what he calls, “The<br />
unk<strong>no</strong>wn unk<strong>no</strong>wns”, especially<br />
regarding the reaction of the<br />
Muslim world to the US siege<br />
between the Euphrates and the<br />
Hindu Kush. Iran in particular<br />
seems to be a threat as it reinforces<br />
its nuclear program. The antiterrorism<br />
strategy adopted by the<br />
US under the Bush administration<br />
is, according to de Borchgrave, a<br />
total failure, demonstrated by the<br />
fact that attacks such as suicide<br />
Carlos Fix and Bettany Hughes.<br />
bombings have increased<br />
significantly in the region after<br />
the fall of Saddam Hussein. With<br />
the war in Iraq being a total<br />
disaster in both human and<br />
eco<strong>no</strong>mic terms, Bush might<br />
want to save his presidency with<br />
a victory over Iran.<br />
If the US were to attack Iran, this<br />
would lead to an unparalleled<br />
calamity on a global scale. The<br />
march of time works against<br />
peace; nuclear and biochemical<br />
weapons leave the threat of<br />
a<strong>no</strong>ther 9/11 hanging in the air.<br />
The rise of worldwide terrorist<br />
networks seems to be a particular<br />
danger which is, at the same time,<br />
very hard to control. With an<br />
estimated 200 dangerous networks<br />
in the UK, and with counterparts<br />
in most EU countries, the threat<br />
is real and is growing rapidly<br />
mainly via the internet. De<br />
Borchgrave believes the<br />
quickening development of<br />
tech<strong>no</strong>logy will initialize a new<br />
era of radical changes never before<br />
seen in human history.<br />
International columnist Taki<br />
Theodoracopulos introduced<br />
the speaker of the Gstaad<br />
Symposium.<br />
Arnaud de Borchgrave together with his wife Alexandra, the<br />
author of the book ‘Healing Light’ which assembles letters of<br />
9/11 orphans to their parents.<br />
From left, Bettany Hughes, Stanley Weiss and Peter Notz.<br />
Laura Scherz und Ernst A Scherz. Baroness de Dietrich and Ninette Fix.<br />
Photos: Andrea von Siebenthal
BoutiquE ChopArd GStAAd: promenade / Alte post - tel. +41 (0)33 744 90 44