Mother Agnes Tennstedt, Klaus, father Hermann Tennstedt
Anita Knoch from Halle an der Saale talks about the childhood of her friend Klaus. She also knows the family very well:
Georg Wübbolt: How would you describe Klaus Tennstedt's parents?
Anita Knoch: Father and mother Tennstedt were very different people. His mother, a person full of warmth and love. His father was very resolute, very strict. Klaus must have shown an interest in the violin pretty early, because he was given lessons from the age of four. The boy had to learn to play both the violin and the piano at that age, which was asking a great deal of such a small child.
Who were his teachers?
Anita Knoch: His father was his first teacher, and for the piano too. When he was six or seven Klaus was sent to a private piano teacher, who must have been first class. Papa Tennstedt was very pleased with this teacher, and that's saying something. It was a stringent regime altogether.
That put an end to Klaus’ childhood. If you think about it: school finished at 1-1.30pm, then there was lunch; that meant half an hour’s rest. After that, at least an hour of piano followed by an hour of violin every day – it was usually more – and then homework. His friends outside in the street kept calling for him to come and play.