"You ask questions that you couldn't ask, you know, a sick dog!"
It's not the response a radio host expects to hear from a legendary conductor and composer when asking basic questions about his childhood to showcase the musician before an appearance here.
But Essential Public Radio's Paul Guggenheimer is drawing praises for his professionalism and grace in how he handled the retort from former Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra music director Andre Previn during a segment of his new show "Essential Pittsburgh" on March 9.
"It was really weird," Mr. Guggenheimer said later. "Why [the interview] turned that way, I have no idea."
Mr. Guggenheimer grew up in Shadyside and Highland Park and began volunteering at the former 90.5 FM WDUQ at age 16. He went on to attend Emerson College and work at radio stints in Washington, D.C.; Minnesota, Iowa and South Dakota.
He returned here in January -- after being away for 25 years -- to host the new "Essential Pittsburgh," which airs Monday through Friday from noon to 1 p.m. and repeats at 8 p.m.
Single and living in Bon Air, the Peabody High School graduate said he's happy to be back in Pittsburgh.
The "sick dog" comment came after Mr. Guggenheimer asked the 82-year-old Mr. Previn, here to conduct the PSO in a premiere of his Triple Concerto, about his early childhood in Germany. The radio host later explained to Mr. Previn that he asks such questions to see how a person's life experiences shape his art and career.
At the end of the interview, Mr. Previn apologized for his outburst.
It was not Mr. Guggenheimer's intention to put the four-time Academy Award winner in a bad light, he said later. "When I was growing up here, he was a rock star, man, with a movie star wife."
My most memorable interview ... It's a three-way tie between Daniel Ellsberg, Kevin Costner and George McGovern. Ellsberg was fascinating as he explained going from being a gung-ho Marine to following his conscience and exposing the Pentagon Papers. I interviewed Costner for a 20th anniversary special on the making of "Dances With Wolves." He told a lot of great behind-the-scenes stories including what a pain it was working with live wolves. Sen. McGovern is a caring, gracious man. I've interviewed him on several occasions. .
The most difficult interview I conducted ... was with former NBA player Wally Szczerbiak. I had a phone interview with him for a radio show I was doing in Minnesota. He was playing for the Timberwolves at the time. They handed him the phone just before practice and he clearly had no interest in talking. I tried to ask him about his dad who played for the old Pittsburgh Condors, something I thought he might enjoy talking about, and he couldn't be bothered. It ended up being one of the shorter interviews I've done.
Drawing on historic or current figures, my dream interview would be with ... Another three-way tie between Teddy Roosevelt, Orson Welles and Paul McCartney.
When I was away from Pittsburgh, I most missed ... my family. They have always lived here, including my Mom and Dad, two brothers, a sister in law, a niece and nephew and my aunt and cousin.
Most mornings I get up ... grateful to be alive and wishing I could sleep for another hour.
In high school I was ... a pole vaulter for the Peabody track team. We never had the right equipment. We used to use wrestling mats for a landing pit and one day I missed the mats and almost killed myself.
I'm most passionate about ... making films.
I'm surprisingly good at ... ice hockey goaltending. A couple of years ago I took some grad courses at the University of South Dakota and ended up playing in the nets for the Coyotes club hockey team.
My most treasured possession ... is a Northern League championship ring from the 2000 season. I was a play-by-play guy in independent minor league baseball for a few years and was with the Duluth-Superior Dukes when they won it all.
My favorite weekend ... dinner at a good Italian restaurant, a night or two of theater and Sunday night rec league hockey.
The word or phrase I dislike the most ... act your age.
Pittsburgh's hidden gem is ... If I say what it is, it won't be hidden anymore.
Someday I'd like to ... skate along the frozen canals of the Netherlands.
The best piece of advice I've ever received ... Be yourself.
When I heard the "sick dog" comment, I was thinking ... Maestro must be having a bad day.
First Published: March 25, 2012, 8:00 a.m.