September 1st, 2010
Last week we took a group of Classical Partners to The Proms.
Before the concert we had a meal in the newly refurbished Elgar Room and I have to say they have done a great job. It is now a contempory and stylish place yet it is still comfortable. Quite a feet, as I find most “modern” dining spaces just too hard. Clean lines and sparse furnishings often make for an attractive but inhospitable environment. The menu was not too big but offered a good selection of meat and fish. I would recommend you check it out next time you are in the Albert Hall.
The concert was not bad either. The Prommers showed their delight with extended stomping and whistling. I agree wholeheartedly with them for Osmo Vanska and the Minnesota Orchestra’s rendition of Beethoven’s Ninth, but not the Berg Violin Concerto. It is not a piece I particularly like so that’s no real surprise.
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March 30th, 2010
I should have known that there was something good going to happen last Sunday. From the moment the clocks changed I was already a little out of kilter. My drive to the Wigmore Hall that I have done dozens of times was going smoothly until I realised that I had taken a wrong turning somewhere and was about two miles off course. No problem, I still arrived with a few minutes to spare.
Diving downstairs for a coffee and to meet up with the group of Classical Partners I was a little surprised not to see anyone from the group but they soon started to arrive. A couple of calls on the mobile let me know that one person could not make it and that one was going to be late. I was now getting worried as I could not find the two new members whom I had not met before. Just as the concert was due to start one of them introduced themselves. I had to leave the other’s ticket on the door as I went in, not perfect but the best I could do.
The Gryphon Trio from Canada, made their Wigmore debut, performing Schumann’s Piano Trio No 2 in F followed by Beethoven’s Piano Trio in B flat “Archduke”. They were absolutely sublime, even the clouds scudding over the Wigmore’s skylight seemed to alter the hall’s lighting in perfect concert with the music. Even though I freely admit that my personal taste tends to be for more dramatic symphonic music, I loved every minute of their performance.
After the concert, I managed to find our missing member and our group enjoyed a lovely relaxed Sunday lunch in the Wigmore’s fine restaurant downstairs. What a great way to spend a Sunday. Truly Gold Standard.
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January 6th, 2010
Well, it is the start of a New Year and a New Decade. So, as the snow lies on the ground and causes the usual chaos, many people are considering making a fresh start.
What better way to start than by finding someone to share your life with. There is no doubt that people are social animals. If you pop in to your local supermarket you are constantly reminded of this: there are hordes of buy one get one free offers but very few aimed at just for one. We all feel better if we have someone to confide in. There has been a lot written recently about loneliness and how the phenomenal growth of computer based networks of friends has given the impression that we are more connected than ever before. However, there is nothing like the real thing. You need to be in the same physical place to really interact. It is wonderful that you can chat to a friend on Facebook or Twitter, but it is much more rewarding to meet them face to face.
Bringing people together is what we at Classical Partners are all about. There are places on the web where people who love classical music and the arts can share their thoughts, I do this from time to time, but as I have said before, it is not a patch on going to a concert or film with like-minded people and really sharing the experience.
So if you are reading this and thinking you would like to meet some music lovers… give us a ring and start the ball rolling.
Posted in Relationships, classical music, meet others | No Comments »
November 23rd, 2009
I was lucky enough to attend Nikolai Demidenko’s recital at the Wimbledon music festival last Saturday.
The Great Hall of King’s College School is a great venue for a piano recital, with a lovely atmosphere and good acoustic. A haven on what was a horrible damp evening. Since it was the first year of the festival I am prepared to forgive the confusion over seating. When our group of twelve arrived to take up our reserved seats in row 3, there were only six seats available in that row. I hope in future they will number the seats.
Demidenko’s playing was superb! He plays with great colour and range and his sense of rhythm and pace are flawless. At times during the Schubert Sonata in D I was sure that he had other instruments at his disposal, such was the variety of sound he produced.
The performance should have ended with Mussorgsky’s masterpiece “Pictures at an Exhibition.” I say should have, because after Demidenko had transported the audience around that famous exhibition and left us transfixed in wonder, he returned to play two short encore pieces which, nice though they were, left me feeling somewhat downbeat. Is it just me or does anyone else agree, that these encores often add nothing to the entertainment? By their very nature they tend to be short un-substantial pieces that detract from the crescendo of the programmed pieces. There are bound to be exceptions but in this case they were superfluous.
To find out more about our music events for singles see Events.
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October 27th, 2009
There is something really good happening in Manchester. The wonderful BBC Philharmonic! When I enjoyed them at this year’s Proms under Sir Charles Mackerras I thought they were outstanding. Last Saturday, on home soil at the Bridgewater Hall they were simply tremendous. This time under the young Spanish conductor, Pablo Heras-Casado, who was making his debut with the orchestra, they were nothing short of world beating.
The orchestra play with a passion and intensity that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. In some concerts the music washes over you which is a pleasant enough experience, but with these players you are drawn in and made to feel a part of it. I am not a music critic, so I am not qualified to comment on the finer points of the playing, but so much that is great about classical music is in the emotions and feelings and boy do these guys deliver!
I had not come across Pablo Heras-Casado before but think Dudamel enlarged to twice the size and you will get some idea. He is a huge presence on the stage, immensely watchable with gentle but expressive hands.
Alban Gerhardt’s rendition of Dvorak’s Cello concerto in G minor was beautiful, despite the endpin of his cello taking on a life of its own during a sublime slow movement. It is a credit to him that the music did not suffer one bit as his instrument explored the podium.
What a shame then with all this wonderful music going on the hall was not full. The people of Manchester are missing out. The orchestra will be back at the Bridgewater Hall on 7 November, I urge you to find out for yourselves.
Posted in BBC Philharmonic, classical music | No Comments »
