Over the past year many members have met a new partner and interesting friends through our introductions service and social events. This week we heard of our latest success – John from the Midlands and Sarah from London who are moving to Bath together: we wish them every happiness in their new life.

During the year we have visited many leading venues for the Arts including the Royal Festival Hall, Barbican, English National Opera, Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, West End Theatre, Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, Cadogan Hall, Opera Holland Park, Hatfield House and the Wigmore Hall. As well as enjoying informal soirees in members’ homes.

Our regular monthly informal drinks on the South Bank continue to be popular with members and guests.

This year we also launched a new online service  – http://www.classicalpartnersonline.co.uk to supplement our introduction service and events.

Classical Partners now offers something for everyone –
• personal introductions
• regular informal social events
• online dating service

We are looking forward to our last social outing of the year at the Royal Festival Hall this Saturday – Messiah by Candlelight – which should get us into festive mood. After the break we have lots of exciting events planned for the New Year (see http://www.classicalpartners.co.uk/Events.html)  and look forward to seeing you.

Best wishes

Dan and Caroline

After a delicious meal and couple of glasses of wine in the Barbican Lounge, we made our way down to the Stalls to enjoy this sell out concert. The programme was typical format – a rather strange modern work, Sofia Gubaidulina’s concerto for bayan accordion, sandwiched between two classics, Prokofiev’s ‘Classical’ Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony.

Not everyone in our party enjoyed the Gubaidulina – in fact from the interval chat I gather only two of us did! But everyone agreed that the Tchaikovsky was thrilling, even though Gergiev’s variations in tempo can sometimes be a little bizarre, as the critics have made mention of I see in this week’s reviews:

“Gergiev’s way with Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony could not have been tauter or more darkly Russian in coloration. Most of the time he stood on the podium unimpassioned, seemingly bored. But the LSO’s superb players knew exactly what to do, facing the fate motif with fiery strength, neatly swelling and tapering phrases in the waltz, generally keeping the symphony’s neurotic display just this side of bearable” (Times)

Equally critical of the conductor – the Guardian’s critic, Ivan Hewett – “Gergiev’s performance had a bizarre mixture of impatience and sluggishness… the rare moments of genuine feeling were entirely due to the sterling players of the LSO”

Opinion often seems to be divided on Gergiev, but I’m sure everyone in the Hall last Thursday would agree that the LSO sounded magnificent. Our CP group certainly thought so and all had a thoroughly enjoyable evening, meeting new like-minded people and enjoying a memorable concert together.

We will be returning to the Barbican several times no doubt in 2012. Our next classical music outings will be at the Royal Festival Hall and Wigmore Hall. See our Events page for details – http://www.classicalpartners.co.uk/Events.html

Great applause for Eugene Onegin opening night

The ENO’s new production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin opened at the Coliseum on Saturday night and our group from Classical Partners had a fantastic view of the performance from the Dress Circle slips.

Before the opera we met for complimentary glass of bubbly (offered to all ENO ticket holders) and delicious early evening supper at Cote Brasserie, just a few metres from the Coliseum.

Deborah Warner’s new production has been given the thumbs up by the critics, with 4-star reviews in the Telegraph, Guardian and Times.  Particularly singled out for praise are the ENO orchestra under Edward Gardner, the direction, set design and lighting.  And most of the central characters’ performances, notably Toby Spence’s as Lensky.

“Ravishingly designed by Tom Pye, costumed by Chloe Obolensky and lit by Jean Kalman, the show has been meticulously prepared.  I enjoyed and admired every soothing minute and can safely prophesy that it will be a big hit.”   Rupert Christiansen, the Telegraph.

“Tradtionally staged and passionately conducted, ENO’s new production of Tchaikovsky’s lyrical masterpiece is full of ensemble virtues.  The orchestra under Edward Gardner’s direction sounds virtuosic…. Warner’s direction is naturalistic and intelligent.  The duel, between the two men whose bond is rent asunder by wounded pride, is superb theatre; brutal and heartbreaking.”  Richard Morrison, The Times

It could be argued that some of the dramatic tension is lost in the English translation, but the music and staging in this production more than makes up for that.

What better way to spend an evening than enjoying good food and wine in the company of an interesting group of people all eagerly anticipating an exciting new operatic production – and the opera certainly didn’t disappoint.

Forthcoming musical evenings see us at the Barbican, Royal Festival Hall and Wigmore Hall, then in the New Year we will be at the Royal Albert Hall for a spectacular in-the-round production of Verdi’s stunning opera, Aida.  Can’t wait for that! 

Do look at our Events page for further details of forthcoming social evenings – http://www.classicalpartners.co.uk/Events.html

The rest of our group on Saturday seemed to agree that the play, about a New York Jewish couple in 1938 and how they are affected by what happens to German Jews on the night of the ‘Kristallnacht’, brilliantly explored, as Miller does so well, the angst and absurdities of the human condition. We had great seats near the front of the stalls from which to enjoy powerful performances from Antony Sher and Tara Fitzgerald in the leading roles.

Prior to the play our group had the chance to get acquainted over a glass or two of wine and delicious Italian meal at a nearby West End restaurant. All in all, a most stimulating evening!

At Classical Partners we aim to provide a wide variety of social events for members to attend and meet like-minded people. To that end, our next theatre outing offers somewhat lighter fare – a new production of Michael Frayn’s sparkling, multi-award winning comedy, Noises Off. Directed by Lindsay Posner and starring Robert Glenister and Celia Imrie, this new production at The Old Vic is sure to be thoroughly entertaining. See
http://www.oldvictheatre.com/whatson.php?id=80

Other cultural treats planned for the New Year include a spectacular production of Aida at the Royal Albert Hall and some superb concerts at the Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall and Cadogan Hall. See our Events page for further details      - http://www.classicalpartners.co.uk/Events.html

The quality of the performances seems to be better every time we go and the Hall’s marvellous acoustic enhances the recital even more. This week we were treated to the Kungsbacka Piano Trio, named after the Swedish town in which they gave their first performance and where they have established an annual festival. Their programme combined a couple of Beethoven’s most impressive works for piano trio along with a brand new work by Hans Henze which was equally stirring but in a totally different style. The packed hall seemed to lap it up.

Forthcoming treats on offer at the Wigmore Hall include the Nash Ensemble, Nicola Bennedetti, Paul Lewis, Steven Isserlis and Stephen Hough. See http://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on

After the recital we adjourned to the Bechstein Room downstairs for the complimentary glass of sherry that accompanies one’s coffee concert ticket and then in to the stylish and elegant but oh-so comfortable Wigmore Restaurant for a leisurely three-course lunch.

After a couple of hours of delicious food, wine and lively conversation, CP members went their various ways, eg one lady on to her choir rehearsal, and another small group of members were last seen heading towards Oxford Street, for a cup of tea and spot of shopping in John Lewis.

We will be back at the Wigmore Hall early in the New Year for another relaxing Sunday outing. Meanwhile members of Classical Partners have some great concerts, theatre and opera to look forward to. If you are interested in attending top class cultural events and meeting like-minded people at the same time – see our Events page for details of what’s coming up http://www.classicalpartners.co.uk/Events.html