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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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 16th, 2008
So I have had a little moan about the cost of Opera tickets in this country when compared to Italy, but it does not stop me going, so I suppose my love for music wins at the end of the day. I know that I am incredibly lucky position as my work with Classical Partners means that I get to go to a live music event nearly every weekend. If you want to have a look at what concerts I plan to attend in the near future you can see our events diary on our website www.classicalpartners.co.uk I do not claim to have a great musical knowledge, but I do know what I like and am always willing to try something new. Variety is after all the spice of life. I now find that I listen to less and less recorded music as it can never deliver anything like the emotional impact of a live performance. If I feel the need for a little musical stimulation I am generally happy to turn on the radio and let them do the choosing although I do have a few personal favourites to suit most moods but I will keep those to myself for now.
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