Yesterday lunchtime I went through snow & ice to my first Free-on-Friday lunchtime concert of 2013 at Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London. It takes a lot to come between me (61), my mate Sam (75) and a free concert (and a post-concert pint in the OTT surroundings of Wetherspoons at Baker St)
The programme was a tribute to the recently deceased Elliott Carter. Students from RAM performed three Carter pieces Au Quai, 90+ and Hiyoku
Au Quai is for the unusual pairing of viola and bassoon. The programme notes by Carter tell us that the title was suggested by Schoenberg's short story 'To the Wharfs' in which he describes the mounting anxiety of the members of a French fishing village as the boats and the sea-bound fishermen failed to appear aftera storm and several days' absence. When they were suddenly sighted all shouted 'to the wharfs, au quais, OK
90+ for piano was written in March 1994 to celebrate the 90th birthday of Carter's friend the Italian composer Goffredo Petrassi
Hiyoku was written for the clarinettists Ayako and Charlie Neidlich whose performances were so outstanding that I [Carter] chose to write this piece in the fall of 2001 for them. I asked Ayako to suggest a title and she explained it: 'an old poetic word (for Hainku) meaning two wings, wqith the connotation of two birdsflying togerther in the wind. It also has the connotation of two people traveling through life together.'
The rest of the concert was a performance of Mozart piano concerto no. 24 in C minor, K.491 by the Academy Concert Orchestra conducted from the piano by Pierre-Laurent Aimard.
As is so often the case when I listen to more familiar music after I have listened to intriguing but unfamiliar music, the Mozart came up 'as fresh as new paint. The orchestra was magnificent, vibrato applied on occasion rather than en bloc and the woodwind in particular were a complete joy. Aimard was a lively soloist and the whole thing rounded off a thrilling concert very well.
Then after much applause it was out into the icy blast to Baker Street's Wetherspoons where I had my first pint of Auld Lang Syne, 'A Scottish Ale' said the label. It slipped down very easily & I tottered home without slipping and fell into a three-hour snoozle, musing on how fortunate I am to be able to hear such wonderful familiar and less familar music played with such passion and expertise ... and it was free
The programme was a tribute to the recently deceased Elliott Carter. Students from RAM performed three Carter pieces Au Quai, 90+ and Hiyoku
Au Quai is for the unusual pairing of viola and bassoon. The programme notes by Carter tell us that the title was suggested by Schoenberg's short story 'To the Wharfs' in which he describes the mounting anxiety of the members of a French fishing village as the boats and the sea-bound fishermen failed to appear aftera storm and several days' absence. When they were suddenly sighted all shouted 'to the wharfs, au quais, OK
90+ for piano was written in March 1994 to celebrate the 90th birthday of Carter's friend the Italian composer Goffredo Petrassi
Hiyoku was written for the clarinettists Ayako and Charlie Neidlich whose performances were so outstanding that I [Carter] chose to write this piece in the fall of 2001 for them. I asked Ayako to suggest a title and she explained it: 'an old poetic word (for Hainku) meaning two wings, wqith the connotation of two birdsflying togerther in the wind. It also has the connotation of two people traveling through life together.'
The rest of the concert was a performance of Mozart piano concerto no. 24 in C minor, K.491 by the Academy Concert Orchestra conducted from the piano by Pierre-Laurent Aimard.
As is so often the case when I listen to more familiar music after I have listened to intriguing but unfamiliar music, the Mozart came up 'as fresh as new paint. The orchestra was magnificent, vibrato applied on occasion rather than en bloc and the woodwind in particular were a complete joy. Aimard was a lively soloist and the whole thing rounded off a thrilling concert very well.
Then after much applause it was out into the icy blast to Baker Street's Wetherspoons where I had my first pint of Auld Lang Syne, 'A Scottish Ale' said the label. It slipped down very easily & I tottered home without slipping and fell into a three-hour snoozle, musing on how fortunate I am to be able to hear such wonderful familiar and less familar music played with such passion and expertise ... and it was free
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