There will be a week of concerts & recitals in various venues in London during July 2013 featuring Ida Haendel.
A quite remarkable violinist, more appreciated by fellow players than the public. A session on Google will enlighten one to the quite incredible talent of this woman.
Once again my personal reminiscences come to the fore; small boy who should be at school, somewhere near the BBC buildings around Portland Place. Side street, two men talking in open doorway to building. Eventually one goes, I approach the other. I ask permission to attend a rehearsal for a concert. Very important for me as I'm going to attend a Music College shortly ( lie ) & learn to play the violin ( another lie ). He gives it a little thought. " You been here before " ?
" Yes " say I. ( lie )
" Right then " says he " Find yorself a dark corner, sit down & be quiet."
I do as I'm told. There is an orchestra of sorts - not many. Everyone seems to be in ordinary working clothes.
A small girl, rather skinny, with sharp features is standing on the platform. She is holding a violin. I can't hear what is being said. There is an intro from the orchestra before she joins in. I suddenly realise what is being played - the Beethoven violin concerto, the slow movement. It sounds fantastic, like I have on a record at home. ( Menuhin ). I stay 'til the end - there is a lot of talk, I can't hear or understand properly. Decide to play safe & leave - but how exciting ! Someone called her Eeda or something like that. Realised later it might have been Ida. Couldn't have afforded the real concert but this was a fantastic souvenir. It was Ida, she was in the paper a few days later.
Will find out more about concerts in the future & go to more rehearsals not only to hear the music but LEARN about it as well - like a school lesson, only interesting & useful to me later in life.
( Such was my thinking & behaviour aged about 16 - 17 should I have regretted it, I think not ).
A quite remarkable violinist, more appreciated by fellow players than the public. A session on Google will enlighten one to the quite incredible talent of this woman.
Once again my personal reminiscences come to the fore; small boy who should be at school, somewhere near the BBC buildings around Portland Place. Side street, two men talking in open doorway to building. Eventually one goes, I approach the other. I ask permission to attend a rehearsal for a concert. Very important for me as I'm going to attend a Music College shortly ( lie ) & learn to play the violin ( another lie ). He gives it a little thought. " You been here before " ?
" Yes " say I. ( lie )
" Right then " says he " Find yorself a dark corner, sit down & be quiet."
I do as I'm told. There is an orchestra of sorts - not many. Everyone seems to be in ordinary working clothes.
A small girl, rather skinny, with sharp features is standing on the platform. She is holding a violin. I can't hear what is being said. There is an intro from the orchestra before she joins in. I suddenly realise what is being played - the Beethoven violin concerto, the slow movement. It sounds fantastic, like I have on a record at home. ( Menuhin ). I stay 'til the end - there is a lot of talk, I can't hear or understand properly. Decide to play safe & leave - but how exciting ! Someone called her Eeda or something like that. Realised later it might have been Ida. Couldn't have afforded the real concert but this was a fantastic souvenir. It was Ida, she was in the paper a few days later.
Will find out more about concerts in the future & go to more rehearsals not only to hear the music but LEARN about it as well - like a school lesson, only interesting & useful to me later in life.
( Such was my thinking & behaviour aged about 16 - 17 should I have regretted it, I think not ).
And saly! 
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