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Monday, June 27, 2005
London [5]
Weekend travel blues -- St Johns's Wood Station closed, Jubilee Line out of action -- tube, buses very hot and crowded. Sleeping after lunch yesterday went on longer than I intended so I walked to Baker Street Station fairly fast -- 16 mins -- to go by tube to Prince's Gate to hear Paul Roberts play piano for the Chopin Society.
On tube sitting opposite, a young man Federer look-alike -- I resisted saying Hi Roger, having a nice day off?
The Chopin Society assembled in the drawing-room of the Sikorski Museum, Polish flags and military memorabilia everywhere, and in the corner a copy of Delacroix's portrait of Fred himself. Fine 19th c rococo style stucco on ceiling, Baby Grand, but quite sufficient for the drawing room packed very tight with about 60 chairs.
I was talking with the person next to me, when a woman in the row in front turned and asked if I wanted piano lessons, an Australian, originally from AdelaideMary Leonard. She gave me her card, tho I did explain that I was strictly an out-of-town visitor.
This was the best of the afternoon Time Out listings for Sunday: Ravel -- 4 pieces from the Tombeau de Couperin -- de Falla -- Debussy -- Albeniz. Paul Roberts, who is a scholar as well as a pianist, introduced the pieces - and played with vigour & rhythmic verve. The oidd thing was that there was only one Chopin piece in the programme, the Fantaisie Impromptu, but sounding strangely like more Ravel. The de Falla was especially striking: the rarely played Fantaisie Baitica [I've left programme at the flat can't remember spelling for sure] originally composed for Arthur Rubinstein. The friendly Chopinians then served a splendid buffet with wine or tea or coffee -- all home made. I watched as a rather fat man who got in early piled a little paper-plate high with sandwiches sausage-rolls and quiche & went out to the terrace balancing it carefully. And it was the birthday of a pianist member Paul Furtwangler. We sang a hearty Happy Birthday, & about six Polish women members then sang the Polish equivalent.
Alice, on Saturday night, reported that she came 2 /5 in a small invitational competition, with her best overall score, 33.25 / 40. It cd have been better, but there was a real problem with inadequate springboards. She told me she had focussed hard on the performance and that had helped her with her pre-competition nervousness. Thanks to Sophie for advice!
Stefan phoned to say they will perform in MonteCarlo, 2 shows, just before going to Bournemouth, thanks to an invitation arranged by Peter Maxwell, & there's also to be a private show for Prince Albert.
On tube sitting opposite, a young man Federer look-alike -- I resisted saying Hi Roger, having a nice day off?
The Chopin Society assembled in the drawing-room of the Sikorski Museum, Polish flags and military memorabilia everywhere, and in the corner a copy of Delacroix's portrait of Fred himself. Fine 19th c rococo style stucco on ceiling, Baby Grand, but quite sufficient for the drawing room packed very tight with about 60 chairs.
I was talking with the person next to me, when a woman in the row in front turned and asked if I wanted piano lessons, an Australian, originally from AdelaideMary Leonard. She gave me her card, tho I did explain that I was strictly an out-of-town visitor.
This was the best of the afternoon Time Out listings for Sunday: Ravel -- 4 pieces from the Tombeau de Couperin -- de Falla -- Debussy -- Albeniz. Paul Roberts, who is a scholar as well as a pianist, introduced the pieces - and played with vigour & rhythmic verve. The oidd thing was that there was only one Chopin piece in the programme, the Fantaisie Impromptu, but sounding strangely like more Ravel. The de Falla was especially striking: the rarely played Fantaisie Baitica [I've left programme at the flat can't remember spelling for sure] originally composed for Arthur Rubinstein. The friendly Chopinians then served a splendid buffet with wine or tea or coffee -- all home made. I watched as a rather fat man who got in early piled a little paper-plate high with sandwiches sausage-rolls and quiche & went out to the terrace balancing it carefully. And it was the birthday of a pianist member Paul Furtwangler. We sang a hearty Happy Birthday, & about six Polish women members then sang the Polish equivalent.
Alice, on Saturday night, reported that she came 2 /5 in a small invitational competition, with her best overall score, 33.25 / 40. It cd have been better, but there was a real problem with inadequate springboards. She told me she had focussed hard on the performance and that had helped her with her pre-competition nervousness. Thanks to Sophie for advice!
Stefan phoned to say they will perform in MonteCarlo, 2 shows, just before going to Bournemouth, thanks to an invitation arranged by Peter Maxwell, & there's also to be a private show for Prince Albert.
Posted by: Tony Green / 10:51 AM 
