After writing about my preparations for Monday’s concert at Wigmore Hall with Erich Höbarth, I’m delighted to report that we had a wonderful time. In fact, it was one of my most favourite concerts of recent years. Erich was tremendous, and I felt that I was ‘in the zone’, always easier to feel if you know […]

It’s getting close now to my concert on Monday 16 Feb at my favourite hall (London’s Wigmore Hall, in case anyone didn’t know) with the marvellous Austrian violinist Erich Höbarth, leader of Quatuor Mosaiques, Concentus Musicus Wien, and an old friend of the Wigmore audience. Our programme is all-Schubert and includes the magnificent three-movement Fantasie, […]

I have had a lovely week at the International Musicians’ Seminar in Prussia Cove. Last September, there were swirling mists and rain. I remember I spent a lot of time taking atmospheric photos of old gates and rocks looming out of the sea mist. This year, by contrast, the weather was fine all week. And […]

I’m looking forward to another visit to the International Musicians’ Seminar ‘Open Chamber Music’ at Prussia Cove in Cornwall, where a large group of musicians (mostly string players, but also some pianists) gathers to play chamber music. At this time of year I always find myself imagining the journeys undertaken, at their own expense, by friends […]

This morning I went to hear Daniil Trifonov’s piano recital at the Edinburgh Festival. Normally wild horses wouldn’t drag me to hear all twelve of Liszt’s ‘Transcendental Studies’. With very few exceptions, I’ve always found them musically rather dull,  and can never imagine why anyone would feel motivated enough to learn the torrents of arpeggios, double […]