I've been watching Channel 4's new series, 'The Piano', in which amateur piano-playing members of the public put themselves forward to come and play an upright piano in the foyer of one of Britain's main railway stations. Unknown to them, watching behind the scenes...
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Last December my blog post about my favourite books of 2021 was quite popular, so here's another round-up of the best books I read in 2022. Once again it turns out that I read over fifty books, but some were re-readings, which either does or doesn't count, depending...
We generally try to make our own decorations for our home-made Christmas cake. We used to attempt traditional scenes of snowmen, sledging, fir trees, snowballs etc. In recent years, after icing the cake, we've switched to making animals out of the leftover icing. Each...
A reader has reproached me for not including the classic Richard Tauber recording in my previous blog post about different versions of Léhar's aria 'Dein ist mein ganzes Herz'. He points out that the composer actually wrote with Tauber's voice in mind, so mine was...
Sad news about the death of Peter Cropper, inspirational first violinist of the Lindsay Quartet. I didn't know Peter so well myself, but always felt connected to the Lindsays because the original viola player of my group Domus, Robin Ireland, moved to become the viola...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
I wrote recently about the piano duets played every night at piano camp in France - not just two people at one piano, but sometimes three people at one piano, or four people at two pianos. Famous works of music arranged for multiple hands, with one or two piano...
I've spent the past week teaching a piano course in the south of France. Stormy weather accompanied our music-making, and the temperatures were unseasonally low, though we were sometimes grateful that cooler weather made it easier to work. My class of pianists was a...
I was fortunate to be in the audience at the Finals of BBC Young Musician in the Usher Hall yesterday. What a treat! All three finalists showed a remarkable degree of poise, as well as a superb level of musicianship and skill. I was amazed by their calmness on the...
I've been quiet lately because I've been busy moving house (see scary picture of my grand piano being hauled through the window). After living in London since leaving university, Bob and I have moved to my home town of Edinburgh. To my surprise my return was mentioned...
I've just finished reading a wonderful Irish novel written at the close of the 19th century. 'The Real Charlotte' was written by Somerville and Ross, a pair of female cousins who co-authored a number of books including one of my all-time favourites, 'The Memoirs of an...