A Musical Flourish
Janáček’s Sinfonietta was simply an amazing wonder. I’ve heard extracts from the work before on the radio, particularly the opening brass fanfare. But this truly monumental work can only be fully appreciated when performed live, which was what I encountered this evening.
Enormous forces were arrayed. I counted eight double basses and ten trumpets, and let’s not forget to mention the horns and trombones and tubas as well. The work comes in five movements, and at the closing Andante Con Moto, the original fanfare theme is once again sounded, but with even more dramatic energy and force, resulting in a cavalcade and cacophony of brilliant, brilliant sounds.
Mere words cannot describe the experience. Neither can a lousy CD recording. One has to be there in person, fused to the seat, ready to receive the astonishing revelation.
The parents and I had been attending a concert at the Royal Festival Hall in the newly refurbished South Bank Centre. Also on the menu was the intensely German opening overture to Wagner’s Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Mozart’s Piano Concert No. 25, performed by the legendary Mitsuko Uchida. Serving up the delights was the Philharmonia Orchestra, resident at South Bank, under chef and conductor Sir Charles Mackerras.
The orchestra arranged themselves in an interesting order. For instance - from the perspective of the audience - the double basses stood at the rear of the stage, instead of the percussion section, the members of which were sprinkled throughout. Flanking the conductor on right were the second violins, not the cellos. The harpist sat on the extreme right hand side of the stage, and not the traditional left. Heck. I had always encountered lady harpists, but the Philharmonia had a fat, greying middle-aged man play the part instead.
But all in all, we left the Royal Festival Hall, impressed, walking into the summer twilight of a wet London evening. The parents leave for home tomorrow, and I sure hope they enjoyed themselves these past two weeks, first in England with the sister, and then in the Northern Baltics and London with me.
Enormous forces were arrayed. I counted eight double basses and ten trumpets, and let’s not forget to mention the horns and trombones and tubas as well. The work comes in five movements, and at the closing Andante Con Moto, the original fanfare theme is once again sounded, but with even more dramatic energy and force, resulting in a cavalcade and cacophony of brilliant, brilliant sounds.
Mere words cannot describe the experience. Neither can a lousy CD recording. One has to be there in person, fused to the seat, ready to receive the astonishing revelation.
The parents and I had been attending a concert at the Royal Festival Hall in the newly refurbished South Bank Centre. Also on the menu was the intensely German opening overture to Wagner’s Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Mozart’s Piano Concert No. 25, performed by the legendary Mitsuko Uchida. Serving up the delights was the Philharmonia Orchestra, resident at South Bank, under chef and conductor Sir Charles Mackerras.
The orchestra arranged themselves in an interesting order. For instance - from the perspective of the audience - the double basses stood at the rear of the stage, instead of the percussion section, the members of which were sprinkled throughout. Flanking the conductor on right were the second violins, not the cellos. The harpist sat on the extreme right hand side of the stage, and not the traditional left. Heck. I had always encountered lady harpists, but the Philharmonia had a fat, greying middle-aged man play the part instead.
But all in all, we left the Royal Festival Hall, impressed, walking into the summer twilight of a wet London evening. The parents leave for home tomorrow, and I sure hope they enjoyed themselves these past two weeks, first in England with the sister, and then in the Northern Baltics and London with me.
Earlier in the day, I had taken the two of them to Hampstead for a nice pub lunch at the Freemasons Arms, the same place which I failed to get in earlier in the month. We each tried out the roast beef, and I think none of us came away disappointed. The Freemasons Arms is one of London’s premier gastropubs, with a classy setting in the middle of one of the city’s most handsome districts.
My Sunday pub mates are slowly leaving London one by one, and I need to go look for new partners. It’s been interesting as well to visit different pubs, each with its own unique character. I hear of those who have made it their passion to visit all pubs in Britain. I think I’d be happy if I could get to visit just five percent of London’s pubs during my time here.
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