28.Last Night's Concert

After a very long interval, we went to a 'live' concert last night. For years, I have preferred records and CDs: Near-perfect quality, in the comfort of my home, at a convenient time. Still, these were cheap tickets through the U3A, and it was an attractive programme - the LSO at the Barbican.

We sat at the back of the balcony, but the acoustics are very good - and I had not forgotten to bring my hearing aid. Some people had brought binoculars, but they are not essential for an aural gratification [as Humphrey Lyttleton would have double entendred it].
Anre Previn had obvious difficulty walking and climbing the half dozen steps to the stage. He used no cane but he used the bannisters on both sides, and he sat on a high stool to conduct. From the programme we learnt that he is 79 [or 78]. Viewed from the long distance of our seats, my impression was not of Parkinsonism - unless it was well controlled by medication. He seemed to have weak leg muscles rather than arthritis - maybe due to trapped lumbar nerve roots: I know the feeling from my own experience. I felt sorry for him, particularly when the applause forced him to negotiate the steps to the stage for a second and a third time.

The music was excellent. During the 4 years of my private violin tuition as a boy, I was given a version of Mozart's 'Eine kleine Nachtmusik' adapted for solo violin. My performance was abysmal, but it made me familiar with this lovely piece of music. My gross technical inability, coupled with my reluctance to prectise, and the fact that I did not have perfect pitch, finally convinced me to give up. And I was able to convince our children to choose instruments that had a fixed pitch, rather than string instruments.

Next came a Mozart symphony - number 39. Beautifully played and very enjoyable. I'm not sure how much the concert notes add to my enjoyment. I'm not a musicologist but I do remember beautiful tunes.
After the interval the Brahms violin concerto was played brilliantly by Anne-Sophie Mutter, who is described as very well known. I discovered on the web that she was Previn's fifth [and most recent] wife - until 2006. They are obviously still good friends - he has just written music that they will perform together. She played superbly and did not use a score - but Previn did. Apparently she '...takes special pride in performing contemporary compositions for violin.' Well, include me out of those.

We travelled by tube, of course. On Sunday one can even park the car at the station forecourt. We had chosen to get off at Moorgate - equidistant with Barbican station. It proved to be a lucky choice, because as we waited on the platform to travel home it was announced that a signal failure had stopped the Metropolitan line there. Fortunately, the Northern line also connects at Moorgate, and we could join the Central Line at Bank. Had we chosen Barbican we would have had much more trouble - particularly as I had not brought my usual folder of bus and tube maps.

Compared with listening at home, the outing adds more than an extra hour at each end, and dislocates supper. But at least it didn't rain and it wasn't cold. We shall probably go again...