psmv5: Hewitt

That is to say, the pianist Angela Hewitt, not the place in Ontario, just across Lake Erie from New York State. Oddly, for a well-known pianist who does a lot of Bach, we had only heard her once before, back in 2018 and noticed at reference 1. At the end of reference 2, I noticed the demise of her Fazioli piano and reference 3 is her own website.

On this occasion, sold-out, she was offering a mixed programme, from the masters of two hundred years ago: Haydn HXVII/6, Mozart K485, Schubert D899 No.3 and Beethoven Op.27 No.2, aka Moonlight.

As it turned out, we were a bit rushed on the day, with my having been attacked with a spot of senior confusion over the railway timetable. But we did make it, taking in a cheerful litter picking team from Aviva on the way. Clearly a company with a community relations programme. More senior confusion over the price of a senior one day travelcard, this despite the most recent price rise being months ago.

And then on the train we had a noisy man of middle years conducting his business by telephone. Considering what sounded like the scale of the business, a man of very limited vocabulary, so perhaps he was busily climbing the greasy pole from a low start. Whatever the case, it would be much pleasanter on trains if such people did their business somewhere else.

We remembered to take the necessary very sharp left at the top of the escalator at Bond Street, easy to miss with eyes front, thus getting out at Marylebone Lane, far and away the best exit for Olle & Steen. Where we discovered that while decaff might look very much the same as americano, BH could tell the difference by smell, and was thus able to avoid an unwanted caffeine hit.

There was a lot of early booking, which meant that we, for a change, were reasonably near the front but far left, as it happened in the Director's Box, as it were, the director showing up for this occasion, as he had at that noticed at reference 1. He might favour this particular aisle seat as it gives him easy access to stage and back-stage should that be needed.

While I was able to learn that the fancy brown marble trim was less than a quarter of an inch thick. I have been surprised before at how thin it is thought worth sawing stone, given that you must lose an eighth of an inch or more in the cutting. Maybe there is also the consideration that you can stick thin marble to the wall, like tiles in a kitchen.

And then below we had some old-style threaded pipework. At the time I thought that I had never seen threaded copper before, but this morning I think the right answer is that the pipes are steel, but painted brown to go with the rest of the décor.

The performance was given on a Paul McNulty copy of a Graf fortepiano, for which see reference 4. I did not like to take a picture of it (although people were), so I can't score it, which is a pity. On the other hand, I did wonder what it was about keyboard instruments of this sort that meant that they were still - as far I was aware - a craft activity in a workshop rather than an industrial activity in a factory. Is it anything more than a question of volume? The demand for pianos remains large, while the demand for period instruments, while perhaps growing, is still modest?

Hewitt did us very well and I rather liked the tone of the instrument. More clarity and less sonorous mush. She also had good stage presence and somehow knew how to stop people clapping the instant she stopped, which was a very good thing as I like to take a few moments to disengage.

She played the Schubert from a computer, otherwise from memory. With a short and unknown encore. We were reminded that while the Lucia of reference 5 might just about get away with the first movement of the Moonlight, she would not get away with the rest of it.

To 2Veniti for lunch. Our usual wine was available, but the crispy bread we sometimes get was not and we had to settle for their regular mixed bread, adequate rather than good, a little out of step with the rest of their offering. Charcuterie to start, following in my case by some crab flavoured pasta which was very good. Spot on. While BH took the calve's liver, despite my experience at reference 6, and was well pleased with it. Perhaps my instructions to the waiter on that occasion had confused rather than taken things forward: better to say nothing and take what you get! Tiramisu with grappa to close.

A couple of chaps from the States next to us, New York and Chicago, who were on a week's culture fest, with two shows a day, theatrical or musical. One could only admire their stamina. But they were also a lot more knowledgeable about such matters than we were, including a daughter who did something operatic at Chicago - reminding me that Chicago is not just the railhead feeding Sinclair's slaughterhouses. Easy to forget when you have never been to the place.

I felt sure that the Radio 3 claim that this had been Hewitt's debut on a fortepiano in the UK was wrong, and that I had seen advertisements for same before, probably in a Wigmore Hall programme. Not something I managed to check later. But this morning, Gemini turns up this very performance and when prompted, tells me that previous concerts were probably harpsichord, not fortepiano, which seems quite reasonable. If not readily checkable - with reference 3 not running to a search button.

Maybe not checkable, but quite serviceable. The sort of plausible contribution that a human might make, and which one might assimilate without fuss. The evidence, such as it is, in in favour of the Radio 3 claim, and given that nothing much hangs on the matter, at least not for me, I am content to use it.

Out to inspect a fine hole in the road, and onto to Vauxhall where I was able to score a good number of singles.

The gap which conveniently framed the descent of aeroplanes dropping down to Heathrow to the west. But not enough to power me to even one two.

The outing closed with a non-scoring trolley at Epsom Station. I don't think it was still there the following morning. I suspect M&S of getting one of their young men to check first thing, part of the opening up routine.

PS 1: I might say that I find Bing maps quite attractive at the scale snapped above. More so than the Google equivalent, but perhaps they are not trying to do as much. Mixed up with Tom Tom according to the small print at the bottom. Maybe as a mapophile, I should take a look at reference 7 at some point.

PS 2: not best pleased to be told by YouGov that the present sum of the Conservative and Reform UK votes is slightly more than the Labour vote. The split in the right hand vote might help the left in the short term, but it is depressing how many of my compatriots take the right hand path, particularly given the mess that the right handers have got us into. Will I remember what the jolt right middle is all about?