Category: Music

Piano Concerto

The opening chords of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1 are instantly recognisable; you can listen to the whole piece at the end of this post. The reaction it evoked when it was first played may come as a surprise to you.

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The Guards Chapel

On a Sunday morning in June 1944 the Guards Chapel was hit by a flying bomb during Matins. The whole building was destroyed, except the apse, and 121 people died.

Sounds of the ’60s

Everyone can remember the first record they ever bought. I was reminded of this by a reader telling me that her’s was Lily the Pink, see London House Prices, mine was A Hard Day’s Night.

Thoroughly Modern Manon

Puccini’s Manon Lescaut was screened live from the Met in HD, as they frequently remind us, in cinemas on Saturday.

Wiggers

On Sunday I went to a concert at the Wigmore Hall. Wiggers works its socks off: they put on about 400 performances annually and don’t just sit back and enjoy the million pounds they get in funding from the Arts Council; they both raise money and sell tickets – hoorah!

Fulham Opera

As English National Opera struggles to fill their £5 million annual deficit a new opera house is born. This is St. John’s church in Fulham, West London.

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London House Prices

I’ll write those three most hated dinner party words again, “London house prices”.  Like Glenda Slagg in Private Eye, aren’tcha sick of ’em?

Lords and Ladies

An attempt is being made to slow the rate at which hereditary titles become extinct; no I don’t know why either. Lord Trefgarne has introduced a Succession to Peerages Bill in the House of Lords which, if it receives Royal Assent, will allow hereditary titles to be inherited by the eldest child of either sex.

A Serious Musical

Le Boeuf sur le toit is a jazzy, tango composition by Darius Milhaud. I like it hugely and think the best translation is “Beef on the roof”.