Concerto Grosso Op.6 No.1 from Corelli. Cantatas HWV230(short) HWV82 (long) from Handel. Stabat Mater from Pergolesi - apparently a great hit, much copied, in its day.
All unknown to us, with our vinyl Corelli stopping at Op.4 and with the rather more numerous Handel not including any cantatas. It does, however, include 'La Resurrezione' from the very same Academy, in the days when it was directed by Hogwood, rather than the rather stout gentleman who directs now. All unheard by me, at least so far.
This was the first concert, with four repeats to follow around the country, ending up at Bath on Friday. We supposed that the Academy had a tour bus, rather in the way of the football team, with much muttering if the director preferred to travel in private, in his own car, rather than slumming it with the team.
Waterloo trains in trouble (for once), so we took a very crowded train to Sutton, made even more crowded by the presence of a bicycle just about where we were standing. No bicycle rack after the fashion of the Southwestern rolling stock. But in fairness to the rider, I imagine that this particular train was not usually crowded, that his cycle would not usually matter, rules or no rules.
Pleased to find a connection to Elephant & Castle at Sutton, pleased to find our way from Elephant & Castle (overground) to Elephant & Castle (underground) without getting lost in the market or anywhere else.
Took our picnic in the rather canteen-like basement of Milton Court, an area probably dedicated to students rather than customers. A picnic which, for a change, consisted of cheese rolls made with crusty rolls from the Coughlans at Horton Retail. Light and fluffy rolls with a crust which did not smash fillings. Rather good. Upstairs to take a little Jameson, which we thought very cheap at £6 for a double. But did not think to buy an interval drink then, which was a mistake, as buying a drink in the interval would have been difficult.
Onto the stalls, where one of our neighbours was an older lady who had been driven from Newbury, a trip she made, it seems, quite often, not caring to stay over in hotels. We did not get to find out how her driver whiled away the couple of hours or so he had to wait. Something of an AAM groupie, so perhaps we will find her at the Wigmore one day and get to know her a little better.
The music was very good, with the soprano (Keri Fuge) and counter-tenor (Tim Mead) making some wonderful music in duet mode. Strings, lute, small organ and harpiscord, this last looking to come from the same stable as the one noticed at reference 1. Slightly marred by a young violinist who could not stand still at all when he was not playing and a lute player who looked about him in a rather distracting way when not playing. Contrariwise, the soprano was very good at keeping very still in her intervals. Off the back and shoulders red gown and I thought rather a lot of make up, but a tremendous voice and great poise.
No record of our having hear Fuge before and too tiresome to check Mead, as the search involved finds 'Longmead', of which there are lots. Maybe there is a workaround, but I have yet to find it.
The Pergolosi did not strike me as being terribly tragic, which was a little disappointing, as I had assumed that it would be. Perhaps it would have been had I followed the words rather than the action. Perhaps it would be if I listened to it again. But I also associate to some musicologist writing that the music of Bach's cantatas was all very mixed up and that it would be quite wrong to think of his secular cantatas being a different breed from his sacred ones.
After a 10 minute wait, No.4 bus back to Waterloo, where the trains were still in trouble, but where we caught a very late running train to Epsom, more or less as we arrived. A crowded train, in which a couple of young girls - that is to say twenty or so - gave us their seats. Gratefully accepted.
Home to turn the last roll into the first fried egg roll for a while. Improper to the extent of frying in rape seed oil rather than lard and in the new sauté pan rather than in a frying pan. Rather good all the same.
PS: the illustration being that which caused the flap this morning. Google image knew about and knew what it was, but failed to say anything about where the image came from. Or what the sword is for.
Reference 1: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/kings-place.html.
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