Started the evening sitting across the way from a red lycra clad young man who had probably been up and down Box Hill a few times and was then refueling from a large tub of some rather smelly red pasta stuff - so what with his trough work and one thing and another, he was occupying rather more than his fair share of space. Plus we had his new looking and gadget packed bicycle, also red. How long will it be before he learns some manners and does his trough work on the platform?
Off at Green Park to walk past a new-to-us restaurant called Sexy Fish, complete with a large floral fish on the pavement, about a couple of cubic metres worth, subsequently featured in the Evening Standard. According to reference 1, part of a chain which also owns the Ivy, but I don't think that it would suit either our palettes or our purses. Pity about the fine chipper that there used to be in Wilton Road. See reference 2.
Next up was the new-to-us iron grill work finishing off the returns of the ceramic art work which covers most of the outside of Debenhams. See reference 3.
Managed to drop my warfarin over cake and Chenin Blanc downstairs, before upstairs to a not very full Wigmore Hall, Perhaps houses are lighter in the summer.
First half of the concert, a couple of settings of the ancient 'Salve Regina', sandwiching a short piece by Webern, was really good; perhaps particularly so as we do not often get to hear lady singers. That said, really good though it was, I still can't see myself getting into opera. All far too contrived. But then, perhaps it is like cruises in that lots of people like cruises and lots of people say they would hate them - but with a lot of these last winding up thinking it is great when they actually try it. I associate to the door-to-door salesman course I once went on where it was explained that the people who put up the most defence at the door were often the easiest touch once you got inside. As far as cruises are concerned, I remain on guard at the door.
For some reason, the Octet was very good in parts, but seemed to go on a bit. Perhaps I was tired. But it does seem to be a piece that I cannot rely on. Sometimes it is really great, sometimes not.
But situation was redeemed by an encore involving the soprano and the whole sextet doing an arrangement from a Schubert singspeil. An encore which was really something. Audience very enthusiastic. Prohaska certainly has both voice and presence.
BH's interval ice-cream very hard again, with the lady next to us going so far as to break her plastic spoon. Fortunately the ice-cream girl had supplies of spare spoons. I must get round to sharpening up a small spoon to take to such occasions. Stainless steel should be able to cope.
Just caught the train to Epsom, which was good when it is getting on on Sunday evening, and just missed some broken down train kerfuffle at Earlsfield. Which was both good and a reminder that the platforms which I usually use at Earlsfield are in a sort of lay-by, with the real trains whizzing past on the main line. Obvious enough when I looked later in the week, but then I usually don't.
Reference 1: http://www.sexyfish.com/.
Reference 2: http://www.seafresh-dining.com/.
Reference 3: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/in-margins.html.
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