Second attempt

Following the outing to hear the Carducci Quartet noticed at reference 1, Friday past to hear a very similar programme from the Borodin Quartet. The same Shostakovich and Beethoven moved down from Op.59 No.3 to Op.59. No.1. Both very good indeed.

Oddly, while the the Shostakovich was very good, better than earlier in the week, I am not sure that I would have known that it was the same piece, had I not known, despite the distinctive, piano quintet like motif popping up in the first movement. Sat in row I, I once again had a very strong sense of the music coming out of fancy wooden boxes, something which has not happened for a while. Recently it has just been there, coming from stage, but not particularly from the instruments. But see reference 4 for another notice of the same sort of thing, also at the Wigmore Hall.

Stage manners and presence of the quartet also very good.

I am pleased to report that our neighbourhood in the hall was fidget light, although I did notice one very small boy in the interval, young enough to have brought a soft toy with him. And I was conscious of a faggist near me, a reminder of how, as an ex-smoker, one is especially sensitised to the smells of smoking.

On the way to the tube at Oxford Street we passed a busker pumping out interesting rhythms on some very basic equipment - just a few upturned plastic tubs. And he was certainly getting very charged up by having a couple of young ladies striking up a dance just next to him. I think we have seen him there before, and on this occasion at least he did not jar. Unlike the row which followed in the depths of the tube station. I associate to a story I read recently that dance and rhythm are what it was all about at the beginning; tone and all that jazz came later.

Viewing conditions quite good at Earlsfield, but I managed just the one aeroplane. Perhaps a little late for them at 2200.

PS: I got into a muddle about the Cavatini movement of Op.130, which took quality time at the event noticed at reference 3. Nothing to do with this programme at all. The beauty of the slow movement fo this Beethoven, plus the word Cavatina at the bottom of the programme must have bamboozled me.

Reference 1: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/carducci.html.

Reference 2: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/borodin.html. Last recorded occasion.

Reference 3: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/an-emotional-occasion.html.

Reference 4: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/wooden-boxes.html.