Concerts I've Been To 2013-
Evelyn Glennie and EAChO 21.9.13
Dame Evelyn Glennie is a world-famous solo percussionist, and the first ever to maintain a full-time career of it. She gives more than 100 performances a year and has played with many different ensembles, from Bobby McFerrin to Sting to the East Anglia Chamber Orchestra, with whom I saw her perform. She plays with incredible vitality and 'pizazz', which is one of the things that makes her such a pleasure to watch. As well as that her immaculate sense of rhythm and tone stood out for me. Glennie is completely deaf. She "listens" instead to the vibrations made by her playing.
In the concert, EAChO played two pieces, before and after Evelyn Glennie's appearance (by Kodaly and Beethoven). Jacques Cohen, the conductor, was incredibly vibrant and on a few occasions, actually jumped up into the air. Glennie played Eric Ewazen's Concerto for Marimba and String Orchestra. She wore only flip flops, so that she could feel the vibrations and therefore "listen".
What most struck me during the concert was the realisation that in music, most people hear but do not listen, but Glennie listens and does not hear. She was more connected with the music than I have ever seen in a musician. The only way in which she could know how her playing sounded was to feel the vibrations, something which she did for every single note.
Peter Fisher (violin) and Peter Hewitt (piano) 29.9.13
Fisher and Hewitt played three Brahms Sonatas (G Major, A Major, D minor), a movement of the FAE Sonata and as an encore; the famous Brahms Hungarian Dance. I had played the Hungarian Dance before on the violin and it was truly inspirational to see how a professional interpreted it.
Peter Fisher is an incredibly talented violinist, with a huge range of abilities- not something that can be said for all professionals, let alone all musicians. His lively sections were a pleasure to experience and his calm sections told wonderful stories and aroused a sense of great joy-de-vivre. He had a wonderful way of communicating the music that was enhanced by his friendly personality.
This was a fantastic concert for me to have attended, because there were both my instruments in it, so I was able to learn things from both of them, for example Fisher had incredibly soft hands the whole time, something every string player aspires towards. Hewitt's listening skills were so precise that even when Fisher played just a few notes at a slightly different tempo, Hewitt was able to follow him almost instantly so that for almost the entire performance, both were very together.
Peter Fisher (violin) and Peter Hewitt (piano) 29.9.13
Fisher and Hewitt played three Brahms Sonatas (G Major, A Major, D minor), a movement of the FAE Sonata and as an encore; the famous Brahms Hungarian Dance. I had played the Hungarian Dance before on the violin and it was truly inspirational to see how a professional interpreted it.
Peter Fisher is an incredibly talented violinist, with a huge range of abilities- not something that can be said for all professionals, let alone all musicians. His lively sections were a pleasure to experience and his calm sections told wonderful stories and aroused a sense of great joy-de-vivre. He had a wonderful way of communicating the music that was enhanced by his friendly personality.
This was a fantastic concert for me to have attended, because there were both my instruments in it, so I was able to learn things from both of them, for example Fisher had incredibly soft hands the whole time, something every string player aspires towards. Hewitt's listening skills were so precise that even when Fisher played just a few notes at a slightly different tempo, Hewitt was able to follow him almost instantly so that for almost the entire performance, both were very together.
Nice reviews Noa!
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