Trios

Back home, my first outing to the Wigmore was for a couple of Beethoven piano trios, given by Kraggerud (violin), Brendel (cello) and Cooper (piano). Op.1 No.1 and Op.97, aka the 'Archduke'. The programme explains that Op.1 No.1 was not really the first thing that Beethoven published, but was selected by him, with an eye to fame and fortune, as being appropriate for his official birthday, as it were.

Kraggerud appears to have been a first. The nearest I come to Brendel is a book review by his father, mentioned at reference 1. We have heard Cooper quite a lot over the years, but the most recent occasion seems to be that noticed at reference 2, more than five years ago. And while I had thought that I would have heard the famous Archduke Trio before, I can find no trace of same, the nearest I come to it being the concert at reference 3, involving the Beethoven Archduke combination, but not the right one.

A mild, overcast evening. Much congestion on the up escalators from the platforms at Vauxhall Tube and much heat when I got onto a train to Oxford Circus.

Exit there to picnic at Cavendish Square and apéritif outside the Cock & Lion. Where I was entertained by some not so young men discussing boxing. Or at least one man, seemingly from an East End boxing family, banging on about same to his companions. With 'banging' and 'bangers' being technical terms in this boxing world: not altogether sure but perhaps a banger is a boxer whose main strength is his ability to land strong punches on his opponent. Perhaps a knock out artist.

Unusually, the flowers were not quite right in the hall, there being an error in the placement of the dominant arum lilies, lilies which I continue to confuse with Aaron.

The page turner seemed familiar and the lady next to me explained that he was the Hall's veteran turner; she felt she had grown old with him. I wonder now what he is by occupation: a piano teacher at one of the nearby schools of music?

The two trios were both excellent, with the first clearly being the work of a young man, the second something much more substantial.

Out to admire a rollator with bright red finish, like a show-off bicycle. Someone who is happy to flaunt his (or her) rollator, rather than hiding in the discrete matt gray favoured by FIL in his day. Or perhaps that was all that was available then, in what must be a rapidly growing market. Quite possibly the item at reference 4, to be hand for near £300 from Amazon - perhaps rather more than FIL would have cared to pay.

Just caught the slightly late running 2143 from Vauxhall.

Entertained in my taxi by tales of the (Ford) Cortina of the driver's youth, fitted with a three litre engine and accessories to match. The result being a car which was far too small for its speed. Braking was admitted to be a problem.

Reference 1: http://psmv2.blogspot.com/2015/06/winterreise.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv2.blogspot.com/2013/11/johann-baptist-mayrhofer.html.

Reference 3: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2016/10/a-kreutzer-festival.html.

Reference 4: http://www.trustcare.se/p17,en,lets-go-outdoor-rollators-lets-fly-red.html.