Dorking

Last Sunday to Dorking for the first of our concerts there this year, given by the new-to-us Barbican String Quartet. Haydn Op.50 No.4. Berg Op.3. Schubert D.810, aka death and the maiden. This last possibly last heard by us a little less than a year ago and noticed at reference 1. Probably also our last visit to the Green Room restaurant next to the Ballet Rambert operation on the south eastern end of Waterloo Bridge.

Haydn as good as expected - with Haydn having turned out to be a very reliable item on concert programmes. The Berg was nicely introduced, I think, by the second violin - and we both liked it, although we were not sure how much more of it one would want. While the Schubert, taken after a drop of Bells, turned out very well, which is by no means always the case with favourites, Haydn apart.

Bells taken with discussion with the people next to us about the merits of microwaving the ice cream sold in such places, in this case Dorking Halls. It seems that 15 seconds is the time required - information which is no use to us as our microwave does not run to a second timer. And at the Wigmore Hall, where interval ice cream is also sold very cold, running down to the restaurant from the foyer, where there is, no doubt, a microwave, is not really an option.

Sitting on the cello side, I was very cello conscious on this occasion, an Italian instrument from the end of the eighteenth century. First and second violins also Italian instruments from the same period. Viola anonymous. First violin from a maker whose instruments range up to over a million pounds at auction - so clearly not something to be left on a train. I wonder what precautions people who play such instruments take? After all, it would be a pity not to play them out at all.

Wound up the proceedings with tea and cake, with my cake being a Danish, which turned out to be a little overloaded, the pastry cook having thought to add chocolate to the mix of pastry, sugar and currants. Tea a bit odd too, perhaps one of those funny brands, one of those new takes on tea for the new century, favoured by people like Costa Coffee.

Dark by the time we got out. With stars to be seen by the time we got home, which is unusual in Epsom. Not clear enough to be worth bringing out the monocular, but clear enough to see something. Really clear nights being very unusual, several a year rather than several a month.

PS: odd that foyer, from the French, originally meant a room where there was a fire. Something plenty of draughty foyers could certainly do with in the winter.

Reference 1: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/03/artemis.html.

Reference 2: https://www.barbicanquartet.com/. From which I learn that D.810 gets four continental outings after this one. Clearly into leveraging their rehearsal time.