Noriko Ogawa in concert: Hebden Bridge Piano Festival 2014

Hebden Bridge marina

Continuing my week of high quality concerts, M and I set off for Hebden Bridge yesterday with tickets to a sold out concert by renowned pianist Noriko Ogawa. Another new place experience too; for a small town there is a lot going on in Hebden Bridge. A fun afternoon exploring the town and sampling the culinary treasures of places like The Olive Branch... and a visit to the local record shop, Muse Music.

Hebden Bridge Piano Festival (this year part of Yorkshire Festival) was based in the recently renovated and community run Town Hall. A very bright, comfortable space with a cosy cafe as well. Arriving for the evening concert we heard most of Dale Storr's early evening set in the cafe, performing New Orleans style blues piano. An excellent performance including a rendition of Stairway to Heaven in homage to James Booker.

The sold out Waterfront Hall held around 200 people, all of whom were very excited to see Noriko. The concert programme included: Debussy Preludes Book 1; and Beethoven Sonata Op. 57 in F minor Appassionata. Placed prior to Beethoven was for us the standout piece: a new composition by Yoshihiro Kanno, Mizu no Ryushi - A Particle of Water (for piano and myochin-hibashi chopsticks). Introducing the work, Noriko explained that the chopsticks are made from the same steel as samurai swords and by a 54th generation craftsman who is the only person making these instruments.

Kanno's piece was incredibly atmospheric and mesmeric, with auditory renditions (as I heard them) of bells, a water garden, a bubbling stream, a storm. The myochin-hibashi chopsticks have a resonant metallic timbre, sonorous but not harsh, which provided an unusual counter-voice to the piano. To hear more, the BBC has a short interview with Noriko about the chopsticks available here.

With supreme skill, Noriko enchanted the audience with Debussy's Preludes Book 1; I particularly enjoyed nos 2, 3, 6 and 12. Her performance of Beethoven's Appassionata was sharp and breathtaking, however to my ears it was almost too much of a contrast to Debussy and Kanno. Nonetheless, a superb performance with an extra treat to finish: an encore of Debussy's Poissons d'or from Images, Book 1. All the pieces were briefly introduced to the audience before being played. Noriko also briefly highlighted fundraising merchandise she had available for the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Fund; I also noted with interest that Noriko organises the Jamie's Concerts series for autistic children and parents.

All in all two superb concerts. A few weeks break and then it's the turn of Valentina Lisitsa in Vienna - she will have a very very high standard to match!

Music, Poetry and Cake (Gateshead and Lanchester)

Piano at the ready! (by M) After a good few months prep, the concert Piano Music and Poetry (organised through the Gateshead Piano Workshop folks) came around pretty quickly. As one of the participants, I was excited and also a little nervous about the prospect of a Paying Audience. The work paid off, as all the performers were excellent! Well appreciated by the compact audience. The format was in relation to National Poetry Day which was on 2nd October. Each performer chose a poem either in direct or indirect relation to their piece. A summary of the programme: Alan - Liszt Consolation No 4 and Mozart Adagio in B minor Graeme - Chopin Nocturne Op. 62 No. 2 with 'Uncertainty' by Adam Mickiewicz me - Clara Schumann, andante con sentimento with 'Clara Wieck und Beethoven' by Franz Grillparzer Jim - R Schumann Kinderszenen 1 and 7 with 'My child, we were just children' by Heinrich Heine Ernie - Debussy Clair de lune with excerpt from 'Fêtes g...

Sounds of JUNOfest

Classical JUNOs performers Something of a musical melange weekend but an excellent set of events! Eschewing some of the bands and artists we knew, we chose less familiar sounds for our JUNOfest experience. First up was the Classical JUNOs in Concert event at the National Arts Centre , featuring both nominated performers and composers. The mix of contemporary music was brilliantly played by Christina Petrowska Quilico , Susan Hoeppner , Heather Schmidt and the New Orford String Quartet . Quilico amazed the almost 100-strong audience with her performance of Derek Charke's Sepia Fragments in a reduction for piano; I found this piece a really captivating mix of earthly and ethereal elements. Quilico's second performance was of Ann Southam's Glass Houses No. 5 , an hypnotic piece which sounded both fiendishly difficult to play but also very clean and unembellished. Susan Hoeppner's excellent performance of Eldin Burton's Sonatina for Flute and Piano got the po...

Pigeon Funk

Notes on a very random purchase. Earlier today I acquired Venetian Snares 'Rossz Csillag Alatt Sz ü letett ' purely on the basis of the language and artwork. Its certainly something different - and most definitely not pop. After a bit of searching: Venetial Snares is, according to Wikipedia, the performing name of Aaron Funk, who seems to specialise in experimental tracks in odd time signatures. Article here . The sleeve notes for this album (whose title is Hungarian for 'Born under a bad star') poses the question: what if, for just a day, we could both be pigeons? Interessant. Apparently this concept (a day in the life of a Hungarian pigeon) is non-typical of Venetian Snares sound, but one could ask, does Mr Funk do 'typical'? On first listening, the sound of this CD mixes classical/traditional Hungarian sounds and breakbeats. but aside from that? Definitely a 'listen for yourself' artist; try the website , fan site or myspace .

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