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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 galantes' by Paul Verlaine
  • Christine - Brahms Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 4 with 'The Wanderer's Nightsong' by J.W. von Goethe
  • Neil and Christina -  Paule Maurice Tableaux de Provence for saxophone and piano, with 'O My Luve's Like A Red Red Rose' by R. Burns.

A fabulous mix of poetry and of musical styles and I enjoyed every performance. Most of the pieces performed are relatively known but I knew very little of Tableaux de Provence beforehand. Paule Maurice was a French composer of the mid 20th century and Tableaux is her most famous work. It's written for alto saxophone and orchestra but is often played with piano accompaniment. Each of the 5 movements is very evocative and humourous - especially 'Le cabridan (The Bumblebee)'. Definitely definitely worth another listen. 
Bernhard on violin

As a postscript to my first 'public performance', so to speak, we headed to Lanchester on Sunday 5th for 'Constanze Kaffeehausmusik' at Kaffeehaus Amadeus. An afternoon of coffee and lovely cakes (proper Kaffee und Kuchen!) with a little music, Vienna-style? Big big tick. The music performed was a mix of violin/piano and song/piano, with a hefty dose of Mozart. Even proprietor Bernhard performed a piece on his violin!

Fun songs - e.g. from Marriage of Figaro - for a fun afternoon!
 
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