Disappointing Brodskis good Stenhammar

Yesterday Margie and I went to Stockholm for one of our regular quartet concerts. We heard the Stenhammar quartet play very well.

They started with a quartet by the seldom played Swedish female composer Elfrida Andrée, not great music, but very nice and worth hearing more of. This was following the Shostacovich 9th, a great work very well played. After the interval they made a very good job of a late Beethoven. As an extra piece they play a charming little Elergy by Tor Aulin (I must try and locate the notes of this).

All in all a very enjoyable concert.

Sadly I can't say the same of a concert here in Västerås with the Brodski quartet. The Brodskis are internationally well know partly because they play both the 'normal' quartet repertoire and also play with a number of singers from other areas, including Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney.

The leader must be the newest and youngest. This quartet play standing, which the lower three do without moving too much. Unfortunately the leader moved and even stamped his feet occasionally! This was rather distracting, and I thought that even the quality of tone wasn't up to the standard I had expected. They played the Puccini Chrysanthemums but it felt a bit weak.

The Brodskis are playing the last of our Stockholm concerts in May, so it'll be interesting to see if they do better in the most prestige full Stockholm, or if they just need to get a new leader!

Fank Bridge at Mazer

We played all our Frank Bridge works at Mazer on Monday.

An Irish Melody: Allegro moderato

Novelletten
Andante moderato, Presto, Allegro vivo

Three Pieces: Allegretto, Moderato, Allegro marcato

John lead the Irish Melody, and Lena lead the other two works. This gave me the excuse to explain how many movements etc., and let them know that we expected applause particularly after the Irish Melody so that we could move around!

The drive home wasn't quite as difficult as feared, although a snow storm had be raging the road was relatively quiet and well ploughed.

Off sick!

When I went to the office yesterday morning I felt fine, although I felt the need for a toilet visit. However shortly after I realised that I wasn't up to much, and mostly just took it very easy, until about 11 when I suddenly had to be sick into the dustbin in my office!

At this point I got Tomas to drive me home and I have felt like death warmed up. I went to bed and am only now 24 hours later beginning to feel human again.

I think I must have what's called here 'Vinter kräksjuka' (~winter vomiting sickness). This is exactly what Margaret had earlier in the week, although she didn't actually through up.

I had to cancel my English last night, and have told them that I'm not going to orchestra tonight either.

We suspect that the source of infection is probably young Victor. I called in to see him and Johnnie on Tuesday evening to deliver their router which they'd left here. Their house is coming on very nicely now, and Victor got his first bath in the new bathroom while I was there!

Skiing and quartet playing short holiday

Last Tuesday evening my friends Roesmary and Kit arrived for a short visit. They came to try out cross country skiing, and she came to play chamber music at the biannual play-in organised by the Mazer String Quartet Society at Riddersvik on Saturday.

They were a little nervous about the -15C when they arrived, but soon discovered that it's surprisingly comfortable. This is because the air dries out. The snow was also extremely good just when they arrived.

We went out on the Wednesday to Rocklunda where the local skiing club does an excellent job preparing the tracks. They have an approx 1km loop round a football pitch which is almost flat, which is absolutely perfect to learn on. This leads onto their other tracks which are somewhat more varied and pass through beautiful forrest.

They had been to one of only three cross country ski clubs in the UK, which by an enormous coincidence happens to be situated in their town! So their only experience was one attempt using either grass skis, or roller skis!

They were very good students, and after a loop round the football field, we ventured into the forrest!

On Friday I'd invited Solbritt (cellist) round, and we played string trios. On Saturday was the excuse for the visit, when we went to Riddersvik. Because Rosemary had to get back to England she isn't able to play at the Mazer Monday evening which was the original idea behind the visit, but John, solbritt, myself and another very good violinist are going to perform Frank Bridge this evening.

They joined in with the whole winter experience while here, including shovelling snow!

Tomorrow I have to go back to work!