QEH

Some more Endellion at the Queen Elizabeth Hall yesterday evening, where they were assisted by Benjamin Grosvenor, whom we have not come across before, for the last number. I don't know know if this was their first appearance at one of the concerts of one of the international chamber seasons put on by the South Bank Centre, but they didn't have quite as much pull as they do at the Wigmore Hall as here they did not get to do the programme, which was instead of the regular South Bank variety (see 2nd June). For once, we did not buy the programme having been irritated by being given a plastic cup to drink the rather expensive wine from, and made do with a print I happened to have taken from the web site: Haydn Op. 76 No.1, Britten Op. 25 (String quartet No.1) and Brahms Op. 34 (Piano Quintet).

They use pale wooden screens behind the playing position for chamber concerts, which provide a frame for the performers, but which on this occasion were illuminated rather loudly while we were waiting for the off. Fortunately this illumination was turned off at the off. There was also a much larger screen behind and above the wooden screens containing a rather loud advertisement for this international chamber season. That also was turned off at the off, but despite being dark in colour the large screen continued to detract from the framing provided by the wooden screen below. Visually irritating. And then, at the end of the concert, there was some finger trouble and we had displayed the right click menu the presenter sometimes ask for when lost in his Powerpoint. Also irritating. Perhaps all part of the drive to make the venue more accessible to the ordinary Londoner, more like the sort of thing they are supposed to be used to.

But the seats, row G were good, affording a good view of the performers, much better than that from row G in the Wigmore Hall; raking seats do have their points. Sets were also bigger and better than those in the other place. But the audience was not and there was quite a lot of sprawling, shuffling and coughing. Furthermore, a chap to my right was wearing a show-off watch which, from where I was sat, caught the light in an irritating way from time to time.

However, I must not go on about the irritations. The Haydn was previously unheard of and excellent. The Britten was previously unheard of and good, reminding me rather of the contemporary Shostakovich. But I think I may have heard the Brahms too often: it was good but a bit muted, with less emotional impact than it used to have. On the up side, the balance between the piano and the strings was very good, with the young pianist not seeming to need to do the young thing of outplaying the strings. Proper ensemble playing. Also sufficiently young that the page turner was old enough to be his father. Also an Essex boy. See http://www.benjamingrosvenor.co.uk/.