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2 Veneti: Fine Italian Restaurant in Marylebone, W1, Central London
Gluzman/Moser/Sudbin, Wigmore Hall, London, review: Their ...
Before the curtain rose at the Royal Opera last Wednesday, Antonio Pappano appeared on stage to announce – to gasps of dismay from the audience – that the the Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky had died a few hours earlier, and that the evening’s performance would be dedicated to him.
The memory of his great voice, said Pappano, would long resonate in the minds of all who had heard him.
When violinist Vadim Gluzman introduced Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A minor at the Wigmore Hall two days later, he too announced that the performance would be dedicated to Hvorostovsky’s memory.
In the event, the Tchaikovsky work chosen by Gluzman, cellist Johannes Moser, and pianist Yevgeny Sudbin proved uncannily appropriate, since it ended with a haunting funeral march, but their concert as a whole was disappointing.
Arno Babadjanian’s rarely-performed Piano Trio came over as a strenuous pastiche of sundry mid-20th-century styles, Shostakovich’s prominent among them, and the Tchaikovsky lacked nuance.
Leonidas Kavakos/Yuja Wang, Wigmore Hall, London, classical ...
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But each work in their programme had been chosen in part because they demanded an equality between the players, and in part because they created an illuminating sequence: Schubert’s “Fantasy in C D934“ and sonatas by Janacek, Debussy and Bartok all composed within the same seven-year period.
Kavakos began as a virtuoso violinist but is also a supremely accomplished chamber musician; Wang has unrivalled keyboard brilliance, but as a chamber player she is relatively untried.
Janacek’s “Violin Sonata” is a palimpsest of fleeting ideas and effects with the players mostly working in sharp stylistic contrast; the sound-world is that of his operas, with the piano laying down a rich-textured carpet over which the violin turns eloquent tricks – in one movement a flurry of softly echoing bird-calls.
Debussy’s “Violin Sonata in G minor” is a brightly-coloured procession of condensed and fleeting ideas, and Kavakos’s virtuosity was to be sensed, no matter how understated, in every bar.
There were moments in Bartok’s “Violin Sonata No 1” when that composer seemed to be carrying on Debussy’s tonal experiments, and other moments when we were plunged into his own experiments with folk-dance tunes and rhythms; here both players offered full-on dazzle.
Wigmore Hall | The Portman
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An historic concert hall in the heart of Marylebone, Wigmore Hall is the home of live chamber music and solo performances in London.
By 1917 it had changed hands to become Wigmore Hall and has grown since to enjoy a fine reputation as one of the premier venues across London for chamber music and solo performances.
Each season’s schedule is offered as a full brochure of performance information available to download from Wigmore Hall’s website.
Although you might assume that Wigmore Hall might be an evening venue, it’s worth noting that many of their lunchtime and matinee performances are extremely popular.
Other audience favourites at Wigmore Hall include their Sunday morning performances, which are regularly attended by both London music lovers and visitors to London.
London - Wigmore Street
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The ASK Italian restaurant on Wigmore Street has a prime spot in a beautiful redbrick building, with gated outside space where you can dine al fresco and watch the world pass by.
We’re just a few minutes from Oxford Circus and Bond Street tube stations, close to the excellent shopping mecca of Oxford Street, and with plenty of hustle and bustle of our own.
The restaurant has a warm and friendly feel, a great ambiance and, most important of all, excellent food.
There’s something on our varied menu for everyone, from salads to classic pizzas.
It’s worth booking in advance, especially if you’re heading for a night out in London, a concert at the wonderful Wigmore Hall or a classic film at Regent Street Cinema.
Leonidas Kavakos/Yuja Wang, Wigmore Hall, London, classical ...
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But each work in their programme had been chosen in part because they demanded an equality between the players, and in part because they created an illuminating sequence: Schubert’s “Fantasy in C D934“ and sonatas by Janacek, Debussy and Bartok all composed within the same seven-year period.
Kavakos began as a virtuoso violinist but is also a supremely accomplished chamber musician; Wang has unrivalled keyboard brilliance, but as a chamber player she is relatively untried.
Janacek’s “Violin Sonata” is a palimpsest of fleeting ideas and effects with the players mostly working in sharp stylistic contrast; the sound-world is that of his operas, with the piano laying down a rich-textured carpet over which the violin turns eloquent tricks – in one movement a flurry of softly echoing bird-calls.
Debussy’s “Violin Sonata in G minor” is a brightly-coloured procession of condensed and fleeting ideas, and Kavakos’s virtuosity was to be sensed, no matter how understated, in every bar.
There were moments in Bartok’s “Violin Sonata No 1” when that composer seemed to be carrying on Debussy’s tonal experiments, and other moments when we were plunged into his own experiments with folk-dance tunes and rhythms; here both players offered full-on dazzle.
Steven Isserlis/Alexander Melnikov, Wigmore Hall, London, review ...
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Their programme at the Wigmore consisted of four Russian cello sonatas, two of which showed great composers in an unfamiliar light, with the other two – which it was a safe guess nobody in the audience had heard – being by virtuoso pianists.
His Sonata-Ballade for cello and piano proved a coolly intricate construction, not so much a dialogue as two parallel monologues in which one (the piano) gradually came to decorate the other; Kissin’s achievement was to make the piece feel like one single continuous thought.
Mikhail Pletnev has apparently described the final movement of his “Cello Sonata” as “an elegy for music”, and as it slowly died away, leaving a long cello melody singing in a deserted landscape, that message was clear.
Shostakovich’s “Cello Sonata in D minor” was written in 1934, and reflects the composer happily at work at a time when he felt free to explore his ideas without any fear of the political consequences.
Rachmaninoff’s “Cello Sonata in G minor Opus 19” was the expected high point of this recital, addressing us out of the high Romantic tradition with the aid of that composer’s inimitable lyric gift and his glorious piano-writing.
Zizzi Italian Restaurants London | Oxford Street
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Less than 5 minutes from London's busy Oxford Street and famous shopping destination Selfridges our Wigmore Street restaurant is spread over two floors, offering a warm atmosphere and relaxing break from a busy day of shopping.
James Grover an illustrator based in Exeter has illustrated some walls for us, inspired by Wigmore Hall, a leading classical music recital venue.
Our Italian restaurant serves tasty, authentic dishes from pizza, pasta and risotto to salads and indulgent desserts – all in a uniquely designed restaurant.
Our Italian menu also include Vegan and Vegetarian options.
Dine al fresco with an outdoor dining area for sunny weather at our Wigmore Street restaurant.