We’ll be posting the second part of Netty’s tour diary tomorrow, but in the meantime here are a selection of reviews from our trip across the pond.
Newspapers
New York Times on the period instrument movement
Blogs
The Boston Musical Intelligencer
Viola player Annette (known to many in the OAE as ‘Netty’) Isserlis made a diary of our recent tour to the US. Here’s days 1-3 with the rest following tomrorow. We hope to post some pics up soon too… A few additions from the blog editor in the brackets!
Mon Mar 14
Scene: Carluccio’s, outside Terminal 5, LHR.
Breakfast with husband Ken between red-eye flight in from Schipol (following 2 OAE concerts in Groningen and Nijmingen with Rachel Podger), and impending flight to USA: Ken to LA for solo concerts and Me to Boston with OAE and Sir Roger (Norrington), continuing the CPE Bachfest.
Dreadful news continuing to come through about the Japanese Disaster(s). Ken’s family all ok.
Painless flight to Boston followed by similarly painless Immigration, amazingly! It transpired that he chatty officer knew Yo-yo Ma personally….
Convivial dinner and bed not too early: it’s the only way to sleep through the 1st night, in my experience.
Tues Mar 15
A happy reunion with Sir Rog: a vision in pale pink, including his braces! He explained the apparent gloominess of the Harvard Sanders Theater (modelled on Oxford’s Sheldonian) as being fitting for a Memorial Hall. “Commencement” over here apparently kicks in when you die, according to Sir. There was indeed a lot of dark wood around, but at least the acoustic was helpful!
Kati (Debretzeni, OAE Leader) announced that she would be hosting a post-Birthday drink for us after the concert, which brought forth approving noises.
Delicious lunch at “Legal Seafood Restaurant” with a mutual friend of Ally, Hetty and myself (all OAE players), and then back to Boston, and a post-prandial waddle around the hotel neighbourhood, which bordered Chinatown. The higher-minded members of OAE visited museums and art-galleries.
Concert a lively affair, helped by Bob Levin in the audience, grinning like a Cheshire Cat from the middle of the 2nd row throughout, unobserved (fortunately) by Steve Devine, who performed wonderfully in the harpsichord concerto. Bob bounced backstage in the interval, telling us he’d just recently had a hip replacement, but it was hard to believe! Richard Lester gave his usual highly charismatic account of the cello concerto, and Sir Rog enjoyed spiralling round to the audience triumphantly at the end of each symphony.
The hotel bar was buzzing until late!
Wed Mar 16
Raining. A subdued start to the long bus journey ahead, but people gradually perked up. Coffee-stop in a service-station that seemed solely geared to the needs of truckers, including a viagra-related section of mind-boggling variety.
Eventually the welcome sight of Manhattan hove into view, and in due course we streamed into the impressive foyer of the Empire Hotel, known to us as ” The Vampire” from days of yore. Sadly, the foyer is the most impressive thing about the hotel, as a lot of the rooms are tiny and dark, but at least no cockroaches or bedbugs this time, in spite of dark forecasts from our more pessimistic colleagues!
Lest this all sounds somewhat churlish, the ultra-positive thing about the Vampire is that it is on Broadway, bang next to the Lincoln Center, so extremely central, and very close to Central Park. The sun started shining as soon as we alighted from the bus, and I scuttled up to “Willow”, a boutique on Amsterdam, so beloved of OAE ladies that it ought to have a charter by special appointment to OAE! My mission was to find a coloured shirt for the 2nd concert on the 18th, about which more later.
It was Sir Roger’s Birthday, so we launched into a rendering of an apposite tune, to which he responded by asking for more vibrato! At the end of the rehearsal, following presentation of a card, 2 cakes (for general consumption) and something bottle-shaped, by Stephen Carpenter (OAE Chief Executive), a more doleful speech was forthcoming, on the occasion of Richard Lester’s last concert with us as a named principal. On top of his other commitments, he has a new baby. However, happily clutching his bottle (Richard) he promised he would be available for future guest appearances.
The sold-out concert appeared to be a barn-storming success with the highly vocal audience! A great experience for us all, in spite of the somewhat overbearing backstage staff, who continued bossing us up to the moment we paraded out on stage. Not very conducive to Artistic Expression…
Afterwards, we were invited to a drinks reception, where we encountered, amongst other luminaries, Chris Hogwood and Alina Ibragamova.
Annette Isserlis, OAE Viola
Firstly – today is CPE Bach’s 297th Birthday! So it’s very appropriate that we are celebrating his music at this time. The first reviews of our concert of his music last week at the Queen Elizabeth Hall are now in – links below. Next week we’re off to the States for further performances of this concert in Boston (15 March) and New York (16 March).
Catherine Mackintosh, an OAE violinist and ex leader, will be taking part in our The other amazing Mr Bach study day tomorrow, playing and talking about CPE Bach’s Trio Sonata Sanguineas and Melancholius. Here’s our speed interview with her:
What/when was your big breakthrough?
My breakthroughs have been many but small. A very early one was playing the One Note in Purcell’s Fantasy of that name with the members of the Melos Ensemble as a teenager. Emmanuel Hurwitz was then very helpful to me. Becoming leader of the Academy of Ancient Music in 1973 was also a huge career step for me.
What do you fear the most?
Snakes, without a doubt and anything bad happening to my family. Not too keen on the idea of death either.
Which mobile number do you call the most?
As my husband hardly ever uses his mobile, I expect it’s Philippa’s (OAE Orchestra Manager).
What – or where – is perfection?
I have never been in pursuit of it actually because, if it exists, or is discovered, it is all the more astonishing for being unsought. Sitting in front of a roaring log fire in our house in France comes pretty close I must admit.
Who is your favourite hero from fiction (book/comic/film/opera) – and why?
Aunt Dahlia from the works of PG Wodehouse. She is described by her nephew, Bertie Wooster as “a festive old bird” and now I have reached a certain age, I cannot imagine a better state to emulate.
What’s your favourite ritual?
I am not a devout Christian but I love Choral Evensong in a Cathedral with a good choir and recently happened on one in Sheffield just before our concert there.
Which living person do you most admire (and why)?
I met a wonderful nun, Sister Patricia, in Palestine’s Bethlehem University who ran the music department there. She embodied everything I admire; calm, cheerful, dedicated, humorous, sympathetic, intelligent, enthusiastic… I think you get the gist of this lovely person.
What other talent or skill would you like to possess?
I would like to be a book-binder. I realise with horror that with internet, books are in danger of becoming extinct, but few can resist the charm and feel of a beautifully bound book.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
That I am not the only pebble on the beach.
What is the most played piece of music on your MP3 player or in your CD collection?
This goes in phases. At the moment I would say Miles Davis. I must confess I don’t listen to much recorded classical music as I prefer to play it!
What’s the best thing about working with the OAE?
We can never be complacent when always challenged by new ideas from our different conductors and leaders. I feel immensely privileged to work with this orchestra and continue to learn something every time.
Our study day is tomorrow at Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room at 10.30am and 2pm. Tickets
