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London, England - February 13, 2008
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Dear Readers,
Last night began our European recital tour. There were a few surprises:
Me, after our unexpectedly A440 rehearsal the night before: "Will the piano be tuned to this pitch tomorrow, or to A442?"
"This pitch."
"Really? Because I heard it was supposed to be A442...?"
"Yes, exactly like this."
"Oh, ok."
I had only asked so that I would know at what pitch to practice during the next day, since our onstage time the following evening would be short. So, on the concert day, I dutifully practiced several hours at A440. Mistake.
Me, an hour and a half before the concert: "Is the piano tuned?"
"Yes."
Sure enough: A442.
There was also the moment when I donned my evening gown and realized that it had shrunk at the dry cleaner's, widthwise (which is fine) as well as lengthwise (slightly more disconcerting). The difference is not extreme, but let's just say that now I could wear flats without stepping on the front hem. After a short period of shock and dismay, I checked the full-length mirror again and was reassured that the dress wasn't a disaster. I then set to work on the static electricity that was making the lining cling to me like shrink wrap.
And then, onstage, the biggest surprise of all: going completely awry in the first half of the first movement of the Mozart sonata. I don't know what I did – I mean, I know which wrong notes I played and what they led to, but I don't know where they came from! The result was that once I got off track, I couldn't find my way back, and Valentina and I played in dissonance for a few seconds before I concluded that there was nothing to do but start over. So we stopped, and I shrugged, and the audience laughed in relief, and back we went to the beginning of the movement, and everything was fine from there on out.
Aside from those minor hitches, the recital went really well. The hall was not at all what I'd remembered; it turns out that the renovations of the past few years amounted to a near-total gutting of the space and a new hall, new backstage, new almost everything. The rebuilt hall is fantastic. I don't remember the old acoustics, but these are vibrant, subtle, and clear, with no echo, no muffling, and no feeling of disconnect between the sound onstage and what's carrying to the audience. It was great to perform the program again. I wasn't even too tired at the end of the evening, and while some of the audience gave us a "walking ovation" – applauding as they head to their cars – others wanted us to keep playing and we ran out of encores. (Note: walking ovations aren't uncommon after longer programs. Concertgoers need to rush off to relieve the babysitter, or catch the last train to their suburb, or go to sleep as soon as possible because they start work at 6 am the next day.) In short, it was a perfect start to the tour.
Now we're in London, getting ready to rehearse at a hall that's completely new to me: Cadogan Hall. I've only ever given recitals at Wigmore Hall, and I'm excited to see what this new experience holds in store. First things first, though: I'm off to buy some sandwiches and soups. Might as well stock up on provisions in the city that could well be nicknamed the International Capital of Lunch.
Yours from London,
Hilary
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