Music at the Wallace – CMF summer residency
It’s been quite some time since I published anything that wasn’t food or BSSH related. It’s not that I haven’t been consuming London culture, it’s just that I haven’t had a lot of time to write about it.
Today though I’m making time because at lunchtime I attended an excellent concert at the Wallace organised by the City Music Federation. As the woman who gave the introduction told us the CMF is a charity that helps young professional musicians to get a start in their careers. As someone who makes a habit of supporting student musicians at various venues across London it was a pleasure to see people who are at the next stage of their career.
The Wallace turns out to be an excellent venue for music. The grand gallery on the first floor is not too bad accoustically and should you go there for the music this week arrive plenty early, it was packed for this first concert. Unlike most venues there’s a feast of things to look at while you’re waiting for the musicians to come on. I spent most of the warm up time ruminating on Rubens’ depiction of the consequences and pleasures of peace in a golden Flemish landscape.
The musicians, Ariana Kashefi (cello) & Maksim Štšura (piano), were excellent – as good as anyone I’ve seen at the Wigmore recently. They kicked off with the Debussy Cello Sonata, something that I’d not seen live before. A smattering of Fauré was perfect before rounding off with Brahms, who to be honest I find always squeezes just that little too much out of any musical idea for my taste.
Having just started off on a trip through Proust after 20 odd years away this artistic overload of sound and pictures was something that the old boy would have been very happy to been a part of with some Elstir on the walls and Vineuil on the joanna.
If you want to see a concert there they’re happening all week and you can find the program at the CMF’s website. It’s not all classical; as a trumpeter I’m gutted to be at the cricket Friday and so won’t be able to see the brass quartet but if, reader, you make the trip do let me know how it goes.
The concerts are free but I was more than happy to make a decent donation to what is an excellent cause and that gave me so much pleasure.
f1insburyparker View All →
Blue Badge guide to London and academic specialising in early twentieth century history. Blogging on history, academia, and food and culture in the capital (and occasionally elsewhere).
A London Journal 
The Wallace Collection is one of my favourite places in London. I’m yet to go to a concert there, though; I must put that right.
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