Musical Treat #3

As any fule and Alistair Campbell kno, the key to expectation management is to get your excuses in early. And so, without further ado...

Excuses on behalf of technical staff (i.e. the PO)

1. This recording was made using the in-built microphone in the PO's iPod-lookalike, which was rested on the dining room table while the BW played - this explains the poor sound quality and the fact that it sounds as though the recording was made through an air vent from an adjoining room (or possibly an adjoining building).
2. The PO's mastery of this particular example of 21st century miracle technology can be gauged by the fact that the first time he recorded the BW playing... er, nothing recorded.
3. If you think you can hear, at approximately thirty second intervals throughout the recording, the sound of creaking floorboards, followed by a rustle of paper, followed by the sound of creaking floorboards again, rest assured that (a) this is not your imagination playing tricks on you; and (b) you have extraordinarily sensitive hearing. These are, in fact the sounds of the PO getting up to turn the pages of the BW's music. (Fortunately, the PO was able to edit out the sounds of the Recluse's gentle snoring.)
4. You may also notice that the recording is particularly bass-heavy. This would appear to be an unfortunate (and undocumented) feature of the PO's iPod-lookalike.
5. The Principal confided to the PO that the piano on which the BW is performing has not been tuned for, shall we say, a fair while.

Excuses on behalf of performing staff (i.e. the BW)

1. This recording was made at a quarter to eleven at night on the last evening of the BW's stay at the home of the Recluse and the Principal, approximately fifteen minutes after the PO suddenly blurted something along the lines of "Bother ! The BW's going home tomorrow and I haven't recorded him playing any music yet", before running upstairs to wake the BW who, naturally, had been snugly tucked up asleep in his bed since - OK, that last bit's not true. But the recording was made very late indeed.
2. Having gallantly played through what is a long and demanding piece once - without, moreover, being given the opportunity to warm up appropriately (e.g. play a half hour or forty-five minutes of scales, exercises from Czerny's School of Velocity, etc.) - the BW was informed by the PO that due to a technical snafu (see Excuse #2 above) he would have to play it all over again.
3. This is very much a Work In Progress for the BW.
4. Er, how can I put this ? Ah, yes : this is a b***er of a piece.

So there you have it : nine excellent reasons to be extremely generous in your appraisal of this week's third and final musical treat : the BW playing Khatchaturian's Toccata.

Comments

[FAunt]

Darling BW and PO - Fabulous job both! BW you are a star and I LOVE your teacher, whoever he or she is. Well done both - no excuses necessary........loads of love, FA
p.s. musical treats 1 and 2 were also really wonderful!

[The PO]

So glad you liked it, Favourite Aunt ! The BW heard it for the first time today and said it sounded much better to him than he thought it did as he was playing.

As for his teacher, you're right - she's wonderful. The Mother Superior and I met her just after the BW performed his Dr Gradus ad Parnassum in November. She told us she teaches one day a week at Hogwarts, and the rest of the week she's in London at the Royal College of Music. "Oh," the Mother Superior and I said, "That must be great. You must have some really special pupils there." "Yes," she replied with no great enthusiasm, before breaking into a proud smile. "But I have some very special ones here too."