Friday 19 July 2002

Yesterday evening, as promised, I put on the Brandenburgs played by Il Giardino Armonico. Splendid stuff -- light and dancing. Heard Nos.4 and 5. Harpsichord is properly reticent, even in No.5 where it often sounds like four elephants. None of Beecham's "two skeletons copulating on a tin roof" here. Great pity no bored nobleman appears to have attended a Bach concert and passed the time by noting precise timings: "So bored by Olde Bach and all his notes that I took myself to writing down exactly how much time was passing. The first movement took 11 minutes and 23 seconds. The second movement took 8 minutes and 14 seconds. And the third movement took 6 minutes and 3 seconds, but it seemed much longer". The first thing one really notices in 1990-2002 Bach compared with 1900-1970 Bach is the tempo. Bach rarely danced before 1970.

Also listened to Lazar Berman playing the first Schumann sonata, but fell fast asleep during the first movement. I must re-attempt this weekend.

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