05 July 2019

A hopeless case and a great dane


Barbara's title for the concert was so good I could only steal it (as in "Good artists copy; great artists steal" or thereabouts - see link below). Barbara Jane Gilby was playing with Katherine Day and Emma Rayner. The hopeless case was Theodore Kirchner, a German who led a dissolute life of drink, gambling, affairs and inevitable money problems and lost friends, suffering a strike, losing his sight and dying early while being cared for by a student. Schumann and others had raised money to settle his debts, but he just returned to his ways. He was a great arranger and wrote mainly miniatures. We heard his Zwei terzetti for violin, cello and piano. The great Dane was Nils Gade, Danish, well known and influential, living in Germany then returning to Denmark due to war, teaching Grieg an others and writing much including symphonies, concerti and sonatas. We heard his Sonata no.2 Dmin op.21 played on violin and piano. The stories and the contrasts were interesting; the playing was wonderfully capable; the concert was a pleasure throughout. Barbara told how she wishes to present concerts of interest rather than youthful display and this was just that. A great pleasure.

Barbara Jane Gilby (violin) performed Kirchner and Gade with Katherine Day (piano) and Emma Rayner (cello) at Wesley.
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