Palmarum concert this afternoon, 3 pm, with Almut Gatz and Händelchor Berlin at Heilandskirche Sacrow. This is the initial performance of Ensemble Picardie, a vocal quartet with the participation of my dear colleagues Almut, Laura, and Robert, and as the baritone part of which I am happy to serve. Never sung in a church located as idyllic as this one, directly on the Havel riverside. If you happen to be in West Berlin or Potsdam, come along! Entrance is free.
Events
Ekaterina Derzhavina Recital
Tonight I was deeply moved and enthusiastically inspired by a piano recital at Piano Salon Christophori. Russian pianist Ekaterina Derzhavina was performing Haydn and Medtner in a way that made me burst for joy and cry in ever-repeating change. What a passionate, graceful, and simultaneously modest playing. And I didn’t have to leave my hometown, not even my borough, to be lucky enough to make this outstanding experience. At times, very rarely in fact, one may feel blessed just by being present in a moment of divine musical inspiration. This has just been such a moment, and I am grateful to have encountered it.
Sonatas and Narrations in Concert
Last week has seen another fascinating Medtner event in my university’s chamber hall, confronting the Russian composer’s 1st violin sonata, Op. 21, and Sonata-Ballade, Op. 27, with Beethoven’s Sonata quasi una fantasia, Op. 27 No. 1. Many thanks, Sasha Karpeyev and Viktoria Kaunzner, for your excellent playing!
Medtnerfest in London
F-sharp major is one of music’s most beautiful tonalities. I’ll be talking about Nikolai Medtner‘s Sonata-Ballade, Op. 27, written in exactly that key, tomorrow morning in a symposium at The British Library, London. This will be part of an exceptional program of talks, concerts, a master class and film screening from today through Saturday, all about Medtner, and with the participation of the finest scholars and performers. Really looking forward to the Medtner Study Day, one of the rare occasions of a research event fully dedicated to this composer’s music. Principal organizer of the Medtnerfest is my dear colleague Sasha Karpeyev.
Music Memorising Workshop
I will be conducting an one-hour workshop on memorizing music and playing by heart this Sunday, 11:30 am, at Deutscher Tonkünstlerverband‘s studio Schillerstraße, Berlin-Charlottenburg. Cordial invitation to all the music teachers, instrumentalists and singers among my dear acquaintances. Admission is free.