Imogen Cooper at Wigmore Hall

Well London again today but this time for much more pleasurable reasons!

I met Trish to go and see pianist Imogen Cooper at the Wigmore Hall at lunchtime. I was treated to lunch in the hall's restaurant (ta Trish), we ordered the same thing Goat's cheese with salad and a Strawberry Tart with Chantilly Cream. It was all very nice. And then on to the music.

The programme was to be

Debussy
From 'Préludes Book II':

• Brouillards
• La puerta del vino
• La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune
• Les tierces alternées

Beethoven
Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor Op. 31 No. 2 'The Tempest'

Chopin
Nocturne in Db Op. 27 No. 2
Ballade No. 4 in F minor Op. 52

The Debussy was merely pleasant, if well played, but the Beethoven was superb!! For those who don't the classical procedure and the end of each section the players stop. You applaud they go off then come back to play the next piece*. So well received was the Beethoven Cooper had to come back to acknowledge the applause.

The Chopin ranged from Good (the Ballade) to excellent the Nocturne.

Cooper got a rapturous round of applause (very deservedly) and came back to do an encore Chopin's 'Black Key' Etude (Op 10 no 5)

The train was air conditioned which was handy!

*in this instance the pieces were Debussy, Beethoven, and Chopin. The Beethoven was divided into 3 movements but you don't applaud at the end of these, just the whole sonata !!!