QEH

Ten days ago to the Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) to hear Pierre-Laurent Aimard give us the second book of Bach's 'Well-tempered Clavier'.

Rather more than ten years since I heard the same chap do the first book at the Wigmore Hall. Reading my notice of this event this afternoon, a strong sense that I was more than ten years more alert to the music than I was on this occasion!  

There was a Yamaha - see reference 1 - at the Wigmore too: Aimard  must make a habit of them. Perhaps Yamaha are pleased enough to get one of their pianos on view in a London concert hall and swallow what must be the considerable cost of getting it there  including, this time around, the tuner putting on his finishing touches as we went in.

On this day, we elected for Ewell West. The train was crowded and we were sat near a party of eight ladies of middle years, out on a beano and making enough noise for sixteen. They got off at Wimbledon and the lady I asked didn't know where they were going. So how do you have a beano in Wimbledon?

A scruffy young lady smoking a filter cigarette on the platform at Clapham Junction. Not something one sees very often - but I dare say the platform staff had got better things to do than to bother her.

Out to take our picnic on the benches facing the Archduke, that is to say with the street food tents to our right. Lots of highly dressed young ladies to be seen.

On into the hall, where there was no print programme to be had. Apparently one had to tap something on one's telephone, but that was a bit too strong for us. Easier just to turn up Wikipedia.

Reminded that the hall has worn well for its fifty odd years, although I did not recognise the decoration at the back of the stage, not the same as that snapped at reference 3.

The pianist reminded me this time of FIL, at least as regards the face. And we both recognised the page turner, an older gent., whom we must have seen several times in the past. Not that he had very much to do on this occasion, with Aimard turning most of his own pages.

We did pretty well for all the loss of alertness mentioned above, particularly given that we do not do full length, two hour concerts very often these days. Rather a spur of the moment thing, as it happened, the day after a delayed morning visit to Epsom hospital for, as the young lady consultant (sat at her fancy computer) put it, a full MOT. 

Out of the auditorium to find a Steinway at the top of the stairs. But I don't think it had been taken there from inside; rather it was the one used for the ante-chamber. I am pleased to say that this last was quiet when we arrived. No free concert or anything else; an ante-chamber as it should be. A place to settle down in before going into the chamber, the auditorium proper.

Outside to take an early dinner at the Archduke, where booking earned us a good table, on the first floor overlooking the passing people. More flashy dressing.

We were taken in hand by a cheerful, older waitress from somewhere east, with well-tatttoo'd arms and we opted for the set menu in the form of chicken and chips. Plus chicken liver pâté (aka Forestier terrine) for him, and a green salad for her. Rather good. Moving on, they were a bit mean with the bread, generous with the oil on the beans - but otherwise good value.

No Calvados - which I am sure I have taken there in the past - so had to wind up with Jameson.

No starlings outside.

The Topolski gallery next door appeared to have shut up shop, although according to reference 4 this afternoon, it is still up and running.

But I did snap the nearby Bullingdon stand, which I have used from time to time, probably when the big stand on the ramp was empty. Maybe the techy grandson has got enough Python skills to run down when?

And one of the platform towers that I had a conversation with Gemini about, as noticed at reference 5. Lift it is. Funny how often one can pass something without really looking at it.

No aeroplanes to be seen from inside the carriage at Vauxhall, despite viewing conditions being good.

PS 1: I forgot to check whether the outdoor artwork on the back of the Festival Hall, snapped at reference 2, was still there. I think not, but must check next time.

PS 2: just had an email from Google about charges for Gemini. I expect that now that it is working well enough and we have got hooked, they are going to start to reel us in, as it were. Still, for the moment, they are offering very good value, as do Microsoft. Well worth what I pay for their services. Although that said, I do worry about where all these giant data centres and all these AIs are taking us: without having given it too much thought, I see all kinds of potential problems on the horizon.

PS 3: Bing's take on terrine is not quite what I remember. I consult the menu, getting a bit confused by the Black & Blue branding, and all I can find there is chicken pâté, which I still think is short for chicken liver pâte. None of the Forestier, which is what gets onto the bill, at all.

Gemini gets much closer to what I had, although he talks of pork rather than chicken and I was not aware of any mushroom. I conclude that there is a whole family of recipes out there for Forestier terrine, but its appearance on my bill was an error made at the time the menu was fed into the accounts system.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv6.blogspot.com/2026/05/piano-113.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/12/more-madrigals.html.

Reference 3: https://psmv2.blogspot.com/2014/09/temper.html.

Reference 4: https://topolski.org/.

Reference 5: https://psmv6.blogspot.com/2026/03/double-linguine.html.