The Assembly Rooms filled up – and at least one choir practice room practically emptied – the night Sir András Schiff came to give his recital at the Bath Mozartfest. He didn’t announce his programme in advance although as it turned out of it much was familiar to me, indeed pieces that have been in my repertoire.
One was Mozart’s Fantasia in C minor, which was a Grade 8 set piece although of course I was not able to impart the variety and sense of improvisation that Sir András did. Another was Haydn’s double Variations in F minor, which I learnt shortly after the Mozart. Another piece that I definitely have not learnt to play was Haydn’s final sonata in E flat which would never have been within my abilities!
The recital opened with a prelude from the ’48’ and also included one of Mozart’s sonatas (I’m afraid to say that writing some time later I can’t now remember which one). Each piece received a somewhat discursive introduction and Sir András had his audience in the palm of his hand. He would probably have carried on far into the night if there hadn’t been a time limit on locking up the Assembly Rooms!
Others in the family went to concerts given by the Pavel Haas Quartet (who very much followed the lead of their first violin) and the Amatis Trio.