What made you smile today?

JLNobody wrote:

Forget her breast . . .

Unlikely

To take one example of many, in mid-movement Chopin writes a pizzicato bass line to act as counterpoint to arpeggios and other filigree on the piano. When six instruments are performing this music, as is usual, it has a mildly pleasing effect. However, with just bassist Alison Mackay playing the part, standing just a few feet away from the piano, what was just pleasing now became a wonderful moment of duet, of dialogue, of revelation. The movement, and the entire concerto was full of such moments.

Fialkowska told me days before the concert that it is easy to listen to Chopin in a superficial way, letting the music just pass unthinkingly over your consciousness. But, as she said, “If you listen superficially to Chopin, you miss everything! You’ve got to really listen, get beyond that barrier that he sort of sets up himself, of ease and virtuosity.” On Thursday night, Fialkowska, certainly with virtuosity to burn, but with a touch and an approach that forced us to “really listen,” helped us beyond that barrier. And into new Chopinesque worlds.

The series of ovations that Fialkowska received at concerto’s end must have been rewarding to this gentle and generous artist, who has battled and beaten a severe cancer that threatened not only her career, but her life, and who is now experiencing a renaissance in her professional world, with awards and honours everywhere she looks. The reception she got at the end of the first half of the concert was only matched by that received by the orchestra at the end of the second. After close to an hour of the most stirring Beethoven, the audience wildly applauded Bruno Weil, who appeared for one, then a second curtain call. The applause, as it does, eventually died down, generally the cue for patrons to gather up their belongings and make their way out of the theatre.

But Thursday night’s audience just stayed put, unwilling or unable to leave. Not applauding, just sitting in their seats. Stunned, hoping for more, reluctant to re-enter the world of Bloor Street – who knows? Maybe all three. Eventually, the orchestra members themselves started to depart, and so, finally, did the audience. I’ve never quite seen anything like it. I can’t imagine a more glowing a testament to the evening of fine music-making that we had just witnessed.

What made you smile today?

Bethie, Debacle and Beethoven - how good is that!?