I stayed on by myself in the south of France, to 'recover' from a surprisingly-taxing Piano and Strings Workshop (v. October) and was delighted to receive in the post, that poem written by a charming Chilean diplomat who attended my recital in Bangkok (v. July), and as promised, here goes:

Retrato Hablado by Diego Velasco von Pilgrimm

Ya claman las yemas
de cien dedos en dos manos
se electrocutan en las teclas
derrite, explota y brama el piano

Cristina se sacude
se recoge cual pantera
y el negro rey de orquesta
la espera toda entera

Salta ella al pentagrama
lo desarma y lo escarmena
y los reales con plebeyos
colgamos de las sillas tensas

Canta el alma los disparos
el amor con sobresaltos
los dulzores arrancados
con caricias, con amagos

Que oídos más contentos
de la gente en auditorio!
Ya se largan estos versos
con andantes sin retorno.

Queda allí la Ortiz
susurrandole latidos
al amor que la consume
mil aplausos, estallido.

I don't know about you, but I find it amazing that anyone would feel like writing down a virtual portrait of my playing....
I then spent another 2 restful weeks in glorious Paris before going back to the UK to perform 'Rach 2' with the RPO, in Northampton. A 'one-off' performance with a run-through rehearsal in the afternoon and ... good-luck! But that being one piece I know I can "pull" anyone along with me, I had accepted; and because most of my earlier career pretty much run alongside that band (concerts as well as recordings), I thought it would be nice to see some old friends. And it was!
To the young conductor, terrified by my "leave-it-all-to-the-moment approach" I suggested that he stick with me and the ensuing gutsy performance so excited him, that he jumped down from the podium and kept hugging me effusively on stage, to my utter surprise! And I thought Brazilians were extroverts, funny...
The month's work was done with one last performance of the Emperor with the St Étienne 'gang' this time indoors, in their Théâtre, so no fear of rain (v. July). I could finally concentrate on preparing for the "4-hands dream" of playing Schubert with Radu Lupu at the Concert de Noël des Grandes Heures de St Émilion...

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