Back in Europe, my first scheduled concert was a repeat performance of Brahms’ Clarinet Trio, with Ashkenazy and Meneses, in St Émilion, last May. This time we went to Ancona, Italy. In the1 st half we had Poulenc’s Clarinet Sonata (with Dimka) plus Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras # 2 (with Antonio). During a discussion/ talk on the eve of the concert, baffled by our relaxed attitude, some members of the public and the promoting Association, wanted to know why the Trio had no name… Of course, how were they to know that… we’re nota trio? The joy of playing together will remain a wonderful experience.

With a recital in St Paul’s, Covent Garden, started my Debussy project. Having finished memorizing the Suite Bergamasque and Estampes in the previous week, note per note, it felt great when it all went so well! The sheer beauty of sounds and colours I managed to get out of that Steinway, little but of lovely quality – made me a happy customer; and a 2 nd half of 3 Chopin Nocturnes + 4 of my favourite of Études op 25 made for a most pictorial programme, perfect for the acoustics and surroundings of the nice church.

Pollock House, in Glasgow, gave me a bit of a shock with the most ancient of pianos I have ever performed on, professionally there is: a Steinway of 1845! The condition wasn’t bad but the preparation left a lot to be desired >> the tuner apparently had allowed himself too little time, and left before the intervals were checked … Apart from having broken a string in the process, there’s no chance a technician (very few do) who looks after an old instrument in a State House would have known to keep stretched strings in his case, so you imagine the result…

Funnily enough, sometimes the piano will seemingly be “in tune” for any Beethoven, Chopin or Schumann, but for Ravel or…Debussy and it’ll be a disaster! The incoming promoter managed to get another guy who, arriving in the 11 th hour, and touching the instrument said “It’s in tune!”… I went back to my room…

Beautiful Istanbul was to be my last engagement of the month. There I met charming Kamil (promoter of a new piano series): a breath of fresh air: he’s an enthusiast but also very new to the game!

Cyber-related problems

Perhaps, having had some fabulous opportunities in my long career and the best of the best, possibly because now I don’t quite move at the highest of levels, once something doesn’t go as well as I am used to … I find it hard to swallow. Having recently gone through various incidents in my honest attempt to deliver my message to the best of my capabilities, I realize unfortunately how the ease of access to anyone , at any time or anywhere in the world -- by email or via the Internet -- has added life-changing control over the unsuspecting musician: it is now quite common, that in order to defend themselves from any threat of justified attack or simply to protect “their own bacon”, to put it crudely, promoters can write directly to the management in question, reporting on, or complaining about an artist’s behaviour -- I mean while one is onstage, playing -- therefore pre-emptying any explanation by the exhausted but unknowing artist who, if on the other side of the world therefore travelling overnight, has already been vilified before reaching home! That can now be accomplished, on-the-spot, via that horror of horrors: a blackberry! How simple it is to blame the “spoilt” or “temperamental” artist!

In my experience, because future engagements are the most important aspect of the music business, why should a management protect the reputation of that one artist unstintingly or even attempt to get first to the truth – and perhaps jeopardize chances for others on their list? After a repeating-pattern - never mind bothering to judge) that artist is written-off … from both sides: “the king is dead, live the king”!

I’d prefer to say: win some, lose some… the need for “survival” is very strong and only too human!