Angela Hewitt plays Gluck
Posted in Classical on Aug 1st, 2008 No Comments »
I first saw, and heard, Angela Hewitt play in the mid 1990s, at London’s Wigmore Hall. I went, but not out of great enthusiasm. I had barely heard of her, and the programme was Bach keyboard works, about which I was lukewarm. But I was acquainted with the promoter (a former work colleague) and tickets sales were slow, so out of loyalty I trudged along.
It was a revelation. She played Bach with a graceful fluidity and precision that completely won me over – to her and to Bach’s keyboard music.
The Hall was only half full. But this had the singular effect of heightening the sense of privilege I felt at being at that Wigmore Hall concert. Tickets for her concerts now are like gold dust.
Sadly I have no recording of that concert, only memories. But here she is playing at the London proms last year. It’s an encore: ‘Orpheus’ Lament and the Dance of the Blessed Spirits’ from Gluck’s ‘Orpheus and Euridice.
