Monday, March 21, 2011

Liszt gets his own airport

Amid all the current world horrors, there's one shred that can cause us musos to smile: "Liszt Ferenc" is getting his own airport. Hungary is renaming Budapest aiport after him in honour of his 200th birthday. Nice one, folks, and I'm sure that were he alive today, Liszt would have travelled by private jet. I hope we can look forward to Aeroport Claude Debussy in France (new name for Roissy, perhaps?) next year; a good big Italian job for Giuseppe Verdi in 2013; and for that other great 200th anniversary in 2013 maybe somewhere in Bavaria could go for...ah, all right, maybe not... Come 2057, will Heathrow become Edward Elgar Airport? Unlikely. The oil will probably have run out by then.

Speaking of Hungary, our Hungarian Dances concert at Potton Hall in Suffolk the other day was huge fun. Concert environments do make a difference: Potton Hall, a converted barn, not only has wonderful acoustics and perfect tranquility, but with its glowing golden wood, vaulted roof and warmth of atmosphere it just begs to be "performed in". Next concert tomorrow night at Old Swinford Hospital School, Stourbridge. (We are open to bookings, btw- drop me a line for details anytime...). Left, a pic from the green room at Potton Hall: muggins, Bradley Creswick (violin), Margaret Fingerhut (piano).