Meanwhile in Westminster...

Meanwhile in Westminster, it's not all scandal: over in the Westminster Cathedral Hall, the splendid Chopin Society continues to hold piano recitals on Sunday afternoons, given by some of the world's leading artists. Next up is the adorable Piers Lane in an all-Chopin programme. It's his only London recital for the remainder of this season - he is a very busy person and has a massive commitment in his native Australia, where he is now head of the Sydney International Piano Competition. On Sunday he'll be playing the Society's beautiful new Hamburg Steinway Model B grand, for which the gala we both attended about 18 months ago raised funds (see pic).

Here's a taster of what goes on when you choose a new Steinway in Hamburg: Piers went there six years ago to select another instrument, and was filmed...

Here are full details for the concert on Sunday:

Sunday 17^th April 2016 at 4.30pm (16:30)

Westminster Cathedral Hall

Ambrosden Ave SW1P 1QW

(nearest tube: Victoria)

A piano recital by

PIERS LANE

who will play an all-Chopin programme as follows:

Impromptu No. 1 in A flat major Op. 29

Fantasie in F minor Op. 49

Etude in E major Op. 10 No. 3 “Tristesse”

Ballade No. 3 in A flat major Op. 47

Polonaise in F sharp minor Op.44

Scherzo No. 4 in E major Op. 54

Nocturnes Op. 62: No. 1 in B major and No. 2 in E major

Mazurka Op. 17 No. 4;

Barcarolle Op. 60

Tickets: £14 (standard), £12 (seniors over 60), £8 (students)*

Book online via this link: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/354575

*students tickets only available on the door. Student reservations: 020 8960 4027.

Stay for tea and meet the pianist

Tea tickets: £7, £5 (students), £4 (Youth Members)

Tea tickets available on the door on the day

Travel directions to the venue on our website: http://www.chopin-society.org.uk/venues.htm

Friday Historical: Rubinstein meets an old friend...

A real "look what turned up on Youtube" moment: this wonderful footage, from 1966, shows Arthur Rubinstein visiting the Steinway factory in Hamburg to test out his favourite piano after it has been repaired. He plays extracts of Szymanowski, some Chopin Etudes and Ballades, Ravel Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, and the Schubert B flat Sonata, among other things. The swathes of fascinating interview material include a story about the manuscript of the Chopin Fantasie-Impromptu, which he found inside the album of the Baroness d'Este after buying it at an auction - Rubinstein was a passionate collector...

The film, about 27 mins long, is in German, but if you want subtitles you can find them by clicking the 'cc' box in the video box's bottom menu bar.