Man and Viola

The Barbican is cold, I'm huddling under my coat on the back row watching a man in a black chinese style suit and hair like Kevin Keegan play the viola. The music is relaxing but dull. In Bach's pauses while he turns the page of his music ripples of coughing cross the auditorium. In front of us two parties have brought six year olds who wriggle around trying to find comfortable positions to sleep in. The next piece is Brahms and a pianist joins the viola player. The piano is in the centre of the stage. The viola player stands right in front of the piano stool. The stage is huge. Two people are on it. He is standing so close to the pianist that it looks like he might back onto the pianist's elbow. Its hard to see both musicians.

During the interval I wonder about going home. Think about it until the second half is about to begin. So I go and sit down again. I've never heard any Shostakovich before but it is wonderful in a sad haunting way. I was glad I stayed to the end.