Viv McLean at the Holywell - Day 12 - Sun, Aug 24

 

Today's Oxford Coffee Concert was to be a pianist so I definitely wanted to go.  We'd forgotten to email earlier in the week so when Jim received the reply yesterday it was to say we were on the waiting list.  When we arrived at 10:45 there were 2 long lines streaming out the doorway and I despaired of us getting in.   Thankfully we found out that our email had put us 4th on the waiting list!  Hooray!  As usual, the doors opened at 10:50am to allow the ticket holders to enter and claim their seats (again open seating except for the few season ticket holders with reserved seats designated by a laminated sheet of paper with their name sitting on the bench).  At 11:05am they start calling the waiting list - after determining how many available seats they have of the 200 capacity. 

 

The usher asked it we wanted to sit on the stage to which I replied a resounding Yes.  As you can see in the photo below, the small stage has 2 tiers. Four people already sat in chairs on the top tier.  Thus I happily chose my seat on the lower tier, in the middle of the stage so I was looking directly down the piano keyboard.  This put me a mere 4 feet from the piano with an excellent view of the performer's fingers and his profile. 

 

Afterwards Jim said he now understands why I always want to sit on the left side or on the stage.  Watching the fingering puts a whole new level and enjoyment/appreciation of the performer.  Especially this performer. 

 

Viv McLean is obviously a much-loved pianist here at the Holywell.  As we sat having coffee afterwards at the nearby  Vault Cafe the ladies sitting next to us asked if we enjoyed the concert - they obviously recognized us from our prominent onstage seats behind the performer.  They also mentioned that he has a jazz band that plays locally. Unfortunately we've not yet been able to find anything on the web about it.

 

Back to the performance.  It was breathtaking.  He has such intensity and connection with the music together with fingers that really tickle the ivory.  But paid reviewers say it much better than I can so the following is from the program.

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Viv McLean won First Prize at the 2002 Maria Canals International Piano Competition in Barcelona and has performed in all the major venues in the UK, as well as throughout Europe, Japan, Australia and the USA.   

 

"Viv McLean revealed extraordinary originality, superb simplicity, and muscles of steel hidden by fingers of velvet.  He plays with the genius one finds in those who know how to forget themselves, naturally placing themselves at the right point to meet the music, this mystery of the moment."  Le Monde (Paris)

 

He played:

1.  Goyescas by Enrique Granados    No 4: Quejas, o La Maja y el Ruisenor (Lament, or The Lover and the Nightingale)

2.  Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata in C sharp minor (Sonate quasi una Fantasia), Op 27 No 2, 'Moonlight' 1. Adafio sostenuto; 2. Allegretto; 3. Presto agitato.

3.  Ritual Fire Dance from El Amor Brujo by Manuel de Falla

4.  Piano Sonata in C, Op 53, 'Waldenstein'  1. Allegro con brio; 2. Introuzione. Adagio molto -3. Rondo. Allegretto modernato - prestimmiso

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But better yet, here are some YouTube videos of Viv that I hope you will enjoy:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svo-GL_evA4   At a minimum, watch this one starting at about the 8:05 mark.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3Smkgkt5Qw  Of course this one is wonderful also.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZweIlwm_Slg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Foyescas