The recital was a joy and having the opportunity to hear Alasdair Beatson in such an intimate setting was a real treat. I hadn't heard of him before but think he is definitely one to watch (and this first impression was confirmed on listening to his splendid,recently released disc). He provided a lively yet sensitive and nuanced accompaniment which never overpowered the violin. As I was at the back of the room I wasn't able to see him, which was a shame, but the plus side is that I don't appear in the photo that's been posted! Sitting by the open doors, the rain shower that suddenly came on during the Kreutzer sonata only added to the atmosphere. A memorable evening - long may the recitals continue!
Saturday 19 September 2009
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Thomas Gould
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Alasdair Beatson
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Programme
Schubert Sonatina No. 1 in D major, D384
Brahms Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 100
Beethoven Sonata No. 9 in A major, Op. 47 ‘Kreutzer’
Kumi's Review
What a fun evening! Gorgeous weather, great performance, enthusiastic audience and high energy level..... a member told me that the recitals get better every time - it is such a complement and very pleasing comment to receive. The whole evening was almost perfect, except for some annoying daddy-long-legs flying around in the concert room!
Tom and Alasdair form an excellent combination. Their timing was precise, so was the balance between their the two instruments. It was such a pity that I couldn't pay full attention to the performance, as I was turning pages for Alasdair (of course that was such an honour - to sit next to this gorgeous pianist!). I knew Tom was an excellent violinist as I had seen him play three times before yesterday's concert at Breinton. He is represented by YCAT, Young Concert Artists Trust, which is a very prestigous organisation. But I had never met Alasdiar nor been to any of his recitals, so I was really curious as to what kind of pianist he was. As it turns out - I felt he was a very caring and sensible partner to Tom. Often with piano and violin duos, the pianists go their own way and overwhelm the violin as a result. Alasdair's playing was very considerate and warm, therefore creating a good match with Tom's violin. I am planning to go to his solo recital in the near future and cannot wait to find out what he is like when he is playing solo.
Tom and Alasdair indulged us with some very interesting and informative narratives between the pieces, which also added some fun elements to the evening. I think it is one of the best features of recitals at Breinton, as the audience feel much closer to the performers and get knowledge about the pieces being performed, which you couldn't normally experience in concert halls. They were also very relaxed and friendly - for example, this is the first time our invited artists have mingled with the audience during the interval.
Can I please have your feedback for this event - any and all comments are welcome. Although I believe they delivered an excellent performance (I heard the audience "wow" during 'Kreuzer') I couldn't pay full attention as I mentioned above, so I'd love to know what you thought of them. Click on "Write Comment" below and add your comment right here on the website, or write to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Our son, Henry, did an excellent job at the end of the evening selling Tom and Alasdair's CDs. In case you didn't get one, they are available on Amazon:
PS. I have never seen such hungry musicans as Tom and Alasdair. They arrived hungry, ate before the performance and during the interval, and were still eating after everybody left! I don't know how they stay so thin! Whoever else invites them to another event, can you please make sure you have enough to eat for them!
View a copy of the full evening's programme below.
| File | Description | File size | Last Modified |
|---|---|---|---|
 Gould/Beatson Soirée invitation | Details of Soirée at Breinton on 19 September featuring Tom Gould and Alasdair Beatson | 601 Kb | 16/09/09 22:21 |
| Programme for Gould-Beatson Soirée | Full programme for Soirée at Breinton on 19 September | 553 Kb | 16/09/09 22:22 |
Comments (5)
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|2009-09-27 08:19:04 Junko D - What a treat!It was an amazing experience to witness such a close partnership between a violinist and an accompanist. Not only we could listen to the accomplished programme but also see that Thomas and Alasdair were truly enjoying playing music to us. 'Music' in Japanese is written as 'to enjoy the sounds'. I must say that it was an truly 'musical' evening!
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|2009-09-27 20:40:36 Erika Smith-Gordon - Loved this performanceDear Tom, I really liked your playing and thank you very much for coming to my home and performing for us. I was looking forward to this event as the previous events were all piano recitals, and I prefer violin music of course. Please come again. Love, Erika
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|2009-10-01 10:16:37 Roxana - Gould/Beatson SoireeFirst I would like to say a huge Thank You! to Kumi and Lionel for inviting me to their Soiree. I was delighted but also completely attracted by the evening programme, especially Kreutzer Sonata which I always find it to be such a passionate piece of music, and by the quality of the artists. Thomas and Alasdair have performed sublimely! They are not only young talented musicians but also very entertaining, with a great sense of humor! I have thoroughly enjoyed the evening and I will definitely come back for future performance.
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