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| Paxton House |
Paxton
House, an Adam mansion stuffed with Chippendale furniture, what better venue
for an evening of musical entertainment, especially if it is provided by two
trios of pretty young ladies?
The house
was commissioned by Patrick Home for his intended bride, Sophie de Brandt,
lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth Christina of Prussia. Their love was never realised and Patrick
sold the house to his cousin Ninian who finished the building.
The picture
gallery is the largest in a private house and now houses a collection of 18th
century paintings from the National Gallery of Scotland…portraits of the great
and the good….well, the rich, at least.
The space
of the gallery didn’t save us from the thundery closeness of the summer night.
Arunda with oboe, clarinet and bassoon, gave
a sparkling performance of pieces by Mozart… you have to have Mozart somewhere in a chamber music
evening…as well as a lullaby-like
romance by George Auric, well known for his film music.
Their
rendering of Jean Francaix’s quirky Divertissement
was almost cinematic. Although written
in 1947, it sounded, to my untutored
ear, like the soundtrack to the jerky, grainy films of the early twentieth
century… almost Chaplinesque at times… but what do I know? It was great to listen to.
La Petite
Patisserie by
Leclair, with its parade of cakes and croissants cried out for Disney to animate it.
The second
half of the concert was given by the Trio Isara, piano violin and cello.
Their
playing was superb. Beethoven’s piano
trio in E flat major and Mendelssohn’s
popular D minor trio were played with the passion demanded.
As the
three finished with a flourish, I glanced up at the portrait of a heavy jowled,
sombrely clad, upright citizen looking down on them. I almost imagined the dour Scots face
giving a wee smile of approval. It must
have been the heat making me fey.
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| This yew was probably a around when Beethoven was writing his piano trio |
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