This morning I had the delightful opportunity to turn pages for my Fiancé George Todica as he played alongside Maria Gîlicel (Violin) and Jobine Siekman (Cello) as they performed together as the Chloé Piano Trio. The concert took place at 11:00am this morning in the Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall. The aroma of coffee mixed with freshly baked flaky pastry oozing fruit jams filled the hall… ready to whet the appetite of the Sunday Go-Getters!
The Trio’s concert was sold out and 150 people came to hear Beethoven’s Second Piano Trio as well as two pieces by Lili Boulanger. George played on an outrageously vibrant red grand piano, which filled the room with lively energy. The Yamaha piano is a one of a kind and originally played by Sir Elton John.
Later that same day, we visited Lancaster Hall Hotel and attended the Schubert Society’s monthly concert with our friend Catherine. It was a great excuse to catch up and enjoy listening to a concert, which just happened to also feature a piano trio! It’s been quite a string feast today, but interesting to see how different musicians can create their own unique sound worlds yet start with the same ingredients.
This week I have been preparing for my upcoming recital at Alderley Edge Methodist Church where George and I will be performing on the 19th of February at 1 pm. These lunchtime concerts that the Alderley Edge Methodist Church host help to support a variety of charities. The designated charity for this month’s recitals will be Church Action on Poverty.
Here is a link to my most recent video just in case you missed it 🙂
What a shame! Had Alderley Edge been Thursday or Friday, I’d have been there but I’m stuck in work on Wednesday. Ah well, break the soprano’s equivalent of a leg (is it a fingernail, or do those get chewed off duriing rehearsals?)
Next time! It would have been great to see you. I like the search for equivalents haha!! Break a fingernail sounds much better for a soprano and not too disastrous.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Love the bright red piano and the Jimi painting in the background. Sounds like it was a great show – I do like piano trios and interesting that you heard another one later. I hope the recital later in the week goes well!
The piano was so striking and really set a fun mood for the room! Piano Trio’s has an abundance of great repertoire to listen too! I had previously only really listened to quartets so it’s a new genre for me!
Best Wishes
Charlotte
I have heard a few, but know mostly the Beethoven, particularly the Archduke Op 97 and the Ghost, Op 70. Back in the days I studied music i spent much, much more time on string quartets and piano sonatas, but these were nice change 🙂
Wonderful week, dear Charlotte! I wish you good luck with yor charity performances! 🙂
Thank you! Fingers and toes are crossed for a good performance! The preparation has been done so we can enjoy sharing the music with the audience.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Hello Lady. Apologies as I’ve not been in touch lately. CONGRATULATIONS on your engagement. I s’pose I’m way late with that! Am so pleased that your life and career are progressing so successfully, AND happily!
Hello Cheryl, it’s so lovely to hear from you! We publicly announced the engagement this year, so you aren’t late to the party! Sending you good wishes for this coming week.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Love the piano, and so wonderful to have a post featuring George. I wonder if the string component found Jimi Hendrix an inspiration?
Hi Gwen, George is a tremendous pianist, (although I am a bit biased hehe). I enjoyed being able to support his performance. Great point! – Jimi Hendrix is a fantastic performer, just a pinch of his charisma is fuel for a performance!
Best Wishes
Charlotte
The photo of the red piano with Jimi Hendrix in the background is outrageous and fantastic. It must feel wonderful to fill a room in Albert Hall. If you recall, The Beatles knew how many holes it takes to fill Albert Hall. Methodist churches are very good about supporting mission work and music. If you are Methodist, you will know all about Charle’s Wesley’s hymns. It’s amazing how many hymns he wrote, and even more amazing all of the good work he a John Wesley did during their lifetimes. I digress, but your lunchtime concert sounds like so much fun. You look fab in that red top.
You’ve hit the nail on the head! The Elgar Room is such a fun Venue and the audience seemed to soak up the good energy. I have always found the Methodist Church to be very welcoming and celebrate music. I’m looking forward to helping this cause. I’ll have another listen to the Wesley hymns thank you for bringing these songs to my attention.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Charles published over 6,000 hymns and I read somewhere that he probably wrote around 9,000 hymns. One of the most amazing people of the Wesley’s was Susana. She had 19 children including John and Charles, and raised and educated the 10 children who lived past infancy by herself.
You are making my mouth water. Not the performances—although it’s a great program and the piano looks delicious! No, it’s the “freshly baked flaky pastry oozing fruit jams.” That AND the music sound like heaven to me! I don’t know anyplace here where I can get that. Lucky, lucky you, and your audience.
I enjoyed describing the breakfast! It’s my favourite meal of the day – I love how it can be a celebration of both sweet and savoury dishes! Perhaps you can suggest the concept to your local venue! I’m sure they’d eat up the idea 😉
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Thanks for sharing this exciting event, Charlotte. 😁
Thanks for visiting John! Happy writing this week.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Thank you.
What a delightful couple you two make. This must add to the enjoyment of each experience!
Dear Annette, thank you for your sweet comment. I love being able to work alongside George. We met through making music together in 2013 and haven’t stopped since!
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Fabulous Charlotte !!!!! Je suis impatient de vous retrouvez tous les deux et de vous photographier et filmer dans Londre! All the best for You and George my Friend !!!!!
Thank you Pascal! It shall be a lot of fun I’m sure! And a great way to celebrate this year.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Good morning Hoather have a nice day
Hello Amritpal, I hope you have a nice day too 🙋🏼♀️.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I’ve never seen a red piano around here. It must be very beautiful. Thank you for sharing this brief moment.
How are you? I hope you’re well. I wish you much health and peace.
I believe that it’s one of a kind! … and it is a delightful different to the usual black. I am well thank you, working hard on my upcoming ideas and projects. But your thoughtfulness fills me with joy for tough moments.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Love the shades of red: even your red top Charlotte. Thank you so much for lending your voice to such important charity fundraisers – it means so much. Having been involved in musical fundraisers at my church in Australia, it also provides opportunities for singers and musicians to share their talents. All the best. Hope to catch you somewhere on my next trip to the UK.
Thank you! I thought it would be fun to play with such a vibrant colour with my clothes. You are absolutely right, it’s great to raise awareness and help these causes! Let me know when you next visit!
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Brilliant Charlotte! We are hoping to get to the church for your recital so look out for us.🤗 sounds like the recital went well and was enjoyed by all, well done!👏👏 😘
That’s fantastic news Gill! I shall look out for you both and look forward to giving you a squeeze.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
I should have said it sounds like George’s recital went well so you knew which one I was talking about.😳
You and George appearing together – how perfect is that?!!
When I first saw the piano, I seemed to recall it being from someone famous – I should have known it was Sir Elton John! A genius in song writing, entertaining and promotion.
I am so happy to be performing alongside George. We have the most fun preparing the music and I feel so supported on stage. Your summation of Sir Elton John was fantastic – as soon as you hear it is his piano, it suddenly makes whimsical sense.
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Love the red piano, sounds like you had a exciting day. Looking forward to seeing you both on Wednesday ,and hearing you both performing together.xx
See you both on Wednesday 🙂
Best wishes
Charlotte
“It’s been quite a string feast today, but interesting to see how different musicians can create their own unique sound worlds yet start with the same ingredients.” That is one of the most enjoyable aspects to music for me, hearing the uniqueness in each musician.
The lunchtime charity concerts sound like a beautiful thing. You and George are a wonderful couple to do this!
Just taking a mid-journey break on the way to my parents in Cheshire ready for the concert tomorrow. Looking forward to it.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Lady Andromeda, that your lover would paint a performance in the color of sacrifice – and you are well, from the first picture! He has bargained with the Gods and won!!
I’m very well thank you, and flattered if I’ve understood your comment thank you 😊.
My best wishes always
Charlotte
Wonderful. I saw Brendel play Beethoven once but his piano wasn’t red. I wonder if he would have dared. I suspect Alfred is blushing red at the thought!
Where did you see him play Andrew?
I’ve learnt over the years with George to enjoy piano music, it’s a good thing because he practices for hours!
Best wishes
Charlotte
I saw him in Frankfurt, Charlotte, at the Alte Oper – probably 1986. Wonderful experience. I cried because it was just after my father died in October 86 and he had loved Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart….. had a baby grand at home and played each day. I wished I could have taken him to the concert. Happy memories.
Page turning is more difficult than one would think – timing is everything and I always had the awful fear that I’d do something wrong! I am so pleased George’s recital was sold out and was such a success! May you have the same good fortune tomorrow at your recital at Alderley Edge xx
This is so true Clare, when he first asked me I thought oh oh, we ran through the music together at home because at several points I had to turn pages back and forth. The art is in your own body core rising silently, not disturbing the pianist in any way, being as unobtrusive as possible.
Thank you, I’ve been up early and will start my vocal practice soon.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Hello Charlotte.
First I must congratulate you on your engagement. I probably missed that as so many things over the past year – including your Morley performance – due a difficult year with health.
Second, thank you for the ‘like’ on my post about Ailish Sinclair’s first novel (now that would make a good opera!).
Good to see another British/Romanian couple; our experience is that it’s a partnership made in heaven! 😃.
As you know, I’ve a great admiration for Romanian artistic people having spent many delightful hours in the Filarmonica in Iași, possibly the best with the string quartet ‘Voces’ playing the whole cycle of Beethoven string quartets (I managed this twice), and the theatre.
I hope I’m back to reading more regularly the few bloggers I follow and writing a post more regularly so look forward to yours.
Succes!
Hello Roger, thank you, mulțumesc. I hope that you are on the mend now. I’ve visited the Opera House in Iași, George has family that sing there.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Congratulations to you both. ..I didn’t know they made pianos ‘red.’ I don’t think I’ve seen it that Color before.
Thank you Eric I’d personally love a red piano, how’s it going for you at the moment?
All my best wishes
Charlotte
How’s it going for me? Well, I guess the short version is I’m okay. I will try to update my Blog more often.
Again, wish I were there to see the Trio play. Looking at that red piano makes me think of the sad accident that happened to our Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt (now residing in Italy and constantly performing in Europe). She has her own piano, a customized Fazioli concert grand, is moved from concert to concert. Just a month ago, it was dropped by movers and was totally destroyed, est. 200K USD. Here’s the sad news.
I heard about that Incident Arti, it is quite an operation to move a concert grand around, George would love a Fazioli piano, he tried to convince me a baby grand in the lounge would be better than a settee!
Best wishes
Charlotte
So happy things are going so well for you. Has been wonderful to be on the journey with you 🙂
Thank you Alex, the journey is a bit like an off road jeep safari at the moment but hang on and put your seat belt on 🙂 hehe.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Wonderful!
I adore the red piano, your red top and the poster of Jimi Hendrix.
Wow!
I’m not only a huge fan of you, but of Jimi, as well. He is a massive icon.
I designed the wardrobe for a movie about him. The movie was made for cable by “Showtime”.
Here’s a trailer that I made!
Did you know that he started out as a player in “Little Richard’s” band? xoxo
I don’t know very much about Jimi Hendrix and thank you for your link to your trailer, I’ll watch it this weekend. I’m a big fan of you too xx
Best wishes Resa,
Charlotte
So wonderful Charlotte and George!!!!Keep up the great work!!!!!
Thank you Darlene, we’re both keeping swimming 😊
All my best wishes
Charlotte
I’am working out int he pool…….All my best wishes too….
I somehow missed you were engaged, but you’ve landed one handsome and talented young man. Congratulations!
Dear Noelle, thank you for your congratulations. I revealed our engagement briefly at the end of a blog post. We delayed celebrating it online as we needed to save up for our big day. It is this coming this June and we are so excited!
Best Wishes,
Charlotte