pumpkinstrokemarrow

Four preludes from Debussy, Book II, whereas I think the Pollini ones of June 28th were Book I. Very good, perhaps improved by being played first in the concert when one is better able to absorb all the froth. Main course, Beethoven's piano sonata No. 17. Desert, a nocturne and a ballade from Chopin. Short encore for the enthusiastic if mainly grey audience. Cooper did a very good job on this nicely balanced programme - with programme design sharing something with dinner design - lasting just about the hour allocated by Radio 3.

Off to the chemist (http://www.johnbellcroyden.co.uk/) after the show to see if I could buy a measuring cylinder for my breadmaking, my requirement being for a cylinder which can measure between one and two pints of water with half fluid ounce graduations. The sort of thing that one used to used in chemistry classes at school but which does not seem to be available from cook shops and cook departments. The chemist did stock this sort of thing but sadly not one meeting this particular requirement. He could do a conical measuring glass, measuring up to half a litre with 50ml graduations, at around £45 (not going to spend this for breadmaking anyway), but nothing cylindrical with small graduations. On the other hand, he did seem to do a selection of surgical instruments. Presumably they cost even more. Next stop school suppliers.

Then proceeded in a southerly direction towards the National Gallery where I wanted to take a peek at their two Vermeers and at Miss. R. Venus, my recently having hung a reproduction of same in my study. It was quite striking how different the two Vermeer were, despite their being in different rooms and despite their both being of a woman at the virginals. Good to see the real Miss. R. Venus; she helped to put the reproduction - perhaps 1.25 feet wide to the 5 feet wide of the real thing - in perspective, the shrinking having given the reproduction a sort of photographic sharpness not present in the original. Very nice she is too.

Quite striking also how good the lighting is in the National Gallery. In some of the bigger rooms I visited, natural overhead lighting. Vastly superior to that in Somerset House.

Outside we were entertained by a piece of plant art. That is to say a large vertical hoarding planted up with greenery. An effective homage to the Hampton Court Flower Show which is on just presently: we will find out whether they do hoardings too in due course.

PS: Wikipedia tells me that Cooper is almost exactly a month older than me. What a coincidence! Perhaps the power (for me) of her playing is a result. Born under the same stars and all that.