singer for all seasons: On line Aix Easter festival : second concert: Cello and Piano with Sol Gabetta and Bertrand Chamayou from Grand Théâtre de Provence

Cello is by far my favourite instrument, although I had to study music and piano playing for fiffteen years with a monthly rented piano all these years of studying, (it was first rented by my biological father for his voice rehearsals at home at the top of an old house in Rue Longue des Capucins in Marseille, 'chambre de bonne' on the top floor. with no lift: it stopped a floor below..... I used to sleep opposite the piano in a very narrow room. Some very warm days at night I could hear the piano cords swoon, and on winter windy days they would snap loud. I always thought the piano was alive next to me almost breathing like an old companion. I was small enough to camp under the keyboard, it was a nice shelter when I got scolded)…But I had no coordination and never succeeded to get beyond average playing. So I am a poor piano player not like my son who is so creative and followed Aix school of music for years .The only reward is that I can read music and ' sing 'in my mind while reading music!I can decipher... ).

I found on the net that Chopin wrote a unique sonata, the last he wrote (he died so young!) for cello and this is the one I enjoyed so much on the second night of the festival. The two musicians shared timing, intuitive harmony and very nice expressions of feelings on each instrument, giving the piano the follow on role.The cello is expressing more than the piano does this time, which is unusual for Chopin.

Sol Gabetta had a masterclass here at the Easter Festival five years ago. I enjoyed the way she was guiding younger players. But I could not get a ticket for her concert. This time I am so happy to have the opportunity to attend all the concerts on line which is a dream as I would never be able to follow all the concerts, it is simply unaffordable for me ... so I am very grateful to the organisers and to the artists who came to France, to Aix they already know because some of them are faithful to

Renaud Capuçon who created this international event now. It must be sad to play in front of an empty Grand théâtre de Provence, still they can perform and give to an immense on line audience the joy of their musical gifts, they can share music with us and sharing is caring, loving ! Each night (two concerts followed so far ) I am so moved at the end when they bow that I feel like crying... this period here in France is such a mess... we are officialy entering our third not complete 'lockdown' "A la Française' ... which means that some of us who do not care much will still move around as they like .. Still for three weeks education is stopped in kindergarten, schools grammar-schools, universities, presence one day a week somehow... it's not allowed to go further than 10kms around living address... unless special motivations to move more... all this is always very confusing and not strict enough. So... How marvellous it is to attend music on line or listen to my record collection or go to my very old piano as worn out as me... (Forty three years ago having a place of "our own's" where a piano was possible, I bought a 'piano d'étude' like my childhood companion, and of course this piano was not new and not very expensive, it had a mellow rich sound and a good touch when playing chords. I liked. It is a "Ruch, a very old one, hard to keep in tune these days...)

All the concert are on live broadcast at 8.30 PM on Radio Classique. They are also on streaming on that site: inlivestream

The Britten pieces were new and somehow funny to my ears like 'who's going to have the last word' brief and vigourous dialogue between the two musicians, I enjoyed it too like a challenge !(but was not moved )
And the Schumann which opened the evening:
Phantasiestücke, op. 73 was delicate and poetic.I loved it a lot, but my favourite is still the Chopin cello sonata.

Some screeshots from the concert on line: