John Wilson

Review of Wigmore Hall

For decades now, the unique atmosphere and acousti...

For decades now, the unique atmosphere and acoustic of the Wigmore Hall has made it the place in the UK, if not the world, to hear great chamber music. My delight on Friday was to see the remarkablly talented young pianist, Beatrice Rana. It seems no time since she was a Radio Three New Generation Artist. Now she has four CDs to her name and her piano playing is already much sought after among pianophiles.
Her latest CD focused her virtuosity and boundless technique on Ravel and Stravinsky. On Friday, her recital ended with Stravinsky's own stunning transcription of three episodes from Petrouchka. Showing effortless physicality and brilliance, Rana completed a recital which had begun with Bach's Italian Concerto and taken in Schumann's F minor sonata. All wonderfully played. Rana is thrilling to hear on disc but, if it's possible, much more so live. See her now when she is reaching stardom.
The venue gets only three out of five stars. The acoustic is as great as always. Only trouble is the lack of any serious welcome and the unhelpful and officious staff. I don't really go for the American style of flashing teeth and, "Have a nice day!" It would, however, be quite nice if the programme sellers and ushers could break into a smile. Or even be remotely pleasant. I was challenged to show my ticket when I re-entered the hall during the interval, having dared to leave for a glass of water and a loo trip.
OK, the Wigmore rules on "readmittance", are publicised. But never did I suspect that a grim faced usher thirty-five years my younger would actively stop me walking back to my seat. Humourless and (really) piping, "only doing my job", this young woman was decidedly not happy in her work or, I suspect, her life. Having ruined my evening by overt petty rudeness she obviously gave the job up as I watched but failed to spot her challenging a hundred other people to reshow their tickets.
Now it may be that I was scruffy, or old or not wearing a suit but I do wonder why I was picked out as someone who had sneaked in at the interval to catch the second half free.
If the Wigmore management read this they should ponder the behaviour their staff. With artists of the calibre of Beatrice Rana, the seats sell themselves. But that is no excuse at all for indulging staff whose sole ambition seems be to render the evening as unwelcoming as possible. Please, let the Wigmore return to being a warm and welcoming place - even for those without suits and still under the age of eighty.