Seven Days Walking

An evening out to a packed Usher Hall to listen to Einaudi’s latest composition Seven Days Walking.

The ban on mobile phones meant we missed the debate and outcome of the Parliamentary vote and despite the temptation to look at the mobile I resisted. The staging was so dark any attempt to look would have been like a flashlight beam.

The evening followed a day of being in the garden dodging the showers and sorting through papers. Got through 5 bags today: best productivity to date.

So when the first piece started the gentle repetitive rhythms and the warmth of a packed auditorium lulled me. Like some of the modern composers Einaudi has a pattern which is repeated time after time with occasional variations in notes and intensity.

After an hour and the discomfort of the seats I was at times wearying. The playing, the lightness of touch, the synchronicity of the two excellent string players was superb. There were a few pieces which were very memorable for their impact and as a result enjoyable but I struggled at the end to remember any particular tune. How the performers remembered what point they were at in the score I do not know.. it was a flow of sound for over 90 minutes.

I almost preferred the encore more: but as there was no programme I can’t tell for certain what pieces they were.

Despite my criticisms I enjoyed the evening very much . Perhaps not as rapturously as the audience of a very wide age range ( most younger than us) who clearly appreciated the work.

It was my first time in the Usher Hall for decades. Apart from a Festival concert the last time was when I gave a slide talk there = on Canada.and in particular the Rockies. Following the renovations it was looking good.