English Chamber Orchestra, BBC Prom, Royal Albert Hall, 18 August 2000

Gluttons for punishment that year – Janie and I took The Duchess to the Proms yet again.

This concert would have very much been my choice – perhaps endorsed by her ladyship. I am especially partial to Bach two violin concertos and a bit of Mozart 29. The English Chamber Orchestra were one of my favoured bands too. Maxim Vengerov too – what was not to like?

Here’s the BBC Proms stub for that day, which mistakenly suggest that they played Mendelssohn’s E minor violin concerto rather than the D minor one they actually played – FAKE NEWS.

We heard:

• Johann Sebastian Bach – Concerto in D minor for two violins, BWV 1043
• Franz Schubert – Rondo in A major, D 438
• Felix Mendelssohn – Violin Concerto in D minor (Proms premiere)
• Johann Sebastian Bach – Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 (arr. solo violin Bruce Fox-Lefriche) Proms premiere of this version
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart  – Symphony No 29 in A major, K 201
• Nicolò Paganini – 24 Caprices, Op 1 No. 24 in A minor (theme & variations) – encore

Here’s a vivacious live performance of the Bach concerto by the Academie fur Alte Kakes:

Recordings & performances of Mendelssohn’s violin concerto in D are as rare as rocking horse shit, but Yehudi Menuhin recorded it:

…and here’s the Concertgebouw lot giving Mozart 29th the full tilt:

Geoffrey Norris liked the gig:

Vengerov Norris Telegraph

Article from 21 Aug 2000 The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England)

We ate at Atlantis again afterwards. At least it was a Friday evening this time, with no great urgency to rise the next day.