The new kid on the block for classical music is Bechstein Hall, a new 100-seater recital space which opened at 22 Wigmore Street at the end of last year. Sporting a flagship showroom for its concert pianos, and thirteen practice rooms, Bechstein’s focus is still on promoting its world-class pianos, but what everyone is getting excited about, aside the swish restaurant and bar on the premises, is the brand new, state-of-the-art recital space that has been built.

Eager to check out the new auditorium, I had the perfect opportunity to do so by attending a chamber concert performed by artists in residence, Emmanuel Despax (piano), Guy Johnston (cello) and Priya Mitchell (violin).

Despax’s recordings have made great waves in the classical community and I have a special penchant for: Brahms Concerto No.1, Après un rêve Belle Epoque, and his latest, Liszt . Cellist, Guy Johnston, I had already had the pleasure of hearing live in the grounds of Hatfield House, where he runs an annual chamber music festival. Priya Mitchell, meanwhile, not only has a successful solo career but also runs the much-acclaimed Oxford Chamber Music Festival. 

I entered the dimly lit auditorium. Little diamond studs of light in the ceiling directed the audience down the aisle. A sleek Bechstein grand occupied the empty stage at the end. Down the rows people sipped cocktails contentedly in their seats. The blue stage lighting gave the place the air of a piano bar. Sitting down I checked my watch. A few minutes to 6.00. Bechstein Hall makes a virtue of early concerts, easier for post-concert dining at a civilised 7.30pm.

Edward Fox’s reassuring voice came on. Surprised, we stared up at a video where he was smiling affably down at us, telling us to switch off our mobiles. His job done, a digital concert programme lit up the wall panels: Fauré’s trio in D minor, Beethoven’s Piano Trio in D Major, and, after the interval, Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio no 1.

The Fauré piano trio in D-minor was impassioned, the Beethoven in D Major, extraordinary, notably the Largo, the ‘Ghost’ movement, which sounds so eerily innovative to this day. Despax’s Bechstein got more of an airing in the Mendelssohn piano trio no 1, and the Andante was sweetness itself. If you are lucky enough to catch Guy Johnson in concert – listen out for that fantastic cello he plays, fashioned in Cremona, Italy – the historical capital of strings.

Post-concert, my companions and I made our way to The Hidden Gem in the Bechstein Hall basement. Our meal was excellent – the carpaccio starter and poached sea bass both delicious as was my companion’s spicy lamb faggot.

It is not, of course, obligatory to have dinner after the concert. You have a comfortable bar too which filled up very quickly, pre-concert, on the night. Pricewise, the restaurant was reasonable value for delicious food and the staff were friendly and efficient. You might want to go for the Sunday roast at weekends, (£28 for rib of beef) which I hear is very good.

During dinner I spied our musicians at the next table. ‘What was it like playing in this intimate space?’ I asked Despax as he came over. ‘What does it mean to the performers and to the audience?’ He answered ‘In a larger space like the Wigmore Hall (which is not the largest of halls) you still must project your music to reach the audience at the back of the hall. Here, at the Bechstein Hall, you must play with a lighter touch, perhaps more precisely.’ He continued, ‘In the front row, the audience is just a few feet from the performers and that makes a difference. They hear all the mechanical sounds that a musician makes, the breathing and the sound of fingers on keyboards and frets. It’s a little like listening to the recording of Spanish guitar music.’

I certainly felt I had had a heightened musical experience in this high-tech Parisian salon and will be returning.

KH

For further recitals at Bechstein Hall see here: https://bechsteinhall.com/whats-on/

Restaurant https://bechsteinhall.com/restaurant/