Free event with donations for Combat Stress charity willingly accepted

This programme pairs two men's homages to the French. Baroque: Bach, a contemporary German, gives his elegant yet exuberant take on the French style in the fifth of his six French Suites; 300 years later a Frenchman, Ravel, looks back at the extraordinary achievement of the great French clavécinistes, Rameau and Couperin, and offers a 20th century refurbishment of a Baroque suite shot through with the most exquisite touches of his harmonic style. In between a rather different contribution from one of the foremost French musical figures of the late 20th century, Pierre Boulez, with twelve short soundbites that make up one of his earliest compositions.

Bach - French Suite No.5 in G major, BWV 816
Boulez - 12 Notations (1945)
Ravel - Le Tombeau de Couperin

Robert Bridge (piano)

That this concert takes place on Remembrance Sunday is remarkably fortuitous and very apt because Ravel, writing this music between 1914 and 1917, dedicated each movement to friends who had died in WW1, his piece serving as both a tribute to a great age of French music and a lost generation of French youth.

As ever the concert is free with complimentary refreshments with a retiring collection for Combat Stress, a charity that offers free support to war veterans grappling with PTSD. And by all means bring something quiet to do whilst you listen if you want to.

There is a dedicated Facebook page at the Putney Knitting Concerts where you can follow the latest news and also post your comments - facebook.com/ThePutneyKnittingConcerts

October 18, 2018