A pre-concert treat to aid the concentration.

An impressive Enigma Variations to round off what - John Wilson explained at the end of the concert - was their European debut. A rousing reception from the audience.

Didn’t help that audiences keep driving me mad: epic coughing throughout, and a guy in the choir (VERY visible in the Concertgebouw, right in the conductor’s face) filmed bits of the Rach’s slow movement with his phone’s flashlight on… and then proceeded hardly to applaud afterwards. 🙄🤬🤬🤬 #RUDE

Halftime in Amsterdam, after a rather spectacular - and fantastically played - Don Juan (with a lukewarm reception), and a Rach piano 2 where I didn’t get much poetry from either Wilson nor Grosvenor - though again fantastic playing (received with cheers all around).

… two 6foot6-ers in the row in front of me. It’s a plot against me! Discrimination! #ILoveRakes

Ironically, this past summer, the audience practically broke down the theatre after Schager and Gubanova’s scenery-chewing Parsifal Act II in Bayreuth (not always known for its historically appropriate reactions). How the hell can you not want to erupt in cheers if performers have been that epic?

EPIC SHIT! (From all involved actually. The orchestra are on fire!)

Quite! 🤣

Hahahahaha. I’d enjoy that! (Fun bonus: they serve free drinks in the interval.)

Marvellous singing by Degout, and Pichon and Pygmalion were fabulous throughout. (But I’m still not a Brahms fan…) 🫣

A good seat… provided i don’t get one of those 6’6+ Dutch men in front of me. A serious risk in this country (and one of the reasons I prefer concert halls and theatres with seating on a rake…) 😇🤣

IF you can get an appointment with your GP before the end of winter of course. 🙄

Hopefully to Amsterdam! 😉 (Perhaps Tristan or Boccanegra in 2026?)

No doubt a difficult decision to take, Tim. And at the same time it’s exciting to hear you’ll keep on writing. Good luck - and fun! - with exploring new ventures. 🙏🏻❤️

And why the hell didn’t they immediately record the whole opera with her???