Formerly known as Chappell of Bond Street, Yamaha Music London is one of the largest music stores
in the capital. It is from here that I regularly purchase all kinds of music as well
as piano music and theory books on behalf of my students. After residing in Bond
Street for nearly 200 years, Chappell moved to larger premises in Wardour Street.
The building was formerly owned by the music publisher, Novello, and it was here that I worked as a student
to earn an income to help pay music college fees etc.
Yamaha Music London has three floors of pianos, keyboards and other instruments as well
as books about music. They claim to have the largest sheet music store in Europe
and music can also be bought online.
It is a good place to visit if you need to purchase a musical instrument because there are so many on display.
Staff are well informed and can offer advice on piano and keyboard purchase.
It was at the BBC Henry Wood Promenade Concerts where I first heard and
got to know the orchestral and choral repertory.There were many
inspirational performers such as Sir Malcolm Sargent, Leopold Stokowski
and Jacqueline Du Pré. For the most popular programmes and to hear the
most famous artists it was often necessary to queue for many hours to
get a good standing place in the Arena. I still visit occasionally but
nowadays I prefer a comfortable seat! It has always been my belief that
students should go to live music concerts. They will learn as much about
musical interpretation and performance as they will from any individual
teacher.
The newly refurbished Royal Festival Hall was the venue where I heard
music performed by the world's great orchestras, conductors and soloists.
Particularly memorable were the Philharmonia concerts with
Otto Klemperer and Carlo Maria Giulini, the visits of the Berlin
Philharmonic and Herbert von Karajan as well as all the top soloists
such as Mstislav Rostropovitch, David Oistrakh and Yehudi Menuhin and
pianists Artur Rubinstein, Alfred Brendel and Daniel Barenboim. My own
teacher, Igor Markevitch regularly conducted the London Symphony and
Philharmonia Orchestras at the Royal Festival Hall. An unforgettable
experience was to hear Stravinsky conducting his own music a few weeks
before his death, a concert now available on DVD.