Aleee, tp and everyone else:

I went to look round the shops in Shrewsbury today and have just got back. I played the first movement of that "blasted" Weber Duo for clarinet and piano in a school concert once (when I was in the sixth form). I think the piano has a harder time of it than the clarinet, which isn't that difficult a part, although - as ever - it depends on how fast you play it!

No scores recently acquired (Shrewsbury's no good for that anyway). I'm a maths teacher, yes, I'm afraid. I had the tremendous pleasure of teaching Ian Pace (further maths A-level, as he likes to point out, being a stickler for detail).

As you all know, I've never been much of a waffler but I'm that sort of mood today. I registered with the Friends Reunited website yesterday for no other reason than I got broadband a few weeks ago and so I've been exploring the internet more than ever before. It was those I'd known in primary school in Leicester I was most interested in before I moved away. I haven't made any contact but I wonder whether I've done the right thing because for reasons I don't quite understand yet it's given me an unsettled, nervous sort of feeling. Perhaps I'm just too sensitive. Sometimes it's best just to leave things alone. But then I often think one regrets the things one didn't do rather than what one did do.

The piece I am playing is Weber Grand Duo Concertant. There is another Weber piece, but I think that other one is easier. Which one did you play, Tony.

You said you went to shop in Shrewsbury. Is this town on the boarder of Wales and England? We used to go through this town often while living in Aberystwyth. May be we ever changed trains there.
If it is the same town then I might see you from the window of a train or on the platform.

I am afraid I don't go that way anymore. However, I found the ride from London to Aberystwyth very tiring. Somehow after privatization seats on trains that went to Aberystwyth were so bad and worn out. It was tiring journey to Aberystyth. But Shrewsbury looked nice. I think I saw some church from the window of a train.
Piano parts in any Brahms clarinet sonatas or any other sonatas are very difficult. Brahms is hard for pianists. I might be corrected, but brahms piano writing is sometimes unpianistic. May be he was thinking orchestrally. Or perhaps he was such a good pianist that it was easy for him.
Tchaikovsky writing for piano is also not easy. Grieg and  Schumann (in the easier pieces) are better for pianists, but people can contradict me.

Brother Cadfael certainly. Once with a group of friends, after talking about music, we all had to admit to liking something lowbrow. Someone said the TV soap Neighbours, I confessed to Carry On films and another said Brother Cadfael, which I didn't think was lowbrow.

My piano skills are very modest. But if it's any compensation, tp, in my recording of the Brahms sonatas with Daniel Barenboim and Gervase de Peyer, Barenboim fluffs the notes early on in the second sonata. I'm surprised they didn't re-record it.

I have a headache now from the Blasted Duo.
May be Horovitz is the one that gives me headache. I am not sure.
Brahms is very difficult for women because of chords.
I am glad they did not re-recorded sonata. When you record it over and over again it becomes not interesting. It is better to record the whole piece right away. I don't have much experience with recording, but one that I have is enough. There is something that affects people after they are told that everything ready.
I don't know the answer to your question Tony.

Thanks BobbyZ, my memory didn't fail me for once! It rather reminds me of a tune from Delibes' Sylvia.

Not touching that one even with an Extremely Long-Handled Implement, A. 

Here's one I saw in Sydney a while back. Tasty!