The comparativist

Young musicians from Chetham's School of Music offered a recital earlier today to an almost full auditorium in Christ Church. Cellist Adora, violinists Theo and Joanne, oboist Nathaniel, and tenor Joshua, all accompanied by pianist Dr Elena Nalimova, participated in a mostly Romantic programme, featuring the likes of Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Georg Goltermann, and Jean-Baptiste Accolay. While it's difficult to pick a stand-out from musicians of such class, I'm always mesmerised by Bach's «Suite N.º1 in G major, BWV 1007», and today, in Adora's tiny cello, I had visions of Pablo Casals himself as I was transported by the celebrated prelude. «Soon someone will come up with a screen-like device  that will translate and subtitle live» is what I thought while imagining the conversation of Brahms's «Vergenbliches Ständchen», as sung by tenor Joshua.  All I can tell you is that none of the beginner German phrases from A1 level came up ...