Another day’s holiday from the chocolate teapot factory, another day of reading. Hence, not so much listening.

• Rachmaninov – Symphony no. 2 (Edward Downes) – I’m not entirely sure how this ended up on my iPod, especially as I don’t own it on CD. After looking for the Nikolai Lugansky recordings of the concerti and failing to find them I settled for the symphony. I abandoned it as unbearably schmaltzy in the third movement, although I enjoyed the first movement very much. If anyone would care to recommend a particularly stellar recording then I’ll give it another chance.

In the car while shuttling myself between my house and my folks’, and Winterbourne Botanical Gardens:

• The Fall – The Infotainment Scan
• CD86 compilation

This evening I’ve been brutalising the piano with my attempts at taming Carter’s Caténaires (about which more later) and making a mess of pieces I really ought to be able to play without thinking about them such as the Bartók Sonatina and Allegro Barbaro. So, no listening yet tonight either. I’m now off to bed with Cecilia Bartoli’s Salieri album – and am looking forward enormously to her forthcoming Sacrificium release.