19. Something light, and something more weighty.
Glinka, Lehar, Beethoven.
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SPEAKER_05The music of Mikhail Glinka doesn't get much of an airing these days. But it's no exaggeration to say that without him, it's unlikely that a Russian style of music would have developed in the way it did. His travels to Europe in around 1830 exposed him to a style of composition which he took back to Russia and made his own. In much the same way his fellow painters did with their travels to France. Certainly, he was the first to be recognized in his native land as having any notable talent. Mazursky, Tchaikovsky, and Rensky Korsakov all owe much of their musical style to Glinka. We're going to start with the overture to his opera Rosalin and Ludmilla, which, to be brutally honest, is pretty well the only part of the opera which gets any exposure these days. Played as it most often is as a curtain raiser in the concert hall. So that's what we'll use it for today. It's a sprightly, jolly piece with some European influences thrown in. But in the end, it's unquestionably Russian in flavour, and it's not hard to see why it paved the way for some of the big names I mentioned earlier. Blinker's overture to his opera Roslin and Ludmilla is played here by the Orchestre de Paris conducted by Paw Yevy. Barely any mention was made of this, no doubt because it clashed with the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth, and there was only ever going to be one winner in that competition. But as a son of a Hungarian mother in command of his own podcast, I'm in a perfect position to restore a little balance. So we're going to spend a few minutes on the lighter side of classical music now, but no less melodic for that. If Johannes Strauss was the Walter King, Lehar was at the very least a prince of the operetta, alongside others such as Offenbach, Johannes, and of course and Sullivan. Lehar wrote about thirty of them, most of them lighthearted and humorous stories about vulnerable women, the most famous of which is Illustrator Videtta, The Merry Widow, a smash hit and popular all over the world since its first performance in 1905. Classical music doesn't always have to be heavy and serious. The staunch Wagnerans amongst you will probably turn your noses up now. But this final brief duet is a great tune. Hannah Glavari has inherited a massive fortune on the death of her husband, and it's everyone's hope that the inheritance will stay in Pontevedro to avoid the country going bankrupt. Her previous lover, Count Danilo, was prevented from marrying her by his father because she had nothing to show for herself. So it's a bit like breaking up just before your other half screen to the lottery. But although they love each other still, he is not going to be seen courting a wealthy woman, and she will refuse to marry him unless he declares his lover. I only set the background to make sense of this final duet, because of course there are all manners of twists and turns along the way. But in a nutshell, he is saying that I can tell by the touch of your hand that you fancy me. She admitting she does, as I mine, as I mine, maybe mine, be mine, followed by a joint declaration of love. Okay, it's a bit mushy, but don't try telling me it's not a good tune. The duet is sung here in a live performance by the much lamented Dmitry of Lostowski. What a voice this man had. It's also a good excuse to play the voice of one of the great lyric tenors, the German Fritz von der Lich, who made a name for himself in Mozart repertoire and German songs. He also died prematurely at just thirty-six after tripping on his shoelaces and falling from a staircase. But this is some voice.
SPEAKER_01Would nicht bist, kann ich nicht sagen. So wie die Blume weckt, wenn sie nicht im Sonnen schal ist mein schönes Lied, meine Lieber. Sag mir noch einmal mein Einzig Lied. Und sag noch einmal mir Ich lieb Wohin ich immer gehe, ich fühle deinen Nähe, ich möchte deinen Atem trinken und bitte dir zu Füßen sinken. Ist mein ganzes Herz, wo du nicht bist, kann ich nicht sein. So wie die Blume weckt, wenn sie nicht der Sonnen schon is my shirt we're living. Sag mir noch.
SPEAKER_05Having mentioned Beethoven in the same breath as Lehre, let's finish with that maestro today. Not long ago we listened to the slow movement of Beethoven's Fitzpiano Concerto, and I alluded to the fact that in its entirety the fourth is my favourite. So we're going to finish today with the final movement of that concerto, a skipping and jubilant rhombo. This concerto you might remember. It was played for the first time in that marathon four-hour concert on a freezing December evening in 1808, when only the music of Beethoven was played, including, amongst much else besides a first outing for his fifth and sixth symphonies. I'm sure they love the music, but it must have all been a bit overwhelming, especially when Beethoven decided to start the choral fantasia all over again when they failed to meet his exacting standards. The concerto was revolutionary for his opening seconds. It was a first piano concerto to open with five bars on the piano alone. And it is a device which has not been used often since. Most notably, of course, Inrak Manuel's famous second piano concerto. This recording is with Mikhail Pianev, a Russian who was printed with Gorbachev gave rise to the first non-state funded orchestra in Russia since 1917. What I like about it is that he gets the balance between playfulness and weighty Beethoven perfectly. There's plenty of variety in colour, subtle changes of tempo, and a few doses of improvisation, all of which I'm sure Beethoven would have approved. If you know the piece well, you will certainly notice him taking a few liberties here and there, but it adds up that it was spirited and thoroughly joyful as friend.
SPEAKER_04That's it for now. Thank you for listening to Perfect Pitch with Nick Ely Hutchinson. He'll be back again next week with some more treasures for you. So please do join him then. And you can subscribe to this podcast by clicking on the link below.
