70. Nationalism, Dexterity, Merriment, Playfulness.

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Do you think that classical music is not for you and you don't know where to start? Or maybe you're a fan already and would welcome a fresh approach. You've come to the right place. Perfect pitch is for everyone. Beginners or experts, whatever your age. Lend Nick Healy Hutchinson your ears for his weekly dose of classical music that will enrich your life.

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In 1899, Finland had been occupied by Tsarist Russia for nearly a hundred years. Even the title was changed a number of times to reflect any association with the country. That term given to a piece of music whose express purpose is to convey the story of a person or theme. It opens with a rather demonic phrase, and the oppression of the finished people is abundantly clear throughout the music. Before reaching calm in a sort of hymn. In fact, there were words written for this later, and ultimately a statement of a true define. Finland is only some fifteen hundred kilometers away from another territory currently under assault on the same country now. So its underlying message is just as out today for the people of Ukraine. I'm sure you'll know it all too well, but the context for which it was written can help you to listen to it in a different way. Start with a theme from the second violin concerto by the technical wizard Paganini. Then add a dash of France Liszt transcription from his Grande Etude de Paganini in 1851. And finally, if a good measure, mix in some extra input from another virtuoso, Federico Bussoni. Buttoni was a gifted pianist and composer, bridging the 19th and 20th century. He was a child prodigy who complained of never having had a childhood. But any parents who give their only son, the middle names of Dante and Michelangelo, are making their helicopter parent aspirations abundantly clear. The result of this formidable concoction is La Campanella, widely recognized as one of the hardest panic pieces in the repertoire. If we didn't know differently, you could be forgiven for thinking at times that this is a duet, so demanding other leaders. He was a much loved man, known for his kindness and gentleness as a person, and a masterful technician as a professional pianist. He was only fifty-two when he died of pneumonia. So I was more than a bit excited to find this recording, which I can only describe as astonishing. So it was a bit of a surprise to some people that Mozart took an instant liking to it in Vienna and wrote what is now acknowledged to be the loveliest clarinet concerto music. It's hard to believe that something overflowing with such joy and optimism could have been written just weeks before he died. And this is a perfect example of where familiarity can cause you to overlook that charm. And that's exactly why it's important to hear a good recording. The moment is Martin Puller. And I think you'll notice two things in particular. First, he takes it out quite a lick, but secondly, this speed does not in any way compromise an extraordinary accuracy. The third and final movement of Mozart's Claret Concerto is played here by Martin Forrest with a Bremen Chamber Orchestra. And while we're on the subject of finales, let's finish today with a last moment of a less familiar symphony. Of all Beethoven's nine symphonies, he is a fourth first performed in 1806 probably to get the least airing. Maybe that's not surprising. It's an undeserved neglect, as you will hear from this dance in the final movement. It has all the playfulness of its teacher heightened in a manner which I would have called African, meaning unbuttoned. Although yeah, and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe get the brief just right in his live performance.

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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.