S2. E79. From Germany to Russia, via Poland and Vienna. Brahms Hungarian Dance 6, Chopin Raindrop prelude, Mozart Clarinet Quintet, Prokofiev Piano Concerto No.1

Welcome back to Perfect Pitch with Nick Healy Hutchinson and his fresh approach to the world of classical music. Whether you're an expert or a beginner, old or young. Perfect Pitch has something for everyone.

Brahms wrote two sets of Hungarian dances for four hands on the piano. One lot published in 1869, the other in 1880. 21 of them in all. They were instantly popular and a huge financial success for him, hardly surprising, I suppose, because they're full of energy and only a few minutes long. Here is the Schmelling orchestration of number six, marked Vivace, played by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abardo. Three minutes of pure exuberance. We're not completely sure how to acquire its nickname, but the constant tapping at the A-flat doubtless has something to do with it. Familiar it may well be, but the highlight of the whole piece for me comes after an almost stinky moment in the middle. It's a few bars of such ineffable sweetness, such harmonic loveliness, which I find myself waiting for each time. Chopin's prelude number fifteen, the raindrop, is played here by Pavel Koneshikov. The third movement is a minuet. A minuet consists of a principal melody with a trio, which is basically a brief diversion before returning to the melody. Unusually though, here, Mozart wrote two trios, one in the minor key, the other in the major. Sabine Meyer is on bass clarinet with a Carmina quartet. But Sergei Pokrofiev was all about making his mark. His music covers a wide range of emotions, and if it's sometimes introspective, so is it just as often passionate, dramatic, and even humorous. At least a couple of those traits can be found in the recent excerpt we listened to from Romeo and Juliet. But all of them can be heard in the piece he chose to play for the competition in the first organic. This kind of music took a bit of getting used to, even in early 20th century Russia, and plenty of people were happy to ridicule it as a flashy bit of showing off. It was certainly a showcase for the long-fingered Prokofiev who might have found it easier to play the most. It's only a quarter of an hour in length, and in one movement, albeit with several different markings throughout. So while you get this big sweeping passionate theme at the start, there are plenty of other moves during the piece. From almost a sinister introspection to humour and high drama. As such, it suits perfectly the playing of Mata Arginic. This is a sensational account. If this is the first time you've heard it, and even if it isn't, I would urge you to listen to it again, to appreciate not just the piece, but the technical brilliance of Argorich. Because it really is quite phenomenal. Stay tuned for a final word from me after the piece. Just a final thought from me. I should have mentioned this ages ago. If you're one of those followers who clicks on the icon when the latest episode arrives on your screen, it's possible that you may be missing out on the back catalogue of Perfect Page. There's a website, the link for which I'll attach to this episode, perfectpagepod.com, where you'll not only find all the previous episodes, I'll be able to leave a comment, a suggestion, or a request. I will answer everything when I can. There's also a search bar in which you can pop a composer or even the name of the piece. And within that, you will either find what you're looking for or give you a reason to get it out. I don't think I have mentioned this before. A bit of a screen error. Oh my god. Until next week.