S2.89. Berlioz 'Les Francs Juges' overture, and 3 pieces united by birthdays - Liszt Liebestraum 3, Mozart Prague Symphony, Hummel Piano Concerto 5

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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.

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Berlioz's first attempt at an opera, Les Foc Jouge, the Free Judges, was not a success. And much of what he did put down, he destroyed. But the overture survived, and it also happens to be the first piece of music he wrote solely for orchestra. I don't know his music all that well, but I do know that Berliers likes to keep us waiting. So the overtures starts slowly, giving way to quite a workout on the brass, very much a recognizable feature in so much of his music. Before introducing a delightful melody on the strings. I'm more of a fan of his transcriptions of other composers than I am of his own music. But Daniel Baronborn's 83rd birthday recently is a good excuse to play one of his most famous nocturnes, the Lieberstrahl, which is translated as Love Dream. Number three. It's said to the poem by Ferdinand Freudigraf, who exhorts his readers O liebe so lang du lieben kannst du. Love as long as you are able. Which seems to predate, even if in a more poetic way. The reply John Betchman gave when he was asked in a Chacho if he had any regrets. His assemble company. Slightly surprised to get the straight answer. I wish I'd had more sex. I had the great privilege of meeting Daniel Barenboum in 2017, when we invited him to bring the West East Divine Orchestra to London to raise money for MS research on the 30th anniversary of Jacqueline Dupre's death. We were struggling what to give him by way of thanks. Barrenboyum's love of cigars is well known, but there was absolutely no point in presenting him with any more, as his homodole must already have been stuffed to the rafters. But he was amused when my wife was able to present him with a small package, which he unwrapped with a gleeful smile in informing him that we had found something which was secondhand but one careful owner. We had, by great good fortune, unearthed a tiny cigar stub in the bottom of one of Frank's list of pianos. So there was a very good chance that its previous owner had been the great man himself. I know that I've said this before, but as a musician, Barenbum has got through to me much more as a pianist than a conductor. Here he is, playing the dreamy but far from easy loopstrum number three. A distinction he happens to share with my own father, who has been a hundred just three days before him on November the 14th. McKerras was especially linked to the music of Mozart, as well as being the great champion for Czech music and the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan. But for me, it is recordings of the late Mozart symphonies with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, which have always stood head and shoulders above the rest. Number 38, the so-called Prague, not because it was specifically composed for that place, but because that's where it was first performed, embarks on some very sophisticated orchestration. The last symphonies are definitely paving the way for the end of the classical period and heralding the arrival of the romantic. The opening movement, which we're going to listen to now, begins in a stately manner. More like an opera overture, actually, before unleashing into a spirited Allegro with all sorts of advanced orchestral experimentation. And I've just noticed I actually have something in common with Mozart. His dad was also born on the 14th of November. I'm going to just a few minutes long.

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And I'll just go. And then you can merge it with your actual version. I've heard that.

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