S2.E29. A cheerful start for 2024.Strauss, Faure, Couperin, Wood, A Bit of Fun, Debussy/Ravel.

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.

When I signed off before Christmas, I said I'd be back sometime in January, giving me the freedom to return when I wanted. But the truth is I couldn't keep away for long, and found myself missing these communications with you. So here I am, wishing you a happy and peaceful new year, wherever you are. I'm going to break one of my rules and play something we've heard before, but it's such a good piece to get it underway. Johann Strauss's operetta, the Fledermaus, the literal translation for which is the flying mouse. In other words, the battery is a ludicrously complicated story, which a few people come to Grip to offer encounter. But it's stuffed with really good uplifting melodies, which is all that Vienna's audience has wanted anyway. And many of them feature in its lively overture. I love this version. A live performance from the 1989 Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra's New Year's Day concert in the musique the line. Carl Skyber, who is widely regarded as one of the all-time great conductors, was on the podium. And the variation of tempo is at times frankly verging on the bonkers. But that's what makes it such a thrilling account. So fasten your seatbelt. We've listened to some of his music before. The Requiem in Full, back in episode 42, but possibly his most famous miniature is the pavan. A pavan is a stately Spanish court dancer. But Forre didn't want it to be played too slowly, and despite its huge popularity from its time in 1888, and ever since he wasn't himself too bothered about it, describing it as elegant, but not particularly important. It's an appraisal which has always amused me, because I once rather pompously described another well-known work as not being important. I've never lived it down. Ever since then, whenever I've infused about a certain piece of music to the friend I was with when making that remark, I've been challenged with the words Is it important? Well, for I may not have thought much of his bavan, but audiences have taken a very different view over the years. Finding a recording most closely aligned to the original piano version, which takes about four and a half minutes, took me a while. Almost everyone wants to take between six and nine when it comes to the orchestration. Finally, I found this account by the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by David Parry. This little work, a TikTok shock, is an example of unpiedric quasi. On a harpsichord, this would involve one hand on the upper keyboard, the other beneath it. But actually, the left hand is playing immediately above the right, hence the reference to crossed in its nickname. Its visuals make for it being an ideal encore piece, as played here by Grigory Sokolov. But having looked at the words of Ding Dong Merry on High, I don't see why its jubilant melody and lyrics can't be used at any time of the year. And I particularly like this acapella setting by the Irish composer Charles Wood, who lived between 1866 and 1926. He was known principally for his religious music, especially a large quantity of anthems. He was also a teacher of cocount, Reform Williams, and Herbert Howells amongst his pupils. Wood had a particular gift for acapella writing, so I'm going to sneak this one in by way of closing the Christmas period, but also as a means of preserving its message for the new year. Wood's setting of Ding Dong Merrily on High is sung here by the Cambridge singers, conducted by John Rutter. I know we put a repetition for the weather. I need to make a reference there. I can't. I think everything is next method. I can't repeat the font. Overwhelmed to play on the cannabis by Joseph Castagna Alfonso. Three of them were born in the 18th century and three of them in the 19th century. Not necessarily in that order. See how many you can identify, and I'll give you the answers when he's finished. Here we go. So how did you get on? I'm a Barbie Girl was played in the style and in this order of Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Schubert, Chopper, and Ravel. Hats off if you've got all trick. I think Schumann was probably the trickier, but I think we got a fan of that. The creation of two factors, the kind of competition of one, the two orchestrated by another. Rebel. Rebel, as we have an article, is a master orchestration. And it's more than likely that the picket effect. The hotel is if we have the light at all. The hotel is a different word, which is a phone call. So we fit the data with the cat. But before we do, can I make one request of this? Which I know you hear on every podcast. But rating perfect picture really does make a big difference. Especially if you decide a few seconds to add a comment. It's not a commercial exercise. You'll notice I'm not putting on any of the S. It's just about spreading the word. It takes less time than it took me to ask. And I'm very grateful for that. The booster's Tell and Tales de Anne, orchestrated by Ravel, is played here by the Royal Conservativa Orchestra conducted by Ricardo Shay.