It's Christmas. Well, almost. So it must be Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. What terrific music. That man could certainly write a good tune. For how many people was the '1812 Overture' their introduction to classical music? In my own case a recording on LP by Kenneth Alwyn and, I think, the LSO. If I had to pick eight recordings for my Desert Island Discs, Tchaikovsky's String Sextet his 'Souvenir de Florence' would definitely make the final cut. Along with Pergolesi's Stabat Mater. George Lewis playing 'Easter Parade'. Beniamano Gigli singing 'Una furtiva lagrima'. Bessie Smith and 'Kitchen Man'. Bach's 'Goldberg Variations'. Any Haydn 'String Quartet'. And 'Madame Butterfly', the bit at the end of Act One that always makes me want to cry. A tribute to the power of music and the genius of Puccini.
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