Myra Hess plays Mozart K. 453 in the National Gallery, London with the RAF Orchestra

This short sequence was used in "Listen to Britain" dir. Humphrey Jennings/ Stewart MacAllister) and is now available on Beulah Yesterday's Britain DVD "Classical Music in the Forties" . This also includes Dame Myra playing Beethoven, Sir Malcolm Sargent playing Britten's Young persons Guide tot he Orchestra, Dennis Brain playing Beethoven's Horn Sonata and Arthur Benjamin's specially composed ballet coming to life in "Steps of the Ballet" Buy "Classical Music in the Forties" at all good record stores, from Priory Records on +44 (0) 1525 377566 or on line at http://www.eavb.co.uk

Category:

Music

Tags:

• classical
• mozart
• piano
• concerto
• k453
• raf
• orchestra
• o'donnell
• national
• gallery
• london
• hess
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• National Gallery
• myra
• Music

[uhartchristian]

what is incredible here to listen, the orchestra starts like a military march and when Myra Hess starts the orchestra changes and they make music!!!!! what agreat musician. With her joy she transforms the atmosphere.....

[A60stock]

@uhartchristian The RAF Orchestra is "conducted" by "two gun Pete" O'Donnell using his index fingers. O"Donnell was a military bandmaster with no pretensions to be a conductor. Fortunately his orchestra was made up of some of the finest musicians in the UK so they would respond to a great soloist like Myra Hess.

[swanningaround]

The clip at 3:17 with the Queen Mother is planted there - I have no idea why. She never attended this concert. Nevertheless, Dama Myra's playing shows that she is one of the great pianists of the 20th Century. If you like her, you will also perhaps like Marta Argerich's playing too.

[A60stock]

The reason royalty is shewn is that Listen to Britain was made to show to American audiences and it would be sensible to show the Royal Family supporting the arts in war time. In fact the whole film is fa fabrication by Humphrey Jennings, except for Dame Myra's playing. Of course using Dame Myra was another ploy to gain sympathy from across the Pond as she was famous there too.

[powerspade]

I had the privalage to meet Dame Myra Hess when I was 12 years old. At that time it was my dream to become a concert pianist. She asked my to play for her - after which she told me that I did not have that magic needed. Well I was disappointed but she was right. I turned out a reasonble good player but I was and could never be in the same class as Dame Myra Hess. I am very thankful to have met her. As a person she was a Lady as real Lady

[laurentroth]

Myra Hess et la Grande Bretagne furent en 1941 l'honneur de l'humanité.

Eternelle reconnaissance de la France.

[Allanfearn]

The National Gallery sequence is by far the longest in the film and really quite subtle. They went to a lot of trouble with the Queen, if she wasn't actually there - bringing in Kenneth Clarke, who as Director of the Gallery would have been duty bound to be there on her left, and presumably the right air force equerry as well. Follow the camera, not the music. The war could still have been lost when this film was shot but the mixture of reassuring normality and patriotic imagery is masterly.

[seremerow]

誰能告訴我，為何這些大鋼琴家一出手總是這麼吸引人？

那種比例的拿捏...(技巧不再需要特別拿出來討論了)~

演奏不會刻意凸顯自己、標榜自己，真是位好的鋼琴家！

[dinoimeri]

Playing Mozart and Beethoven in those days, in such circumstances - Myra Hess shows how much music is universal, she sends a very strong message.

[swanningaround]

A60stock. Thank you for explaining that to me. There are so many knowledgeable people like yourself on youtube. :)