Loving Miss Hatto

Joyce wasn't a big fan of eulogies.

She wasn't interested in

what people thought about her.

She used to say,

"I play the music,

and that's enough."

But since she died,

a huge number of people

have talked about her

and what her music

meant to the world

and - sorry, Joyce -

just to give you a tiny flavour.

Radio Three called her musicality

an inspiration.

"A virtuoso with

an awesome pianistic technique."

The Independent, "I know of

no pianist in the world

"who is her superior,

musically or technically."

And some people have said

how sad it was

that illness cut short

her concert career

and that her recording success

came so late in life.

Joyce didn't say that.

She wasn't interested in success,

she was only interested

in the music.

Joyce Hatto doesn't matter,

she would say,

it's only the music that matters.

So I'm going to shut up now.

I can imagine Joycey looking down

saying, "Get on with it, Barrie."

I'll leave you with the most

important bit of Joyce.

The music.

Just one picture, please!

'Hi, Barrie - James Inverne again.

I'm sorry about the tabloids,

'we had no choice

but to publish the story.

'I'm afraid we now have even more

evidence about Joyce's recordings.

'I suggest you call me. Thanks.'

This is Barrington-Coupe here.

I'm prepared to talk.

Give you the whole story.

She's jolly good.

She's not a student, is she?

Yes. Joyce Hatto.

She must be going places.

Well, girls - they always have that

toss up about babies, don't they?

Lovely.

No, I agree, she's one to watch.

Very, very good!

Well done, Miss Hatto.

A round of applause, boys, please,

for our rehearsal pianist.

Golly, sorry.

No, no, it's my fault, sorry.

I forgot I was holding them.

Oh, Lord, are they all out of order?

Oh, I'll sort them out.

I'm Barrie, by the way.

Barrington-Coupe. Barrie. Either...

"Eether". You say potahto.

And I know who you are - obviously.

Do you want a hand?

No, no, no, I'm used to

wrestling with chunks of music.

I work for a music publishers.

Hence my manly physique!

Mr Coupe, when they're in order

I'll have them, thank you.

Two ticks, Miss Guisely.

Just wrestling with them.

That was brilliant, by the way.

I'm just the rehearsal dogsbody,

not needed on voyage.

Oh, well, it won't get any better

tonight - it couldn't.

That was just...

It was very moving.

We aim to please.

You wouldn't fancy a cup of tea

or something, I suppose, would you?

Well, I suppose I could.

As long as I get the bus by...

I don't know any places. I'm...

I'm a Thermos kind of girl.

I'm sure we could strike out

and find somewhere.

Mr Coupe, lovely to see you

and all that

but I was rather hoping you might

bring me up the music... Sorry.

Which, I believe,

was the reason for your visit?

I bet you've had all the agents

sniffing around, haven't you?

Oh, no, I haven't, really.

I haven't really

had any big recitals.

I'm not really one of

the sort of chosen few.

The golden boys? Yes!

Some of them have

concert tours booked

and they haven't even graduated.

You could do a concert tour.

Liszt.

I bet you're brilliant at Liszt.

Go on, you love him, don't you?

Oh, I do love him.

And Chopin!

I have this mad urge to do

the Godowsky Variations.

Do you know them?

No, I do know them.

I'd love to hear you play them.

Well, come back to me

in about ten years, then.

Actually, I sort of think

I play a little bit better

when no-one's listening.

Not much of a career,

playing in the front room!

I'd love to do

the whole concert thing,

but you have to be pretty tough.

No, you don't need to be tough,

you just need someone in your corner

who'll do all

the tough stuff for you.

I don't really have too many people

in my corner.

Well, um...

I'm all for love's young dream, but

some of us have got homes to go to.

Seems a bit peculiar, why are you

auditioning for a French man?

French genius.

Alfred Cortot is going to take

five of us next term, one-on-one.

We're all going to play

and he's going to choose his five.

Five's not many.

Barrie thinks I'm in with a chance.

He thinks Cortot and I

are very sympathique!

Oh, so, this was

BARRIE'S suggestion?

You don't have to say his name

like you're holding it with tongs.

I'm not sure that I approve

of all this boosting you up.

If that's viscose

it'll need a cloth.

Where's the bottle?

Barrie thinks I have a future

doing big concerts.

Barrie didn't see you

run off the stage with nerves

at the Chelsea Town Hall.

That was years ago.

Sleeves first.

Or sit there like a rabbit

in headlights at that charity do.

Oh, I was mortified.

Barrie and I are working on that.

What exactly is he, this Barrie?

He's a classical music impresario.

You want to talk to Daddy

about music people.

Daddy's a baker, what does

he know about music people?

Remember the Beverley Sisters'

wedding cake

and all those shenanigans?

They were music people,

if you call that music.

I think he sounds wily, this Barrie.

You can't go living on compliments.

Sorry, sorry, I'm late. Shirt collar

debacle. What time's kick off?

Cortot's gone in.

I should go and warm up.

Are you ready for this ordeal?

Yes, I'll see you in there, Erich!

I'll see you in there!

He's German.

Joyce, you can absolutely do this.

Keep your eye on the prize -

learning from Cortot.

This is your big chance, Joyce.

Keep telling yourself -

you deserve this.

Oh, Lord, now I'm getting emotional!

Thank you, Robert.

And can we have Joyce Hatto, please?

Playing?

Sorry?

You are playing?

Oh, sorry. Schumann.

Fantasie Opus 17.

Sorry...

Sorry, I just need to...

OK. So Cortot's a blithering idiot

and he's picked five no-hopers

who won't threaten him, but...

how'd it go for you?

How much did you hear?

Me? I never even

went into the college.

Well, I was pretty pleased.

Good! Couple of bishes,

but the emotion was there.

That's what probably scared him off,

all that womanly passion!

Steady the buffs!

Old Erich didn't get through either.

Well, frog's not going to

pick a Kraut, is he?

Anyway, this time next year,

Miss Hatto,

you can forget that bunch of

desiccated old shirt-lifters,

because you will be under the care

of Barrington-Coupe

Artistes Management

and you will be heading

straight for the stratosphere.

Fancy a bun? Oh, yes, I love buns.

I'm not sure you should be

signing a contract

without showing it to your father.

What does Daddy know about

artists' management? Nothing!

He knows about invoices.

Yes.

This isn't an invoice,

it's a management agreement.

Between me and Mr Barrington-Coupe.

It's not an order for

two-dozen coffee eclairs.

What's he going to do,

this Barrington-Coupe,

once you've signed it?

He's going to manage my career.

Your teaching?

I'm not doing teaching!

How many more times...

I mean, I might do

a bit of teaching,

but basically I'll be

building up my concert profile

and if you don't want to

witness my signature

then I'll take it to Barrie's office

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