Great celebrations for Alberto Portugheis`s 76th birthday concert at St James`s Piccadilly today.

They say a man is known by his friends and as if that was needed to experience such wonderful company at the luncheon party that Alberto hosted for his friends in the beautiful restaurant in Piccadilly .

It was the same generosity of spirit that pervaded the passionate performances of Beethoven and Mussorgsky that he offered to his friends on his 76th birthday at St James’s Piccadilly. Only just recently celebrating with his childhood friend Martha Argerich their 75th birthdays in a memorable duo concert at the Wigmore Hall .

Due to the availability of dates it was only a month later that we celebrated Alberto again …his birthday day being the first of the year.

A real Renaissance man Alberto Portugheis was more concerned in conversation with his young disciples to know how to communicate via the mass or social media to all the mothers of unborn children on how to stop them being butchered in the wars that are endlessly being wagered in the name of Peace.

For there are many publications by Alberto in his quest for peace and his battle to take away the power of governments to wage war without any heed of the human sacrifice involved.

The church too has to take its share of the blame according to Alberto who has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

His Mussorgsky threw all caution to the wind in a passionately theatrical heart felt performance that earned him a standing ovation at the end of his concert .

Having started with the Andante Favori by Beethoven – the original slow movement of the Waldstein Sonata.

He offered his adoring public an encore of a Russian melody by an Austrian composer as he announced himself …the third Moment Musicaux by Schubert played with a subtle rubato and sense of song that sent his friends happily away and us privileged few to celebrate around the table with this remarkable man ,where his many faceted views and spirited intelligent conversation kept us at the luncheon table until well into tea time !