Why, over two centuries after Mozart
lived, is he still such a fixture in our cultural consciousness? Why, as we
near the 250th anniversary of his birth, is a worldwide celebration mounting,
with orchestras clamoring to produce concerts of his music, tourists tracing
his footsteps in Austria, and Steinway and Sons giving away an
all-expenses-paid trip to Salzburg, the city of his birth? Here in Rochester,
the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra has devoted a sizeable portion of its
2005-06 season to answering just those questions.
There is Mozart’s legend, of course,
memorialized in the entertaining (if historically suspect) film Amadeus — the boy genius, the
18th-century party boy, the unmarked pauper’s grave — but more importantly
there is his music, which is what the RPO turns its attention to this fall.
“Dramatic Openings,” the season’s
first concert, will feature soloist Jon Nakamura performing Mozart’s Piano
Concerto no. 27, K. 595. The piano concerto was a genre especially important
for Mozart. A renowned pianist himself, he wrote more piano concertos than any
other major composer, and they span the entire length of his career, from age
11 to shortly before his death. This one was the last he ever wrote, and is considered
one his finest. The RPO will perform the concerto, alongside works by Mahler
and Michael Torke, on October 6 and 8 at 8 p.m. in the Eastman Theatre.
($24-$54)
While the RPO’s entire season
features a generous sprinkling of Mozart, it is in the Symphony 101 series that
his music and legacy take center stage. Symphony 101 presents an insider’s
guide to the orchestra as music director Christopher Seaman leads the audience
through an exploration of Mozart’s influence on many types of music, from classical
to contemporary. Part concert, part entertaining and informative talk, the
series is a perfect introduction for anyone who is curious about classical
music but hasn’t spent much time with the orchestra. Audience participation is
even encouraged, with a question and answer session after each performance.
RPO will present two Symphony 101
programs this fall, “Music before Mozart” on October 7 and 9, and “Mozart and
the Opera” on November 11 and 13. The series continues in 2006, examining
Mozart and the symphony, the concerto, and more. Symphony 101 concerts take
place on Friday nights at 7:30 p.m. in the Hochstein Performance Hall, 50 North
Plymouth Avenue, and Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. in Hale Auditorium, Roberts
Wesleyan College. Tickets are $20.
For
tickets, information, and more, visit the RPO website: www.rpo.org or call
454-2100
This article appears in Sep 21-27, 2005.
