‘Mozart the Great’ from the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra

 

The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra’s May series Mozart the Great presents a programme of the concert music of W A Mozart in a diverse mix of single movements and complete works.  Artistic Director Paul Dyer conducts from the fortepiano as the orchestra is joined by soloists, soprano Sara Macliver, mezzo-soprano Fiona Campbell, tenor Richard Butler and the Brandenburg Choir.

The first half of the programme showcases the Basset Horn, a favourite of Mozart, with the Duet for two Basset Horns KV 487 and the Rondo for Three Basset Horns from KV 439B. As well, there are excerpts from Eine Kleine Nacht Musik KV 525, the Sonata for Violin and Piano No 17 KV 296, and the Gran Partita KV 361. The choir offers the much loved Ave verum corpus in D major, K 618,and an impudent canon, Difficile lectu KV 559, peppered with ribald puns.

The piece de resistance appears in the second half of the programme when the entire ensemble performs Mozart’s Mass in C minor,K 427, The Great. If the Basset Horns star before the interval, then it is the female voices which shine after. It is believed that Mozart’s beloved Constanze sang the Et incarnatus est in the premiere performance of this mass on October 26th 1783, at St Peter’s Abbey in Salzburg. It is writing of supreme and tender love. There is certainly something celestial about the about the soprano parts in this mass. They are a celebration of the female voice, with the tenor and bass soloists left to languish till the final moments. Each soprano has her unforgettable solos as well as coming together in the sisterly duet  Domine Deus. This must surely be the closest Mozart came to writing in the bel canto style. The phrases are long, athletic and heavily ornamented. They may well have been written for an instrument. The choral writing too is powerful and indelible.

Programme:

Duet for two Basset Horns from KV 487

Allegro from Eine kleine Nachtmusik KV 525

Rondo for Three Basset Horns from KV 439B

Andante from Violin & Piano Sonata No.17 KV 296

Difficile lectu in F major KV 559

Adagio from Gran Partita KV 361

Ave verum corpus in D major K 618

INTERVAL

Mass in C minor K 427 The Great

Performers:

Sara Macliver, soprano

Fiona Campbell, mezzo soprano

Richard Butler, tenor

Brandenburg Choir

Australian Brandenburg Orchestra

Paul Dyer AO, artistic director, fortepiano & conductor

Bookings (02) 8256 2222 or www.cityrecitalhall.com, or at the Box Office, City Recital Hall, 2 Angel Place, Sydney.

Brandenburg (02) 9328 7581 or www.brandenburg.com.au

Tickets range from $65 to $154 (Concessions/Under 30 available). Booking fees apply.