UPCOMING CONCERTS & EVENTS

Mozart´s Europe: Mozartian Symphonic Sketches - OFJ
Second Orchestra Season 2017 Program 3
Mozart´s Europe: Mozartian Symphonic Sketches
Thursday, June 22, 2017
20:30 hrs. Teatro Degollado
Sunday, June 25, 2017
12:30 hrs. Teatro Degollado
EVENT DESCRIPTION

Program 3 
Mozart´s Europe:
Mozartian Symphonic Sketches

Marco Parisotto, Music Director 

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART:
Symphony No. 31 in D major, “Paris”
Symphony No. 38 in D major, “Prague”
Symphony No. 36 in C major, “Linz”

Thursday, June 22nd, 8:30 PM         
Sunday, June 25th, 12:30 PM
Second Orchestra Season 2017, Teatro Degollado


 

Various symphonies written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were published between 1789 and 1800.  At the time, they were not numbered, and identification of these works was by nickname.  Some of the nicknames were names of cities. 

First among these cities is París, France. When he was a small boy, Mozart was presented to Paris society as the prodigy that he, in fact, was, and was recieved like divinity. However, the passing of time had changed the public`s attitude. At age 22, Mozart left home with his mother for Paris, looking for opportunities for work--since in Salzburg, with his father present and the shadow of Archbishop Colloredo hovering over both of them, it was impossible for him to find a steady job, much less a respectable one. It was the spring of 1778, and Mozart offered Parisian audiences the premiere of his Sinfonía concertante. As the same author relates, this premiere suffered an unfortunate sabotage.  The director of "Concerts Spirituels" felt very sorry, and he commissioned a new work from Mozart in order to assuage the latter`s anger. Mozart quickly went to work on the commission, writing his Symphony No. 31 in D major, K. 297, which is known to this day as the composer`s "Paris" symphony.  With the work`s daring musical form, Mozart hoped to stifle the envy of various colleagues in that city.

Many years later, Mozart had already established himself in Vienna.  Near the end of 1783, the composer and his wife were on their way back home from Salzburg, and they decided to stay a few days in Linz, Austria.  When one of the notables of the municipality found out that the genius was in town, he asked Mozart to write a composition for the townspeople. The Symphony No. 36 in C major, K. 425 called, with good reason, Linz, was ready in just four days. 

By the winter of 1786, Mozart`s reputation had fallen, but his success in Prague (on account of the premiere of The Marriage of Figaro) was up-and-coming. So Mozart felt inspired to visit Prague in January, 1787, with assurances that two concerts featuring his works would be forthcoming. For the occasion, the composer decided to present a new symphony, one which had been completed on December 6th of the previous year.  This work is his Symphony No. 38 in D major, K. 504, nicknamed Prague.

The people of this city opened their arms to the Salzburg native in a way that few artists have enjoyed, so that this musician, who only had four years and a few months left to live, became quite a musical hero for the beautiful and unforgettable city of Prague.

*Tickets available on Ticketmaster
*Music Appreciation lectures on Thursday at 7:00 PM and Sunday at 11:00 AM, Free and open to the public
*30% Discounts for students, seniors, teachers, and persons with disabilities
*Programming  subject to change without notice