December 26, 19:00. Prague. Vivat Mozart. A memory of Mozart

MUNICIPAI HOUSE –   Smetana Hall

VIVAT MOZART – A MEMORY OF MOZART
A CONCERT ON THE 225th ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF  W. A. MOZART

VIRTUOSI PRAGENSES

PETR LOUŽENSKÝ – Conductor
EKATERINA MONISOVA (Russia) – Soprano
Kateřina Javůrková – French horn

“Eine kleine Nachtmusik” is perhaps Mozart’s most famous composition. This serenade, dating back to 1787, owes its extraordinary popularity especially to the first movement; however, the next three are comparable as regards musical beauty, melodic invention and mastery of composition. The Mass in С minor has an important position in the composers spiritual work. He began working on it at the beginning of 1783 and completed it in the summer in Salzburg. The composition, demanding in interpretation, is probably also a mark of the conciliation with Mozarts wife, Constanza, who sang the soprano part at the Salzburg premiere on 26 October 1783. His Horn Concerto No. 4, dated 1786, was also composed for his friend, an excellent horn player called Joseph Leut-geb. This composition in three movements presents in great lengths all the possibilities of the horn at that time, without valves: brilliant technique, excellent cantilena and features popular in hunting music. The extraordinary popularity of The Marriage of Figaro may have been one of the reasons why the composer visited Prague in 1787 to conduct it. The ingenious opera buffa on the scandalous motif by P. A. de Beaumarchais marked a great shift in his work towards musical comedy describing the psychology of the characters. The impressive aria of the countess expresses her desperation over her husbands emotional instability. Don Giovanni, Mozarts most famous opera, composed for Prague, premiered here on 29 October 1787 with the composer conducting. This story of a voluptuary who crosses all human and divine laws is still a lively part of todays opera repertory. Psychologically ambivalent Donna Anna, Giovannis victim, rejects her fiancee in her aria, at the same time persuading him about her love.

Symphony No. 29 in A major is one of the most well-known from the series of his nine early symphonies. These were composed in Salzburg in 1773-1774 when he was just 18, and already feature all the marks of his mastery of composition.

This concert is held under the auspices of His Excellency Alexander Vladimirovich Zmeyevskiy, the ambassador of the Russian Federation in the Czech Republic.

Programme:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Serenade No. 13 in G major, “Eine kleine Nachtmusik” K. 525 Allegro Romance. Andante Menuett. Allegretto Rondo. Allegro

“Et incarnatus est”, aria from the Great Mass in С minor K. 427

Horn Concerto No. 4 in E-flat major for horn and orchestra K. 495
Allegro moderato Romanza. Andante Rondo. Allegro vivace

“Porgi, amor, qualche ristoro”, cavatina of the countess from The Marriage of Figaro K. 492

“Crudele! Ah no! Mio bene!... Non mi dir, bell’ idol mio”, recitative and aria of Donna Anna from Don Giovanni K. 527

Symphony No. 29 in A major K. 201 Allegro moderato Andante Menuetto Allegro con spirito.