Carl Maria von Weber
Symphony No. 1 in C major
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 20 in D minor, KV 466
Symphony No. 39 in E flat major, KV 543
- Alexander Melnikov piano
- Ivor Bolton conductor
Forever Young – as a concert title, that could mean all sorts of things. It might refer to music which, even in the distant future, remains fresh and lively, music that never ceases to captivate and inspire people. Or it could refer to those mysteriously talented prodigies who were able to exhilarate our planet with the most incredible sounds, even though their star faded away much too early.
Is it seriously possible to compose a matured late work in your early thirties? In Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s case, as always, anything is possible. Over the course of just a few weeks, in the summer of 1788, he put to paper his three last symphonic strokes of genius. Among them: his Symphony No. 39 in E-Flat Major, a piece that is flooded with light and filled to the brim with compositional artistry and magical melodies. Prepare to take home catchy tunes from the fast and furious finale.
Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 is more than just one of the many ingenious pieces he produced in series, effortlessly, as it seems. In fact, this piece takes accompanied keyboard music to the next level. What unfolds is a veritable contest between the solo and tutti parts, at an eye level which is quite unprecedented. At the premiere, Mozart himself took to the piano. Today, we are almost equally lucky to welcome Alexander Melnikov on stage, one of the most fascinating pianists of our time.
»Utterly consistent, and with spark and intelligence«. These were the words of a contemporary, describing Carl Maria von Weber’s first symphony. And they ring true: The piece shows joie de vivre and youthful exuberance, written by a young adult of just 20 years.
