Budapest Festival Orchestra: Haydn‐Mozart — 2

About the Event

Immerse yourself in the stunning architecture of Budapest's breathtaking Liszt Academy Concert Center for the ultimate concert set to awake your understanding of classical music.

Takács‐Nagy speaks of the infectious positive energy and vitality radiating from both composers, drawing him towards their works since his younger years. The esteemed conductor views their compositions as a form of spiritual nourishment. Over the years, his series at BFO concerts have provided solace and rejuvenation. This concert showcases Haydn's Symphony, cherished by Queen Marie Antoinette, alongside Mozart’s renowned violin concerto, which is expansive enough to span an entire concert segment. This segment also features a later symphony and a violin concerto. The evening's spotlight falls on the Belgian violinist, Marc Bouchkov, of Russian‐Ukrainian descent. His instrument is played with an intimacy mirroring the human voice. A critic from the Neue Zürcher Zeitung acclaimed, 'Undoubtedly: an exceptional talent.'

While Haydn served the Esterházy court, his reputation soared internationally by the 1780s. In 1784, Count d’Ogny commissioned six symphonies for a nascent Masonic lodge orchestra in Paris. These Parisian symphonies captured the hearts of the French audience and were instantly triumphant. The B‐flat Symphony commences with a stately introduction, echoing the cadences of a French overture. The ensuing movement intricately revolves around a singular motif, with the slow movement elegantly unfolding to the rhythm of a French ballad from that era. A vivacious minuet ensues, leading up to a rondo that gracefully concludes the composition.

Mozart's timeline for composing his five violin concertos was once believed to be exclusively 1775. Contemporary understanding suggests the first two predate the others, illuminating the matured essence of No. 3. This concerto, imbued with an intimate tonality, intersperses operatic elements. Notably, its opening melody, borrowed from Mozart’s opera 'The Shepherd King,' gets intermittently punctuated by orchestral segments, setting the concerto’s ambiance. This movement uniquely allows another instrument, the oboe, a pivotal solo, especially towards the finale. The heart of the concerto exudes serenade‐like melodies, interspersed with poignant moments. Its concluding section, often referred to as the Strasbourg Dance, evokes the spirit of a minuet.

Interestingly, between 1774 and 1778, Mozart shifted his focus from symphonies, penning five serenades instead. The D major composition, likely intended for the University of Salzburg's graduation ceremony in August 1775, allocates significant portions to the solo violin across its seven movements. Two of these were later refashioned into a violin concerto by Mozart, while the remaining four were transformed into a symphony. This musical piece, featuring dual minuets, forgoes the conventionally slow movements. Its finale, a tapestry of alternating 2/4 and 3/8 sections, engages listeners with its dynamic rhythms.