Friday, March 29, 2024

Preview the Music: HPO Mozart & Mendelssohn Concert

I didn’t attend my first orchestral concert until I was almost twenty years old. With the cheapest tickets available, I dressed up, sat near the front of the concert hall and tried to look like an experienced concertgoer. However, the live experience was very different than listening to a recording, and I ended up just feeling intimidated and awkward.

But love for the music won out, and I returned for another concert soon after. Since then, I have lost count of the number of classical music performances I’ve attended (and now wear jeans when I attend). It’s easy for classical music to seem intimidating; the art form has been in existence for hundreds of years and can feel overwhelming. But having some knowledge in advance- particularly about the music that will make up the concert- can contribute to creating a beautiful and memorable experience.

The Hamilton Philharmonic’s October 19 concert, Mozart & Mendelssohn is programmed with the potential to be a great performance, but also a wonderful experience for someone looking to get more comfortable with orchestral concerts. Here’s a sneak peek on what makes some of this music so interesting, and a few things to listen for during the concert.

Alice Ho: Silk Road Fantasy
Alice Ho is easily one of the most important Canadian composers of today, and the piece is inspired by her heritage and cross-cultural experiences. This will be the first time the work is presented for an audience, and the HPO has likely been working with Alice Ho towards this first performance for over a year, which makes the first performance particularly exceptional.

Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, “Turkish”
Between April and December 1775, Mozart wrote a series of five violin concertos- the only five he ever wrote. While this may be some sort of composition speed-record, consider that within Mozart’s 35-year life, he composed over 600 musical works. While the exact reason for producing so many concertos is unknown (he was working in the Salzburg court at the time), there is a theory that Mozart wrote these concertos for himself to perform; the court theatre closed around this time and Mozart longed to compose operas, which his role did not provide frequent opportunity to do. Additionally, Mozart felt his salary at the court was low, so there is a possibility that the concertos were written in an attempt to grab attention from other, better paying employers (Mozart resigned from the court in 1777).

Listen/Look for- Orchestras during this time period were much smaller than the modern orchestra- meaning there will likely be less musicians onstage than you might typically expect. 

The cadenzas (improvised passages) should also be interesting to listen for- although many composers write candenzas as part of their works, Mozart did not write any cadenzas for this concerto- possibly because he wanted to show off his own skills if he was the intended performer. Today, there is a popular set of cadenzas by Joseph Joachim that many artists choose to play for this concerto; however, this could be an opportunity for guest soloist Timothy Chooi to show some individuality with his own cadenzas or interpretations. 

John Williams: Theme from Schindler’s List
In the early 1970s or so, many film scores were mashups of popular songs or styles, rather than a full theatrical experience; however, John Williams entered international consciousness as film composer by breaking this trend with Jaws‘ ominous motif. Soon after this, Williams followed with Star Wars and Superman, which became larger-than life scores that could almost stand alone as symphonic poems. For Schindler’s List, Williams created a masterpiece that includes a wailing violin that accompanies some chilling film scenes and a dignified compassion of the main theme. It is no wonder that Spielberg once stated that “without John Williams, bikes don’t really fly, nor do brooms in Quidditch matches, nor do men in red capes.”

Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4, “Italian”
The final piece on the HPO’s programme is Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 in A Major. The symphony was written to capture Mendelssohn’s impressions of a recent trip through Italy (hence the nickname of the work “Italian”) when he was just twenty-one. As a result, the first movement is exciting, but somewhat overwhelming (just like arriving in a new place for the first time). The second movement, Andante con moto (translated as “walking, with motion”), found inspiration during a religious procession on the streets of Naples. The third movement is a graceful dance that provides contrast (following tradition of symphonic forms), and the fourth movement is a Saltarello; an old Italian Dance Form, where Mendelssohn sought to evoke a festive atmosphere of the carnival he attended.

Listen/Look for- Although the violins may seem overpowering at first, a solo clarinet will emerge to perform the work’s initial theme. A solo oboe will follow soon after with sustained notes to guide the rest of the orchestra towards the main theme. The double basses are also fun to listen to in this symphony, as Mendelssohn wrote a part for the instrument which is an octave higher than it sounds creating a five-part string texture throughout the piece.

Mozart & Mendelssohn takes place on Saturday, October 19 at 7:30pm at First Ontario Concert Hall. Tickets can be purchased directly through the HPO.

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