About the Event

Program:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 37
Felix Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, op. 25. Sharon Hui, soloist.
Max Reger: Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Mozart, op. 132

MusicaNova Orchestra brings its renowned creativity to a program that transforms bits of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s music into something new and different. Mozart’s Symphony no. 37 is really the 25th Symphony of Michael Haydn (Joseph’s lesser-known younger brother), with Mozart tacking on a new opening movement for a hastily announced 1783 concert. Max Reger’s variations, built on a theme from Mozart’s Piano Sonata in A major, is a gorgeous example of Reger dismissing the “musical anarchy” of the early 20th century by expanding the bounds of tonality in chromatic exploration.  

Setting Mozart aside, the brilliant young pianist Sharon Hui, winner of Arizona Piano’s inaugural concerto competition, joins the orchestra for a pandemic-delayed performance of Mendelssohn’s first piano concerto. The piece features one of the composer’s earliest efforts to weave all three movements into a cohesive whole.