The Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra’s TEMPESTUOUS SKIES symphonic tour from 16-24 August brings some of Mozart’s most sublime, dramatic and passionate music to six national and regional centres.
Starting in Kenthurst, NSW on 16 August, then travelling to Canberra (17 August), Newcastle (18 August), Brisbane (20 August), Caloundra, QLD (for the first time on 21 August) and, finally, Sydney (24 August), the full orchestra – including some of Australia’s finest emerging musicians – brings Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony, Piano Concerto in A major, Overture to Don Giovanni and sparkling Serenata Notturna to its national fan-base.
Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony is one of the greatest pieces ever written. His final symphony, it is a grand statement from a visionary composer, and even if the nickname wasn’t Wolfgang’s own, the wonder, awe and complexity of the work perfectly bears the name of the king of Roman gods. Completed in 1788, Mozart’s 41st symphony followed hard on the heels of his greatest operas: The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte.
The Overture to Don Giovanni bristles with passion and intrigue, foreshadowing the dramatic tale to come – extraordinary, considering Mozart wrote it the night before its premiere!
Around the same time, Mozart penned his Piano Concerto No.23. Audiences around the country will be delighted to have internationally renowned Australian fortepiano soloist and Historically Informed Performance doyen Neal Peres Da Costa (above right) perform this beloved staple of the piano repertoire – in a very specific and fascinating version. Neal recently had a new fortepiano built and it makes its debut tour with the orchestra!
The opening work of the program dates from a decade before the others, and we get a glimpse of a very different Mozart. At barely 20 years of age and the musical star of the Salzburg court, he composed the Serenata Notturna as a piece for evenings, possibly to be performed outside, among all the other stars of the firmament.
As an interesting aside, its famously prominent timpani part features Brian Nixon.
As part of the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra’s new emerging artists program, Tempestuous Skies will also feature three selected young musicians from the Young Mannheim Symphonists youth orchestra who will perform alongside the professional musicians. Young Mannheim Symphonists is designed to provide opportunities for young musicians to experience the magic of historically informed performance, inspiring the next generation of research and performance-based inquiry.
As always, the tour features the much-loved educational presentations, Voyage of Musical Discovery (Brisbane 23 August, Sydney 24 August) – this time with guest ensembles Topology (Brisbane) and Taikoz (Sydney, pictured below). Part concert, part demonstration, the Voyage events were established by the orchestra’s founding artistic director, conductor and music educator, the late Richard Gill AO. They offer adventurous programs for high school music students and their teachers and are also equally popular among regular audience members keen to widen their horizons and explore the new alongside the classics.
For more details about the Tempestuous Skies tour and the entire 2022 Concert Season – repertoire, dates, venues – or to book tickets visit: https://www.arco.org.au/tempestuous-skies
