Northern Chamber Orchestra: Mozart On Tour

Our final Mozart on Tour concert begins with Schnittke’s Moz-Art a la Haydn, a homage to both Mozart and Haydn that blends classical elegance with modern wit. Based on fragments of an unfinished pantomime of Mozart’s and an ode to the disappearing musicians in Haydn’s ‘Farewell’ Symphony, this is a playful work that is sure to delight. 

Haydn’s Symphony No.45, the ‘Farewell’, tells the story of musicians bidding farewell to their patron by using a gradually diminishing ensemble. It ends unexpectedly with an Adagio movement, the musicians leaving the stage one by one. 

Judith Weir describes her composition, Still, Glowing as her attempt to compose ambient music. This contemporary piece offers a serene interlude amidst an otherwise lively programme. 

We conclude with Mozart’s gift to the city of Prague. Mozart received adoration when he arrived in the city in 1787. His popularity was waning in Vienna but in Prague, The Marriage of Figaro had created a sensation. The ‘Prague’ Symphony is in three movements, rather than the usual four, and the final Presto movement quotes music from The Marriage of Figaro which delighted the audiences at its Prague premiere. The work forms a fitting conclusion to the NCO’s Mozart on Tour series. 

Our new Music Director Zoë Beyers directs the concert. In 2020 she was appointed leader of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and appears regularly as guest leader with many other orchestras including the Hallé, RLPO, BBC Symphony, CBSO, Philharmonia and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.