Our Mozart Festival opens with Symphony No. 38, “Prague,” composed on the heels of one of Mozart’s most famous operas, The Marriage of Figaro’s, tremendous success. This symphony exemplifies the peak of Mozart’s symphonic compositional style, as it features sudden shifts from major to minor modes, and defies listeners’ expectations for symphonic form, adding to the drama and the effect of the piece. Symphony No. 38 is rich in complex subtleties and lyrical sophistication and spans a full spectrum of emotion. Mozart’s unfinished “Great” Mass in C minor follows the symphony. The mass is his most exalted and personal sacred work and was deeply influenced by the Baroque traditions of Bach and Handel. He composed church music without the demand that these composers experienced, challenging the idea that musical progress could only be made by moving forward. The mass’ original movements journey from somber to soaring, with later 20th-century revisions completing the piece.

Maximiano Valdes, conductor
Natalia Sandaliz, soprano
Carmen Isabel, soprano
John Tiranno, tenor
Lester Lynch, baritone
Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus

MOZART  Symphony No. 38, “Prague”
MOZART  “Great” Mass in C minor