We are constantly reading in the music press that such and such a singer or band is making a final appearance (for the umpteenth time) in a world tour.  I promise you that this is my last.  The concert allows me to do 3 things; to hear at last the orchestral version of my Fables songs; to collaborate in a concerto with my good friend Petr Limonov, and finally to conduct my favourite Mozart Symphony, the Haffner.  So here we are – I have mostly been a choral conductor, but this last fling is with the fine Westminster Chamber Orchestra.  

Mendelssohn was a child prodigy and a true genius who, like Mozart, died far too young.  He left behind a vast corpus of orchestra, instrumental and vocal works.  Popular in his day, he was friendly with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  Now he is best remembered for his concertos, 5 Symphonies and 2 Oratorios, St. Paul and Elijah and the fine concert Overture, The Hebrides.   It is in effect a descriptive tone-poem.  It was written in 1830 after a visit to the Hebrides and the Island od Staffa.  Originally the work was entitled The Lonely Island, but after a revision in 1832, it was premiered in London as The Isles of Fingal.

Like so many nicknames, Coronation was not Mozart’s, nor was it performed for the coronation of Leopold II as Holy Roman Emperor, but possible close to that event in 1790.  However, like all Mozart’s Piano Concertos, it is a brilliant work and a work of genius.  He composed 27 concerted works for the piano, the first 7 being early pieces and arrangements for more than one keyboard.  The remaining 20 work show Mozart as the master of the form.  They follow the familiar 3 movement plan of fast-slow-fast.  What is fascinating in all the concertos are the orchestral introductions in the 1st movement.  They are an amazing procession of ideas, beautifully orchestrated, telling the audience what to expect.  They are followed immediately by the entrance of the soloist unaccompanied.  What is particularly noteworthy in K537 is the solo part as printed from the original MS.  In many places it is incomplete – the left hand missing.   The explanation is easy.  Mozart was the soloist in his concertos, so he knew what was missing and, probably, was writing out his full score in some haste.  Modern editors have supplied the missing notation for modern performers.  If time travel was possible, hearing Mozart play would be one wish.  The other would be seeing Bach take a choir practice.  

The Fables song cycle was originally written for a colleague who had won an important singing competition.  The songs were to be performed at a concert in The Purcell Room on the South Bank.  They received their premier but with a different soloist (can’t remember his name) and the reviews were very satisfying!  Later they were performed by this evening’s soloist in their original piano from at one of our Conservatoire concerts.  A distinguished composer friend always said of my piano writing that it seems to be with an orchestra in mind.   So, a few years ago I set out to do just that and orchestrated the songs.  I can’t remember how or why I chose these particular tiny, short stories instead of familiar poetry.   Each is like a short opera.  The lessons the fables teach us are timeless.  

Mozart knew well the Haffners, a prominent Salzburg family.  A commission came in 1782 for the celebration on the ennoblement of Sigmund Haffner.  Mozart had already composed a Serenade for Haffner wedding, and the new commission came at a time when Mozart was extremely busy.  However, he managed to send music through to his father in Salzburg bit by bit for a new serenade.  It was material from this 2nd Serenade that Mozart used to create a new symphony.  And what a wonderful symphony it turned out to be.  It was first performed in March 1783 at the Vienna Burgtheater.  The concert opened with the first 3 movements of the Symphony; there followed a new Piano Concerto with Mozart as the soloist, and a number of opera arias and instrumental pieces.  The Finale of the new Symphony brought the concert to a triumphant close. 

The Symphony is a marvel of melodic invention and asks much from the orchestra, particularly the strings who, in the Finale, have to scurry around with sparkling virtuosity.

 

Programme Notes Copywrite Alistair Jones, 2026