W. A. MOZART Piano concerto No. 22, K. 482
W. A. MOZART Symphony No. 38, K. 504 (Prague)
W. A. MOZART Piano concerto No. 24, K. 491

Leif Ove Andsnes piano & director
Matthew Truscott concertmaster & leader
Mahler Chamber Orchestra

Between 1769 and 1773, the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his father Leopold made three Italian journeys. Following in their footsteps, the MCO embarks on an Italian adventure with Leif Ove Andsnes as part of their Mozart Momentum 1785/1786 project. Similar to Mozart’s first tour in 1769, the orchestra will visit Merano, Verona, Torino and Milano. Inspired by the music of his surroundings Mozart’s compositions picked up an Italian flair, foremost in his operatic repertoire but unmistakenly also in his instrumental oeuvre.

The MCO was founded 25 years ago with a home base in the city of Ferrara. Therefore, returning to Italy always brings along a sense of homecoming and nostalgia. At the same time, it shows how much the orchestra has grown since then musically, artistically and as a structure.

Mozart completed the Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat major on December 16, 1785, as he was approaching the height of his popularity in Vienna. Almost simultaneously, he had been working on the score to The Marriage of Figaro. The operatic style made its way into his orchestral compositions, seen in this Concerto in the way the piano and orchestra seem to dialogue as if they were characters on stage. Just a few months later he would write the final bars of the 24th Concerto. In contrast to the 22nd Concerto, this one came to life in a Minor key and has a less operatic feeling to it. Some say that this composition may have served as an outlet for a darker aspect of Mozart’s creativity at the time he was composing the comic opera.

A unique forte of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra is their ability to play pieces without a conductor, through an intricate process of listening to one another and reacting musically, fully giving space for the score to come alive. That is exactly what they will do whilst performing the Prague symphony.

PROGRAMME
Janácek: Piano Sonata IX1905 “From the Street”
Vustin: Lamento
Beethoven: Sonata no 31, A flat major op 110.
Dvořák: Poetic tone images, opus 85

Leif Ove Andsnes is high on all concert venues’ wish lists, including ours. Last year’s concert was affected by corona restrictions and cancelled. It is therefore with extra pleasure that we look forward to his visit in autumn 2022. The program includes works by Janácek, Vustin, Beethoven and Dvorák.

As Norway’s most famous pianist in the 2000s and a profiled instrumentalist internationally, Andsnes hardly needs any introduction. He has released dozens of records, and has received high international recognition for his interpretations and his outstanding technique. He gives concerts in the world’s best concert halls and with the leading orchestras, while at the same time building up an extensive discography. As a keen chamber musician, he has founded his own annual chamber music festival in Rosendal.

No other artist has been awarded so many Spellemann prizes, and among several other awards he has been awarded it is worth mentioning the Grieg Prize (1990), the Gammleng Prize (1993), the Anders Jahres Culture Prize (1999), the Peer Gynt of the Year (2007) and Gramophone Chamber Music Award (2008). In addition, he has been appointed honorary doctorate at the Juilliard School in New York (2016), honorary doctorate at the University of Bergen (2017), and Commander of the Order of St. Olav (2002).

It is always an event when Andsnes is a guest in Stavanger. Not only has he studied here, and since then played here regularly – he has also helped select some of the grand pianos here at the house. Welcome to an evening that is sure to be one of the highlights of the year!

Programme

Leoš Janáček: Piano sonata 1.X 
Alexander Vustin: Lamento  
Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat major, Op. 110 
Antonin Dvořák: Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85