RSO Presents Haydn, Mozart and Handel in October

141

The last two Saturdays in October are “don’t-miss” events for fans of great music.  The Symphony will perform back-to-back weekends, with both concerts featuring well-known works of the 18th century.

 

The Symphony’s first classical concert of the season on Saturday, October 21st will consist of pieces by the two biggest names in the late-1700s Classical style: Haydn and Mozart.   Franz Joseph Haydn is known as the “Father of the Symphony” (he wrote 104 of them!) because he codified the genre of the symphony, and his example was taken up by Mozart, Beethoven, and later composers all the way through the twentieth century.  We will perform his Symphony No. 2, an early work that paves the way for the final piece on the concert, Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter”.  Written about three decades after Haydn’s, you will hear the evolution from Haydn’s relatively simple early piece to Mozart’s fully-developed, grand, majestic work.   The Symphony will also be joined by internationally-known cello soloist Meehae Ryo.  She will perform Camille Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1, a piece that she has recorded on the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon record label.

 

One week later, the Symphony will be performing as part of the St. James Episcopal Church Concert Series in celebration of the 300th Anniversary of George Frideric Handel’s Water Music.  Water Music is a collection of several dances that Handel wrote for a special River Themes celebration organized by King George I in 1717.  Several of these dances have been made famous through performances and television use—perfect examples of the regal, Barouque-style music fit for a king.  This concert, as all of the St. James Series concerts, is free and open to the public, and will take place on Saturday, October 28th at 7:00pm, at St. James Episcopal Church located at 1620 Murray Street in Alexandria.

RSO Presents Haydn, Mozart and Handel in October

To purchase tickets to the Saturday, October 21st concert, visit RapidesSymphony.org or call (318) 442-9709.