Xmas With Mozart — Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa

What better Christmas gift than a program entirely dedicated to Mozart, revealing two complementary sides of his genius?

This concert opens with the Sinfonia Concertante, K. 364, composed in Salzburg in the summer of 1779 following his return from a trip to Paris and amidst growing tension between the composer and Archbishop Colloredo. This hybrid work, sitting between a symphony and a double concerto, stands out for the equal dialogue between the violin and the viola. Mozart gives the viola a particularly brilliant tone by requiring it to be tuned slightly higher than usual, a technique that enhances its presence against the orchestral ensemble. The first movement, Allegro maestoso, dazzles with its abundance of melodic ideas. The Andante, in C minor, evokes the expressive gravity of the operatic genre. Finally, the Presto recaptures a witty and refined joy through a contradance rhythm.

This is followed by Symphony No. 39, K. 543 (1788), written in Vienna during a period of financial hardship that postponed its public premiere. The orchestration replaces the oboes with clarinets, lending the work a more velvety, autumnal color. The slow, solemn introduction—unusual for Mozart—prepares the way for an Allegro of pastoral serenity. The Andante con moto reveals progressive elaborations of texture. The Menuetto is distinguished by a trio where the clarinet takes on an unforgettable melodic prominence. The Finale, which is nearly monothematic, pays tribute to Haydn with rhythmic cleverness and subtle humor.

Under the assured baton of Pedro Neves, violinist Ana Pereira, violist Joana Cipriano, and the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra present an encounter with Mozart’s instrumental maturity: a concert where expressive depth and lightness of spirit coexist in perfect balance.