BENGALURU: Classical music enthusiasts can look forward to a tribute to Mozart with a concert on Symphony No. 29, one of the musician’s well-known symphonies of his early days. To be performed by musicians of the Bangalore School of Music (BSM) in its entirety, it will also be unique in the fact that an oboe (a flute-like music instrument) will also be a part of the orchestra concert. The 90-minute recital will be led by BSM’s resident conductor and highly-acclaimed musician and teacher, V Narayanaswamy, and will consist of both professional and amateur musicians in the age group of 13-65. “The chamber musicians have been rehearsing this symphony since the last six months,” says Narayanswamy.
The musicians have prepared a series of unconventionally-arranged pieces with Mozart’s Symphony 29 as its central work, surrounded by shorter pieces by other composers of an earlier and later era. “Apart from an entire Symphony being played, rarely are pieces by Sibelius or Gluck played in Bengaluru. It departs from a traditional concert list with its standard expectations of greats such as Bach, Beethoven, or Brahms,” says Narayanswamy Asked about why he chose Symphony 29 to perform and Narayanswamy says, “I have been the conductor of this ensemble for 28 years and stumbled across this score three years ago. A quick browse told me that we could attempt this work. We have performed Symphony N. 25 in G minor earlier.”
Symphony 29 was written by a young Mozart when he was just 18 years placing it far ahead of its time in the 1770’s and certainly far ahead of Mozart’s own age, demonstrating his musical maturing. The main theme of the first movement is hard to forget, as is the ethereality of the second and the unstoppable energy of the final, he says.The concert is on August 29, 7 pm at Alliance Française de Bangalore, Thimmaiah Road, Vasanthnagar. Tickets priced at `400 available on bookmyshow.com, eventshigh.com and at the venue.