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The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Presents Mozart Farewell
January 14, 2008
THE LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA PRESENTS
MOZART FAREWELL
LACO MUSIC DIRECTOR JEFFREY KAHANE
CONDUCTS AND PERFORMS THE FINAL INSTALLMENT
OF PIANO CONCERTOS
SUNDAY, FEB. 10, AT 7 PM (ROYCE HALL – UCLA)
The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s acclaimed music director, Jeffery Kahane, serves as both conductor and soloist in the final installment of the orchestra’s multi-year exploration of Mozart and his 23 original piano concertos on Sunday, February 10, at 7 pm. The performance at UCLA’s Royce Hall is a co-presentation with UCLA Live. Kahane conducts Mozart’s Piano Concertos Nos. 8, 20, 14, and 27 from the piano, just as Mozart intended, for the evening’s performance.
“Completing these last four concertos with the Orchestra marks the end of an important musical journey for me and my colleagues in the LA Chamber Orchestra. It was a demanding and ambitious undertaking, but this incredible body of music is well worth the effort. I am so proud of what we have accomplished together,” said Kahane.
The concertos included in the evening’s performance represent key musical developments and milestones for Mozart. Mozart was just 20 when he composed Piano Concerto No. 8 for Countess Lützow of Salzburg in 1776. Although the year is significant for Americans, the democratic ideals that influenced the American and French Revolutions were only beginning to seep into the musical zeitgeist. The spirit of the Enlightenment manifested itself in the music of the time primarily through the Classical model of rational, well-ordered forms reflected in the concerto.
Considered Mozart’s first mature work in the concerto genre, Piano Concerto No. 14 was written for an exceptional student, Barbara Ployer (for whom Haydn also wrote music), and the orchestral accompaniment seems to be heavily influenced by Mozart’s work in opera. In contrast, Piano Concerto No. 20, composed in 1785, is cast in a dark and conflicted D minor. This was Mozart’s most popular piano concerto in the years following his death, suiting the moody tastes of the early Romantics. Indeed, Beethoven found the work interesting, composing two cadenzas for it. Mozart’s final work in this genre, Piano Concerto No. 27, is a return to a simpler style; the texture is delicate and, at times, even sparse. He wrote the piano concerto in the winter of 1790, along with court dances and a string quintet.
Concert Preludes, scheduled one hour prior to the concerts, feature the stories behind the music and are free for all ticket holders.
The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra recognizes Lufthansa German Airlines as an official sponsor, and Pierre’s Fine Pianos and Fazioli as the organization’s official piano supplier and piano. Mozart Farewell is made possible by a generous gift from Warner and Carol Henry and by funding from The James Irvine Foundation.
Tickets ($17 to $79) are on sale now and may be purchased online at laco.org, by calling the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra at 213 622 7001 × 215, or at the venue box office on the night of the concert. Discounted tickets are also available by phone for students, seniors 65 years of age and older, and groups of 12 or more.
Renowned as a pianist and conductor, Jeffrey Kahane is recognized by audiences around the world for his mastery of diverse repertoire from Bach to Gershwin. He has established a reputation as a truly versatile artist equally sought after as soloist, conductor and chamber musician. This year, Kahane enters his 11th season as music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and continues his successful tenure as music director of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Under his leadership, both ensembles received 2007 ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming. He also continues as artistic director of the Green Music Festival in Sonoma County.
EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10 – 7:00 PM
Royce Hall, UCLA Westwood, Los Angeles
CONDUCTOR, JEFFREY KAHANE
SOLOIST, JEFFREY KAHANE, piano
PROGRAM:
Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 8 in C major, K. 246
Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466
Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 14 in E-flat major, K. 449
Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat major, K. 595
TICKET PRICES: $17, $29, $48, $69, $79. (Subject to availability, discounts offered for students, seniors, and groups of 12 or more.)
TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets available online at www.laco.org or by phone 213 622 7001 × 215 or by fax 213 955 2071. Tickets on sale at the theatre box office the night of the concert, if available.