Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra Plays 18th Century Classics

The Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra (ARCO) returns in August with it concert tour EMERGE, is a celebration of development and renewal, featuring some of Australia’s brightest young talents.

Featuring masterpieces by Haydn & Mozart for performances in Sydney City, the Hills District, Melbourne, Orange & Newcastle, the world-class musicians of the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra, directed by Rachael Beesley, will be joined by young and emerging musicians from the orchestra’s Young Mannheim Symphonists (YMS) education program. The YMS programs have run since 2014 and many outstanding students have graduated from this venture.

The music for EMERGE focuses on the enormous stylistic shift that occurred in the second half of the 18th century, when composers such as Haydn and Mozart were moving away from the strict formality of the Baroque era, creating a more melodic, expressionistic style.

In his Bassoon Concerto, KV.191, an 18-year old Mozart hints at this evolution with a piece that looks back towards Vivaldi’s bassoon works but also nods to the emerging Viennese preference for sonata form. Music-lovers are fortunate that one of the world’s finest bassoon players, Jane Gower will be flying home to Australia from Copenhagen to perform the concerto.

A major factor accelerating the pace of change in the 18th century, was the quality of the musicians – and this was nowhere more so than at the Mannheim court (now southwest Germany). Mozart spent the winter of 1777–78 in Mannheim, and his ‘Haffner’ Symphony contains many influences from his time there. Haydn too embraced a number of the Mannheim School techniques, taking his much-loved ‘Drum Roll’ Symphony to new heights of energy and excitement.

And just as Mannheim embraced an emerging, fresh musical style, this program will feature emerging young performers from the Young Mannheim Symphonists youth orchestra. With its multiple regional and national holiday intensives, YMS provides opportunities for young musicians to experience the magic of historically informed performance, inspiring the next generation of research and performance-based inquiry.

The program: Christian Cannabich Sinfonia No.54 in E-flat major/ Joseph Haydn Symphony No.103 in E-flat major ‘Drum Roll’/ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Bassoon Concerto in B-flat major, KV.191/ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.35 in D major ‘Haffner’, KV.385

The artists: Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra/ Rachael Beesley Director/ Jane Gower Bassoon/Emerging musicians from Young Mannheim Symphonists

Performances also in Sydney: Monday 2 August | 6.30pm at The Hills Grammar School, Sydney

Melbourne: Tuesday 3 August | 7.30pm at Melbourne Recital Centre

Orange: Saturday 7 August | 7.00pm at Orange Regional Conservatorium

Newcastle: Thursday 12 August | 7.30pm at Newcastle City Hall

TICKETS: $15-$125