Die große Reihe – Staunen

Symphony concert of the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra in the Liederhalle

RAMEAU | Suite from "Les surprises de l'amour"
MOZART | Piano Concerto in F major KV 37
MOZART | Piano Concerto in D major KV 175
HAYDN | Symphony No. 94 "Surprise"

Elisabeth Namchevadze Piano
Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor Jan Willem de Vriend

SURPRISES

"Les surprises de l'amour" is an opéra-ballet by Jean Philippe Rameau, the most influential opera composer and music theorist in France at the time. An opéra-ballet is a mixture of sung and danced scenes that are only loosely connected. "Les surprises de l'amour" (The surprises of love) was first performed in Versailles in 1748 at the request of Madame de Pompadour and was arranged several times by the composer. Our suite consists of various instrumental movements from it.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was seven years old in 1763 when he undertook his first major journey with his parents and sister, the highlight of which was a stay in Paris where, as a musical prodigy, he surprised even the king and his court. Back in Paris in 1766, the family also made the acquaintance of some older colleagues. Back in Salzburg, Mozart was now eleven and wrote four concertos, including the one in F major, K. 37, which give us a glimpse of Father Leopold's lessons, which consisted of providing piano sonatas by other composers with orchestral accompaniment.

Mozart wrote his own first piano concerto, number 175 of the so-called Köchel catalog, in 1773. He also held it in high esteem later and performed it in Vienna in 1783, for which he wrote a new final movement.

Joseph Haydn traveled to England in 1791, where he composed six new symphonies, which were premiered in London with great success. His Symphony No. 94 is called "Surprise" in English because of a special effect. He told a biographer: "I wanted to surprise the public with something new and to make my debut in a brilliant way so as not to be outdone by Pleyel, my pupil, who was employed by an orchestra in London at the same time."