Unless you've lived under a rock, you've surely heard of Mozart. Whether you've heard him like this is a different story.
Perth Symphony Orchestra will take what you thought you knew of the master composer's work and flip it on its head, twisting it for a modern setting and providing a unique insight into the mind of one of the world's most famous music-makers.
As part of the orchestra's Candlelight series, 'Mozart By Candlelight' at St George's Cathedral in Perth will feature talented living composers Joe Chindamo and Jonathan Dove, who have drawn inspiration from Mozart's legacy.
Perth Symphony Orchestra Founder and CEO Bourby Webster answers questions about the performance.
What Is 'Mozart By Candlelight'?
'Mozart By Candlelight' is an evening celebrating the music of Mozart, possibly the world’s most known classical composer, but not as you’d expect. Perth Symphony has presented sell-out ‘by Candlelight’ concerts at St George’s Cathedral since 2014 – each one a unique concept that brings to life classical music in a way that captures the imagination of a contemporary audience – many new to classical music.
What does 'Mozart By Candlelight' do differently?
We start the concert way earlier than a usual classical concert – so people can come directly from work, avoiding rush hour, and avoiding a late night mid-week. The concert is not just the music of Mozart – we have placed works by living composers that have been inspired by Mozart, alongside the works by the master, clearly showing Mozart’s legacy, but also how contemporary composers reflect, reimagine and rework the music of a master. During the interval patrons can purchase hot food and drinks from our bar, ensuring the concert is a social occasion, not just an aural one. You also get to meet one of the composers – the incredible Australian composer, Joe Chindamo – who joins us on the night for a Q&A and who has ‘recomposed’ Mozart’s famous string piece called 'Eine Kleine Nacht Musik' for Perth Symphony Orchestra to premiere at the concert.
Who is this event for?
Every concert Perth Symphony presents is designed to encourage people to fall in love with orchestral music. Each concert we get a mix of classical aficionados, plus people who’ve heard Perth Symphony before and love the experience we offer, and then there are those who have never been to a classical music concert ever before but have heard we do things differently and in a way that is magical and memorable – so give us a go. Quite simply, if you love music, ANY music, then this concert is definitely going to move you. Unashamedly, this concert is also for the musicians. Their love of Mozart and joy from performing his works, coupled with the chance to play works by living composers that are never heard here in WA, gives our musicians a chance to play incredible music and use their talent to move and inspire an audience – it’s what musicians live for.
What modern twists can a composer bring to the table when reimagining Mozart?
Mozart offers incredible inspiration – from the themes in his music, his stunning melodic lines, use of balanced phrases, his use of motifs, his oscillating bass lines, and so much more. Using these ‘bones’ as ideas, a composer can create a totally new work using only the smallest of ideas. In the case of Jonathan Dove in his ‘Airmail letter to Mozart’ which is a stunning set of short pieces, all of which are variations on a theme, you can hear the fingerprints of Mozart in the music. Yet the music is unlike anything Mozart would have written – Jonathan’s film-like scoring using french horns with piano and strings, one minute reflective and beautiful, the next minute driving and insistent, creates a sound world we are familiar with today. We can’t wait to hear Joe Chindamo’s work which had the working title 'Fantasia On Eine Kleine' (it won’t officially get a name until it’s complete and Joe can ‘feel’ what the work should be called) but I do know Joe has been including solos where members of the orchestra can shine. Mozart’s music allows for this as his melodies are so strong and simply come to life in the hands of incredible musicians.
What kinds of things did Mozart write about?
Mozart loved life. . . He often had to write to the needs of a patron who commissioned a work, but in the main, he simply wrote music he loved. So much of his music is instrumental, but he also wrote a few operas – including the famous 'Don Giovanni', 'The Magic Flute' and 'The Marriage of Figaro'. These are stories of love, passion, jealousy, fantasy and more, and Mozart’s genius lies in his ability to communicate these things through music.
What is the atmosphere like in the cathedral when it's bathed in candlelight?
There is something very special about flickering candles in a stunning space such as St George’s Cathedral. Candlelight has a soft orange glow, bathing the red bricks of the cathedral in warm light that resembles firelight. The shadows of the arches are accentuated creating a magical atmosphere, that, when filled with sublime music, creates an experience where you get goosebumps and is totally immersive. For a precious couple of hours you forget there is a world outside.
What can concertgoers expect from the living composers?
For a start, putting any composer alongside Mozart is a tall order – a bit like asking a sprinter to line up next to Usain Bolt. But I have utter faith that the juxtaposition of some of the most exciting contemporary composers against one of the world’s most famous composers from history, will both show Mozart’s genius, and the living composers’ brilliance. The programme has been selected to ensure the works complement one another.
In an ideal world, what are concertgoers leaving the venue thinking and feeling?
Live music touches you, resonates through you, moves you. Audiences describe feeling incredibly refreshed and uplifted after our candlelight concerts. I really hope our audience will leave having experienced a really beautiful, moving concert that they talk about for days and want to share. The world today can be a lot of hard work, long hours, tiredness and frustration. If we can lose people in music for just a couple of hours, so they forget everything else, we’ll have done what we hoped we could do.
