Academie Concert: Matthew Halls and the TSOI

Internationally acclaimed conductor Matthew Halls, the great Tyrolean pianist Michael Schöch, and the Tyrolean Symphony Orchestra of Innsbruck perform masterpieces by Wolfgang Amadé Mozart. The program opens with the *Serenata Notturna* for two orchestras—or, more precisely, two ensembles. Here, Mozart adopts the form of the concerto grosso—characterized by the interplay between tutti and solo ensembles—but treats it with freedom and imagination. When the weather was fine, serenades were played outdoors, where the two ensembles flanked the audience, creating natural stereo effects. The Piano Concerto in G Major, K. 453, is Mozart’s second work dedicated to his student Barbara Ployer. Here, the intimacy of chamber music and the finest tonal nuances are enchanting. “Miss Babette,” as the teacher referred to his student in letters, was highly gifted. The extraordinarily vibrant Symphony, K. 201, from 1774 is a true “Sturm und Drang” piece, full of the most subtle elaboration of the voice structure and melodies that are as immediately engaging as they are high-quality and unmistakable.