Mozart’s Last Symphonies

The late symphonies of Mozart are a touchstone for extraordinary musicians and experiencing the Australian Chamber Orchestra perform them is an unforgettable experience. Richard Tognetti played the last three symphonies in his first year as Artistic Director of the ACO, and he returns to them often because they are works that only grow with each interpretation.

For six weeks in the summer of 1788, Mozart wrote in a fit of obsessive inspiration. With no commission or concert in mind, he composed without fear or favour, driven only by a personal fire to create. The result was a jubilant family of three symphonies that pull together all of Mozart’s powers of invention, complexity and refined melodic writing. Three years later, he was gone, and the symphonies have taken on a mythic quality. We’ll never know if Mozart perceived his early death and set out to create a startling legacy. We don’t know if he ever heard them performed.

No.39 is a stately, gentle masterpiece. No.40 is a profound, almost Romantic symphony that looks ahead to a new era. No.41, the Jupiter Symphony, is a heroic and surprising full stop on a career that changed the face of music forever. Its finale is one of the pinnacles of human creation.

Under Tognetti’s direction, the ACO, joined by wind and brass players on instruments from the time of Mozart, will perform the last three symphonies. This promises to be a highlight of the year.