Among Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s greatest works are his wind serenades of the early 1780s. An especially enduring masterpiece from this group is his Serenade in B-Flat Major, K. 361/370a—the so-called Gran Partita , in which Mozart deftly mixed the musical colors for each of its seven melodious movements. Present Music chose this lovely work to represent Classical music’s honored past for their 34th season opening concert.
Another distinctive link to our roots on the program is Luciano Berio’s homage to Johann Sebastian Bach, the Sequenza VIII for solo violin (1976). Music’s modern sounds are evinced by two works of John Adams— Hallelujah Junction (1996) features repetition and echo between two pianists, and Grand Pianola Music (1982) is a distinctly tonal, minimalist work for chamber-sized instrumental ensemble and wordless female voices.
The concert, “Mozart?!,” takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5 at the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts, 2419 E. Kenwood Blvd.
