Fri March 8, 2013 at 7:30 PM
Sat March 9 at 8 PM
Sun March 10 at 2:30 PM

It's time for some Mozart. Pop the cork with the most ebullient and celebratory of his overtures. Bring on violin star Henning Kraggerud for one of his most songful concertos.

It takes a genius to play the seemingly simple, not-a-note-wasted melodies so that they speak as if from the violin of the 19-year-old Mozart himself. Henning Kraggerud has shown Madison on two memorable occasions that he has the rare gift of letting us hear beyond the virtuosity to the heart and soul of the composer's inspiration.

To Russia—a year after the death of Stalin, Shostakovich has improbably outlived the tyrant and pours out his masterpiece, encompassing the suffering, passions and hope of the era, with every expressive possibility the orchestra can command.

The Mozart Concerto No. 4 is one of my favourites. It is like champagne in the blood stream, so fresh. It opens with a fanfare-like motive, then keeps dancing at a fast pace through the first movement. The second movement is one of Mozart's that is like a beautiful aria, with small glimpses of dance as if by mechanical dolls. The last movement is again like ballet with lots of different dance-like motives of different tempi."

"[He has] a power of communication that only great musicians are gifted with. I'm not easily touched, but this really went to the bone."

Prelude Discussion by
J. Michael Allsen, Trombonist and Program Annotator

Program Notes coming in June

Explore and purchase the Music of the 2012-2013 Season on our exclusive online store at ArkivMusic.com. A portion of every purchase directly supports the Madison Symphony Orchestra! We've selected fine recordings of the works and guest artists you'll hear at this season's performances. You'll also hear other great works that are related to our concert choices. Enrich your concert experience and enjoy high-definition sound surpassed only by a live performance in Overture Hall!