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Bach to Mozart SUNDAY June 22
Maria Valdes, Soprano
Jorge Peña, Conductor
Anton Webern (1883-1945) – Langsamer Satz
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) – Brandenburg Concerto No 1
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegro
IV. Menuet – Trio – Menuet – Polonaise – Menuet – Trio – Menuet
Piotr Szewczyk (1977-) Sinfonietta for String Orchestra
I. Subdued
II. Flowing
III. Urgent
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) – Exsultate, Jubilate, K.165/158a (1773)
Maria Valdes, Soprano
I. Allegro. Exsultate, jubílate
II. Recitativo. Fulget amica dies Andante.
III. Tu virginum corona
IV. Allegro. Alleluja
Anton Webern – Langsamer Satz (1905)
Webern’s lone string quartet movement, Langsamer Satz (“Slow Movement”), dates from a hiking retreat in the Viennese Alps and was crafted as an intimate expression of his newfound love for his future wife. Though often viewed through the lens of his later atonal works, this piece remains firmly Romantic—rich in emotional ebb and flow, from yearning to calm resolution.
J.S. Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F major, BWV 1046 (c.1719)
Part of Bach’s celebrated six concertos, this work was dedicated to the Margrave of Brandenburg. It blends Italian concerto spirit with ornate dance movements (minuets, polonaise), and uniquely features a “violino piccolo” — a small violin with bright, high tessitura. It also makes you wonder if Bach intended a friendly compositional duel with Louis Marchand in Dresden!
Piotr Szewczyk – Sinfonietta for String Orchestra (World premiere)
Szewczyk’s new piece offers an emotional arc—from introspective calm (Subdued) through lyrical momentum (Flowing) to tension and urgency (Urgent). As a member of the Jacksonville Symphony, his writing reflects both orchestral confidence and personal storytelling.
Wolfgang A. Mozart – Exsultate, Jubilate, K. 165 (1773)
Mozart composed this sparkling motet for soprano Venicia Conti, a young harpist-protégé of the Duke of Parma. Featuring operatic flair in “Alleluja,” it marks Mozart’s only extended vocal work in this celebratory style and remains a soprano showpiece that highlights his Italian-influenced classical voice.