PROGRAMME
W. A. MOZART: Piano Concerto No.18 K.456
L. JANÁČEK: Mládí
W. A. MOZART: Piano Concerto No.21 K.467

PERFORMING WITH
Mitsuko Uchida piano & director
José Maria Blumenschein concertmaster & leader
Mahler Chamber Orchestra

MCO NOTE:
The fifth year of our collaboration with Artistic Partner Mitsuko Uchida brings us Luxembourg to London. For this concert in Dortmund Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 18 and No. 21, frame Leoš Janáček’s wind sextet, Mládí (“Youth”).

Often overshadowed by his more famous B-flat concerto (Piano Concerto No. 27), No. 18 leans towards the entertaining rather than expressive, offering glimpses of the deeper poignance that would characterise Mozart’s later works.

Janáček’s Mládí adds contrast to the programme. Composed during a reflective period in Janáček’s life, this wind sextet is a recollection of his youth, infused with astute humor and a classical form. Written during a stay in his birthplace of Hukvaldy, Janáček uses fresh expressions and a quote from his earlier work, March of the Blue Boys, to evoke the spirit of his younger days. The addition of a bass clarinet to the traditional wind quintet lends the piece a unique, rich texture.

The concert concludes with Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21, K. 467, a work of depth and beauty. Known for its large melodic leaps and underlying restlessness, this concerto’s middle movement is particularly renowned for its expressive poignancy.