Classical Inspirations – Matinee Series 3

When 20th-century masters Stravinsky and Prokofiev looked back at the music of the Baroque and Classical eras, they did so with affection and wit. For Dumbarton Oaks, Stravinsky was asked to create a work of ‘Brandenburg Concerto’ dimensions, and the result was a sly, rhythmically inventive homage to the music of Bach and Mozart. The young Prokofiev wanted to write a symphony in the style of Haydn; it turned out that this Classical symphony has as much fun with Haydn as it does with the audience. It won’t surprise you to learn that Prokofiev was also a great chess player!

In between, a classical masterpiece: a concerto which marks the beginning of an exceptionally rich period in Mozart’s musical life. When he first played it in public, he reported that it ‘won extraordinary applause’. And no wonder.