Music of classical giants takes center stage

For the Mozart, Loparits will team up with music director Steven Errante and the orchestra for one of the beloved composer's most effervescent and sublime works. With its multiple themes explored in outer movements full of youthful energy, the ensemble will get a chance to plumb the sometimes melancholy beauty that make the concerto's middle section rank with so many of Mozart's slow movements as something one might want to have along if stranded on a desert island.

The Mozart is set like a jewel between works by Beethoven and Brahms on this program. Beethoven's "Creatures of Prometheus" overture, which opens the program, provides a small but powerful example of his theatrical music, and a glimpse into the struggles behind the scenes as he grapples with the permanence of his deafness. The piece captures his determination to persevere via his daring mythological protagonist who steals fire from the gods.

Brahms' Serenade No. 1 fills the remainder of the program with melodies and rhythms that recall dance suites from the time of Bach and serenades from the time of Mozart. A substantial work, symphonic in scope and rich in harmonies that heighten the emotional impact of older musical forms, Brahms' first serenade is romantic in every sense.

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