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1787 - Highs and Lows

Donald Macleod follows the highs, lows and exquisite music of Mozart’s last five years. Today - in 1787, Mozart navigates glory and grief and writes his most famous serenade.

Donald Macleod follows Mozart through a year of emotional extremes, from glory to grief.

All this week, we’ll be hearing Mozart’s famous swansong, his Requiem, in its entirety as Donald Macleod charts the highs and lows of the composer's last five years, from veneration to humiliation and back again. We hear how Mozart coped with all that life threw at him and somehow managed to compose many of the works he’s most loved for today.

Today, we meet Mozart in Prague, where he’s flavour of the month and his new opera has the whole city gripped by “Figaro-mania”. But back home in Vienna, his world is about to come crashing down around him.

Requiem: Introit (excerpt)
Dunedin Consort
John Butt, conductor

Ein musikalischer Spass (iv. Presto)
Dennis Brain, horn
Neill Sanders, horn
Philharmonia Orchestra
Guido Cantelli, conductor

Symphony No 38 “Prague” (iii. Presto)
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Charles Mackerras, conductor

Canon: Ach zu kurz ist unsers Lebenslauf
Requiem: Introit and Kyrie
Ensemble Pygmalion
Raphaël Pichon, conductor

String Quintet in G minor, K515 (ii. Adagio, arr. for piano)
Víkingur Ólafsson, piano

Serenade in G, K525 "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" (1st and 2nd movements)
Le Concert des Nations
Jordi Savall, director

Don Giovanni, Act I: Madamina (Catalogue aria)
Ferruccio Furlanetto (Leporello), bass
Berlin Philharmonic
Herbert von Karajan, conductor

Produced by Amelia Parker for ѿý Audio Wales and West

5 days left to listen

59 minutes

Last on

Mon 14 Apr 2025 16:00

Music Played

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Requiem in D minor, K 626 (excerpt)

    Ensemble: Dunedin Consort. Conductor: John Butt.
    • Linn : CKD-449.
    • Linn.
    • 1.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Ein musikalischer Spass, K 522 (4th mvt)

    Performer: Dennis Brain. Performer: Neill Sanders. Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Guido Cantelli.
    • WARNER : 9029523067.
    • WARNER.
    • 4.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony No 38 "Prague" (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Mackerras.
    • LINN : CKD-308.
    • LINN.
    • 3.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Ach, zu kurz ist unsers Lebens Lauf

    Ensemble: Ensemble Baroque Pygmalion. Conductor: Raphaël Pichon.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI : HMM 902729.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
    • 2.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Requiem in D minor, K 626 (Intorit and Kyrie)

    Ensemble: Ensemble Baroque Pygmalion. Conductor: Raphaël Pichon.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI : HMM 902729.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
    • 4.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    String Quintet in G minor, K515 (2nd mvt, Adagio) trans for piano

    Performer: Víkingur Ólafsson.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON : 4860525.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
    • 15.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Serenade in G major "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik", K 525 (1st & 2nd mvts)

    Orchestra: Le Concert des Nations. Conductor: Jordi Savall.
    • ALIA VOX : AVSA-9846.
    • ALIA VOX.
    • 4.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Don Giovanni, Act 1, No 4, Madamina

    Singer: Ferruccio Furlanetto. Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Herbert von Karajan.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON : 419-635-2.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
    • 3.

Broadcast

  • Mon 14 Apr 2025 16:00

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