Gala-Festkonzert

Two works that could hardly be more contrasting - although both date from the Classical period and were composed less than ten years apart. The Requiem is Mozart's last work and unfortunately remained unfinished. The circumstances of its composition, commissioned by a Viennese nobleman, have long been clarified and leave no room for myth-making. However, the fact that Mozart takes a theme from Handel's ‘Messiah’ for the famous Kyrie fugue is remarkable.

The Requiem's composed melancholy (which also includes hopeful moments) stands in stark contrast to the youthful vigour and gripping optimism of Beethoven's First Symphony. The influence of the great role models - Mozart and above all Haydn - can still be felt, but the work unmistakably breathes Beethoven's spirit from the very first bar.