Mozart Jupiter

What makes this concert unique?

• Mozart was just 32 when he wrote Jupiter and it was the last symphony he wrote before his death at 35.
• Incidental music is used in a play or film to create a particular atmosphere. Mozart’s incidental music for Thamos, King of Egypt is rarely performed in concert.
• The nickname “Jupiter”, referencing the symphony’s dazzling display of musical fireworks, was first attached to Symphony 41 in early 19th century British concert programs.

Be among the first to welcome Tafelmusik’s new Principal Guest Director, violinist Rachel Podger, in our all-Mozart season opener.

“It’s such a cliché to describe a person as a ray of sunshine … violinist Rachel Podger is living proof that clichés are based in reality. Her interpretations radiate the same luminosity as her personality” (Toronto Star). Known for her “serene virtuoso fluency” (Gramophone), Rachel Podger launches her new role as Tafelmusik’s Principal Guest Director with an all-Mozart extravaganza at Koerner Hall.

Our opening concert of the 2024/25 Season begins with a piece of buried treasure that is new for both Podger and Tafelmusik—the incidental music for Thamos, King of Egypt. Mozart’s love for the theatre shines throughout the work, which vividly mirrors the play’s dramatic arc while foreshadowing the brilliant lyricism of his final opera, The Magic Flute. Podger then follows her striking 2023 performance of Mozart’s Violin Concerto no.1 with the charming Concerto no.2 in D Major.

At the heart of our program is Mozart’s symphony no.41 in C Major, “Jupiter.” A revolutionary, forward-looking masterpiece brimming with vigour and optimism, it ultimately proved to be Mozart’s final symphony before his untimely death at age 35.