Season

Season 2026/27

The Camerata Classica's 2026/27 season spans an arc from the late Baroque to the early Romantic era, following a single guiding idea: the evolution of musical expression between classical form and passionate intensity. At its centre stands the Viennese Classical tradition, with works by Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven, complemented by Vivaldi's Baroque tone painting, early Romantic works by Schubert and Mendelssohn, and compositions by Johann Christian Bach and Franz Danzi. A particular highlight of the programme is the Austrian premiere of Franz Danzi's Symphony in C major (1803) – a rare opportunity to hear a work of the Mannheim School in the concert hall.

Sturm und Drang – Music of Contrast and Awakening

Dramatic minor keys, stark contrasts and urgent rhythms define the musical language of the Sturm und Drang movement. Johann Christian Bach, Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart reveal how, in the late eighteenth century, a new and immediate expressive power took hold of instrumental music. Bach's Symphony in G minor, Op. 6 No. 6, ranks among the most gripping works of his output. Haydn's Symphony No. 39 in G minor stands out for its unusual scoring with four horns, while Mozart's Symphony No. 25 in the same key combines youthful energy with an almost fateful drama.

Haydn – Symphonies of the Crisis Years

Around 1772, Haydn composed two symphonies that rank among the most formally and emotionally daring works of his output. Symphony No. 44 in E minor, known as the "Mourning" Symphony, combines strict contrapuntal writing with profound emotional restraint. Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp minor, the "Farewell" Symphony, is famous for its unusual ending, in which the musicians leave the stage one by one – a work that interlaces musical structure and theatrical gesture in a wholly unique way.

Vivaldi – The Four Seasons

In Antonio Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, nature itself becomes the subject of music: birdsong, thunderstorms, dance and winter cold all find their sonic counterpart. The four violin concertos rank among the central works of the Baroque, combining virtuosic solo passages with a richly pictorial character. Spring is marked by birdcalls and festive melodies, summer by oppressive heat and an approaching storm, autumn by dance-like movement, and winter by cold and sharply drawn contrasts. Few works illustrate so vividly how music can translate image and feeling into sound.

Viennese Classicism in Transition

The 1780s find Haydn and Mozart moving toward greater formal maturity. Haydn's Symphony No. 81 in G major and his Symphony No. 88, also in G major, combine compositional assurance with playful lightness. Mozart's Symphony No. 29 in A major ranks among the most elegant works of his Salzburg years, while his Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, known as the "Turkish" Concerto, is among the best-loved works of the classical concerto repertoire for its folk-inflected middle section. The Andante for Flute and Orchestra in C major adds a lyrical, chamber-music-like miniature to the programme. Franz Danzi's Symphony in C major (1803) belongs to this same context: its Austrian premiere offers a glimpse of a composer who bridges the Mannheim School and Viennese Classicism.

Mozart – Between Drama and Formal Perfection

Mozart's Symphonies No. 25 and No. 40, both in G minor, rank among his most expressive works in that key. The early Symphony K. 183 is marked by youthful restlessness and dramatic energy, while the later K. 550 unfolds a deeper, more tension-laden world of expression. Symphony No. 41, the so-called "Jupiter" Symphony, finally reveals Mozart's gift for combining melodic richness with formal clarity and masterful voice leading.

Beethoven – Expression and Musical Consequence

Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony ranks among the defining works of classical music. From a terse, unmistakable motif grows a vast musical arc, carried by tension, rhythmic inevitability and the journey from C minor to C major. A different side of Beethoven's musical language is revealed in the Romance for Violin and Orchestra in F major: its lyrical melody and intimate dialogue between solo violin and orchestra unfold a warmly songful mode of expression.

Schubert – The "Tragic" Symphony

Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 4 in C minor, which he himself titled "Tragic", was composed in 1816 within the world of Viennese Classicism, yet already points toward a new, Romantically inflected expressive language. Dramatic minor keys and dense thematic work combine with the melodic inventiveness so characteristic of Schubert.

Mendelssohn – Early Works

The Symphony movement in C minor (1823) and the posthumously published Violin Concerto in D minor (1822) offer insight into Felix Mendelssohn's early creative years. Both works already reveal a young composer capable of combining classical formal principles with melodic invention and a distinctive sense of orchestral colour.