Key Chorale presents Coronation: Mozart & Haydn
Key Chorale with soloist Suzanne Karpov
Image: Courtesy Key Chorale
Acclaimed soprano Suzanne Karpov will make her Key Chorale debut, joining the Key Chorale Chamber Singers and orchestra for a performance of Coronation: Mozart & Haydn, two timeless masterpieces by classical music’s original trailblazers who changed the course of music.
Mozart’s “Coronation” Mass gained its nickname when it was conducted by Antonio Salieri for the coronation of Leopold II as King of Bohemia. Haydn wrote his “Lord Nelson” Mass, originally titled Mass in Troubled Times, as Napoleon’s army marched toward Vienna. Soprano Suzanne Karpov will be joined by baritone Jamal Sarikoki, tenor Matt Morgan, and mezzo-soprano Amy Connours led by conductor Joseph Caulkins.
Mozart and Haydn were close friends; Haydn was a mentor to the younger Mozart, and the two would often play string quartets together with Mozart playing the viola and Haydn playing the violin. In fact, Mozart even dedicated six of his string quartets to Joseph Haydn, known as the “Haydn” Quartets. These two contrasting mass settings demonstrate the genius and craftsmanship of two of classical music’s most skilled composers.
Key Chorale recording Coronation: Mozart & Haydn
Image: Courtesy Key Chorale
The Mozart Mass in C major was written in 1779 in Salzburg. It is considered Mozart’s greatest complete setting of the mass. Mozart had taken a position as court organist with the Archbishop of Salzburg. This mass was first performed in Salzburg on Easter Sunday 1779 and was later performed at the coronation of several Holy Roman Emperors.
“Haydn wrote his Mass in Troubled Times as Napoleon’s army marched toward Vienna in 1798,” said Maestro Caulkins. “It was a time of anxiety and distress. In 2021, it is indeed another time of distress and anxiety as we deal with a worldwide pandemic. In troubled times, musicians seem to find a way to bring beauty into the world. The performing arts have found this time to be a time of reimagining and reenvisioning the way we create art. We are finding new ways to perform an old art form.”
Image: Courtesy Key Chorale
Tickets to watch the 75-minute online streaming video are $30 per household; patrons will receive a viewing link that can be activated at any time during the streaming run, March 5–28.
To purchase, go to keychorale.org/upcoming-event/coronation-mozart-haydn/.
