Roberto González-Monjas & MÁV Symphony Orchestra

MÁV Symphony Orchestra’s guest is the young Spanish violinist and conductor Roberto González-Monjas, who is concertmaster of the Swiss Winterthur city orchestra, teaches at the London Guildhall School of Music, and has played with world-famous orchestras as guest concertmaster. The programme features Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 from 1803. The work radiates pure joy, which is worth mentioning because the previous year the composer had dictated his despairing Heiligenstadt Testament, in which he acknowledged his incurable disease of the ear and bade farewell to the world and life. ▪ The Beethoven symphony is partnered by a pair of Mozart works. ‘Serenata Notturna’ is a truly remarkable serenade by Mozart, where a small string soloist ensemble conduct a dialogue – on the Baroque concerto grosso pattern – with the other strings, to which timpani join in. Mozart is thought to have composed the Violin Concerto No. 7 in D major – to be performed at the recital – in Salzburg in 1777. It is in true Mozart style – a delight to hear after the frequently played, popular violin concertos.