Carnegie Hall

Orchestra of St. Luke’s

Haydn’s "Nelson Mass" might have been inspired by the visit of the British naval hero to the Esterházy estate where he worked. There’s certainly a martial flair to the work—trumpets and drums work overtime—particularly in its forceful Kyrie and Benedictus. There’s also lore surrounding Mozart’s Requiem, mostly courtesy of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, but the music reigns supreme. The choral music is grand, the passages for solo voices are expressive, and the orchestral writing anticipates the Romantics with its color and gripping dramatic power.

Orchestra of St. Luke’s

Haydn’s craftsmanship, melodic mastery, and sharp wit inspired generations of composers after him, including Mozart and Beethoven. Haydn’s “Farewell” Symphony was the composer’s way of telling his boss, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, that the court musicians wanted to return to their families after an unexpectedly long period of employment from which they were not permitted leave—after three bustling movements, it winds down to silence to deliver the message. Haydn’s “children” have their say as well: Beethoven’s concerto bubbles over with wit and high spirits, while Mozart’s melodically splendid concert aria weaves voice and obbligato violin into a pseudo operatic duet.

Orchestra of St. Luke’s

“Papa” Haydn was stylistic father to his immediate successors and 20th-century masters who adopted a neo-classical style. His inventive “Drumroll” Symphony is one of his finest works and might have inspired Prokofiev’s effervescent “Classical” Symphony. In this delightful work, he cleverly emulates Classical-era scoring and tone, but remains firmly in the 20th century. Ravel’s dazzling concerto also looks back to the Classical era, especially in its tender central movement, but this reverie is framed by bubbly high spirits, flashes of jazz, and sizzling virtuosity.