Mercury Baroque Presents Mozart’s Requiem 5/14

Mercury Baroque will conclude its spectacular 10th season on Saturday, May 14th at 8:00pm with Mozart's Requiem. One of music's greatest masterpieces, the Requiem has been a source of debate for decades. Musicologists still debate over just how much of it was completed by Mozart before his death. This performance marks the first time Houston audiences will have the opportunity to hear Mozart's Requiem performed on historically appropriate instruments. Tickets and information are available online at www.MercuryBaroque.org and by phone at (713) 533-0080 during regular business hours.

Mozart won't be the only musical prodigy represented in the season finale. Balancing out the evening's program will be Mozart's Serenata Notturna and a String Symphony written by Mendelssohn when he was only 12 years old. Mendelssohn, like Mozart, was regarded as a young prodigy, giving his first public concert at age nine. His early compositions, like the String Symphony #4 featured in this performance, were first performed at his wealthy family's parties by a private orchestra.

"Mendelssohn's 4th String Symphony demands virtuosity and shows a surprising level of musical maturity from such a young age," says Antoine Plante, Mercury Baroque's Artistic Director.

"Mozart's Serenata Notturna is a lovely piece," says Plante. "It is written in the style of a concerto grosso, meaning principal players have solos throughout the piece and are accompanied by the rest of the orchestra."

Joining Mercury Baroque to perform Mozart's Requiem is The Bach Choir of Houston, the same professional choir that performed Handel's Messiah with Mercury Baroque back in December. The featured soloists in the Requiem are Ana Treviño-Godfrey (soprano), Allyson McHardy (mezzo-soprano), Zachary Wilder (tenor) and Michael Dean (bass-baritone).

The story of Mozart's Requiem was popularized by the 1984 movie Amadeus. Though the movie wasn't entirely historically accurate, Mozart did pass away before completing the Requiem. It is generally believed that a student of Mozart's, named Süssmayr, completed the work based on Mozart's own sketches for the final movements. Some of the movements often performed today, however, were written entirely by Süssmayr.

Now in its 10th Season, Mercury Baroque has charmed audiences and critics the world over with its passionate and exciting performances of Baroque music on period accurate instruments. Originally founded as a chamber ensemble, Mercury has since grown into a full orchestra of young, dynamic musicians, performing a subscription series of concerts in downtown Houston, other Houston-area communities and touring both domestically and internationally. In addition to frequent performances, Mercury Baroque is also dedicated to educating future audiences and training the city's future musicians. Mercury's educational outreach programs have reached more than 10,000 children in the past 5 years alone.

Mozart's Requiem

May 14, 2011 at 8:00pm
Wortham Center, Cullen Theater

501 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77002
Mozart: Requiem, K.626

Mozart: Serenata Notturna, K.239

Mendelssohn: String Symphony #4

Featuring:
Ana Treviño-Godfrey, Soprano
Allyson McHardy, Mezzo-Soprano
Zachary Wilder, Tenor
Michael Dean, Bass
The Bach Choir Houston
Antoine Plante, Artistic Director
Albert LeDoux, Chorusmaster

For tickets and information:

www.mercurybaroque.org

(713) 533-0080 (regular business hours)