| Date and venue | Title |
|---|---|
| 19-Jun-2011 Sage: Hall One | Mozart and Bartók: Life after death |
 A piece of music written by a dying composer, left unfinished and completed by a dedicated friend from the chaotic fragments left behind. This is not just the story of Mozart’s Requiem, so familiar to many from Peter Schaeffer’s colourful retelling in Amadeus, but also of Bartók’s Viola concerto, which was imaginatively paired with the more well-known Requiem by Northern Sinfonia this evening.
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| 14-May-2011 Usher Hall | Mozart's send-off |
 An element of conflict inhabits the combination of an evening out and a requiem mass. This thought ran through my mind as I approached Edinburgh's Usher Hall, the sunny foreground of which was populated by happy-looking concert-goers greeting friends. I sensed eager anticipation in the auditorium and a Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) tweet suggests that I was not alone in this:“There's a real buzz in the hall tonight. The sun is shining outside and the hall is pretty full.” By the time James Gaffigan raised his baton, the hall was very full.
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| 1-May-2011 Tivoli Theatre | Rest in Peace |
| Mozart’s Requiem – Piety, mythical murder, and mystery. Completed at the time of Mozart’s death and popularized by the 1984 movie Amadeus, this piece has since become the curiosity piece of audiences seeking the signature sensationalism of today’s state-of-the-arts media. Yet the appeal of this hauntingly beautiful and uplifting musical masterpiece does not end with Hollywood and those seeking media sensationalism; countless, top-notch choirs, both in the sacred and secular circles, continue to incorporate it into their performance repertoire. Read full review... | |
| 10-Apr-2011 Kennedy Center: Concert Hall | Rob Kapilow Gives Mozart’s Requiem a New Vision |
 A strong believer in music speaking for itself, I have always been quite skeptical about pre-concert presentations. In my opinion, play the music and let the audience enjoy it.
On Sunday afternoon I was less than excited to hear that Mozart’s Requiem presented by Washington Performing Arts Society would be previewed in a 45-minute presentation by NPR music commentator Rob Kapilow. Moreover, as I read that Mr. Kapilow was to “unravel the mystery of Mozart” by discussing the music and conducting samples from certain selections, I was almost ready to hate it. In all honesty, unraveling the mystery of a genius has to be a hard thing to do. And most importantly, why do it?
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