The year Haydn praised him as the greatest composer, Mozart premiered a sprightly concerto, now familiar from Amadeus. Pianist David Fray brings “pure Mozartean joy” to the piece, according to a New York Times review of his performance of the piece at Lincoln Center. Toward the end of the 19th century, one was either a Wagnerian or a Brahms fan; today, we can happily enjoy both giants. Brahms’s energetic Fourth Symphony is at times wistful and at others, rambunctious, but totally fulfilling.
The Thursday Matinee concerts are endowed by a gift in memory of Rhoda Goldman.
“[Fray’s playing is] beautifully balanced: delicate yet incisive." —THE NEW YORK TIMES
“The evening's hero was less visible than the singing actors on the stage, but a vital force in the orchestra pit. Asher Fisch's powerful and detailed conducting gave the production both propulsive excitement and detailed artistry — from the vivid overture to the joyous finale, which packs the punch of Beethoven's Ninth." —SEATTLE TIMES
Conductor/Performers
conductor
piano
San Francisco Symphony
Program
All sound clips are from San Francisco Symphony performances and are used with permission of the SFS Players Committee.
Concert length is approximately 2 hours.
Podcasts
Brahms' Symphony No. 4
Watch a Video
Pianist David Fray on Mozart's Piano Concertos No. 22 and 25
Read an Article
"Mozart’s music requires considerable maturity (in outlook, if not in years), its graceful refinement offering artists nowhere to hide... On the basis of these recordings, Fray has an instinctive Mozartean affinity – he communicates fresh ideas with subtle, stylistic deftness." Read the full review of David Fray's recordings of Mozart's Piano Concertos No. 22 and 25 with conductor Jaap Van Zweden on BBC.co.uk.