Overture Magazine: 2017-2018 Season January-February 2018 | Page 15

c i s u M Making Beautiful CONCERTO IN C MAJOR FOR FLUTE, HARP AND ORCHESTRA Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart One of the most calamitous periods in Mozart’s life came in 1778 at age 22 when he arrived in Paris on a high- pressure mission, masterminded by his father, to secure a lucrative post in the French capital and thereby enable the whole Mozart family to move there from Salzburg. Wolfgang had to leave Mannheim, Germany, where he had fallen in love with Aloysia Weber, elder sister of his future wife. To make sure his son stuck to his plan, Leopold Mozart sent along Mozart’s mother as a chaperone and also arranged for a family friend there, Baron Grimm, to smooth his connections into French musical circles. Nevertheless, Mozart’s heart wasn’t really in this task, and the mission was a failure. In a letter to Aloysia’s father, Mozart complained: “You may have no idea what a dreadful time I am having here.…(between ourselves) I am trying to get away from here as soon as possible.” To his father, he wrote that Paris “is totally opposed to my genius, inclinations, knowledge and sympathies.” And Baron Grimm candidly analyzed Mozart’s weaknesses in pursuing a career in Paris: “He is too good-natured, too little active, too easily caught out, too little concerned with advancing his career. Here, to make an impression, one must be crafty, enterprising and bold. I would wish him, for success, half the talent and double the savoir faire.” Grimm’s analysis was borne out by the tale of Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp, composed in April 1778 on a commission from the Comte de Guines, a wealthy amateur flutist, and his daughter, a harpist. Though Mozart claimed to dislike both these instruments, his concerto was a brilliant artistic success, but also a pecuniary disaster. Recently recalled from a foreign diplomatic post because of his shady financial dealings, de Guines also stiffed Mozart for the agreed-upon fee. at Howard County’s Premier Retirement Community 9000 Fathers Legacy Ellicott City, MD 21042 877-203-7299 www.MillersGrant.org PRESENTING THE NEW Hillside Homes! We are completing plans to add 52 new homes and fully renovate the amenities on our beautifully scenic campus. Learn more about the area’s only Quaker-guided, not-for-profit, continuing care retirement community. Conceptual rendering Call 443-330-7128 ™ to learn more about the Hillside Homes Priority List. 13801 York Road • Cockeysville, MD 21030 • www.broadmead.org Pending Approval by the Maryland Department of Aging JA N – F E B 2018 / OV E R T U R E 13