Like the making of a classic movie, that of a great concerto also comes with a backstory to tell, complete with history, drama and an interesting cast of characters.
Mozart?s Piano Concerto No. 7, “Lodron,” is a piece meant to be a family affair. This weekend, legendary pianist Leon Fleisher and his wife, pianist Katherine Jacobson, join the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for the two-piano version of this Mozart masterpiece.
Mozart wrote his concerto for a close friend and supporter, Maria Antonia Lodron and her two daughters, composing parts that correlated to their levels of aptitude. For his friend and eldest daughter, the parts were graceful and elaborate. For the youngest daughter, a simpler segment was written. Mozart eventually reorchestrated the piece into the popular two-piano version of today.
Renowned pianist, conductor and teacher Fleisher is a Baltimore native who has been performing for more than 60 years. As a child prodigy, he made his New York Philharmonic debut at the age of 17. In 1965, at the age of 37, his concert career abruptly ended when he experienced paralysis in his right hand.
From then on, he taught bothat Baltimore?s Peabody Institute and the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. In recent years, medical advances have allowed him the use of both hands and he has returned to the classical concert circuit.
“Leon Fleisher is one of the great legends of the classical music world,” said Jeremy Hoffman, BSO vice president of artistic administration.
Guest conductor Gunther Herbig also will lead the orchestra in Anton Bruckner?s “Symphony No. 7.”
IF YOU GO
BSO Celebrity Series at the Meyerhoff
» Venue: Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall; 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore
» When: 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 3 p.m. Sunday
» More info: $25 to $78, call 410-783-8000
