FROM
SPARK
TO
SOUL

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)

Overture to The Abduction from the Seraglio, K. 384

Mozart composed The Abduction from the Seraglio in 1781–82, shortly after establishing himself as a freelance composer in Vienna. Premiered in 1782, the opera became an important success and helped establish Mozart’s reputation as a composer for the Viennese stage.

The overture immediately transports us into a world of theatrical excitement. Its brilliant, energetic opening is punctuated by the distinctive sounds of eighteenth-century “Turkish” or Janissary music, including percussion such as triangle, cymbals and bass drum. A more lyrical and reflective central section provides a moment of contrast before the sparkling energy returns.

Fun fact: Mozart himself described the overture to his father as music so lively that he doubted anyone could fall asleep during it—even after a sleepless night!

Listen for the vivid contrasts between loud and soft, the infectious rhythmic energy, and the colourful percussion that gives this short overture its irresistible sense of celebration and anticipation.

Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)

String Symphony No. 8 in D major

Felix Mendelssohn was just thirteen years old when he completed his String Symphony No. 8 in 1822. Yet there is nothing small-scale about this remarkable work. It is one of his most ambitious early compositions, conceived on a symphonic scale and lasting around half an hour. Mendelssohn valued the work highly enough to create a second version for full orchestra shortly after completing the original for strings.

The symphony reflects the young Mendelssohn’s deep study of the great composers who came before him. A dramatic slow introduction leads into an energetic Allegro, while the expressive Adagio reveals a surprising depth of feeling for such a young composer. A graceful Menuetto follows before the work races towards an exhilarating finale of remarkable contrapuntal complexity.

Fun fact: Mendelssohn wrote thirteen String Symphonies between the ages of twelve and fourteen. No. 8 was so ambitious that he soon expanded it from a work for string orchestra into one for full symphony orchestra.

Listen especially to the dialogue between Classical elegance and Baroque-inspired counterpoint. In the finale, the young Mendelssohn displays an astonishing command of musical architecture, weaving multiple lines together with the confidence and energy of a far more experienced composer.

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)

Double Concerto in A minor for Violin, Cello and Orchestra, Op. 102

Brahms composed his Double Concerto in 1887, and it would become his final work for orchestra. Written for violinist Joseph Joachim and cellist Robert Hausmann, the concerto brings two solo instruments together in one of the most remarkable musical dialogues of the Romantic repertoire.

The work also has a deeply personal history. Brahms and Joachim had been close friends for decades, but their relationship was damaged following Joachim’s divorce. The Double Concerto is often regarded as a gesture of reconciliation between the two friends, with music becoming a means of reopening a conversation where words had perhaps failed.

The concerto opens dramatically before the cello steps forward with an extended and searching statement, soon joined by the violin. Rather than simply competing for attention, the two soloists constantly listen, respond and intertwine. The lyrical slow movement offers one of the work's most tender moments, while the energetic finale brings virtuosity, rhythmic vitality and a sense of joyful release.

Fun fact: Brahms and Joachim had been friends for more than thirty years, and the concerto was written partly in the hope of restoring their damaged relationship. Clara Schumann described it as a “work of reconciliation.”

Listen for the conversation between the violin and cello. Sometimes they appear as two distinct personalities; at other moments, their voices merge so completely that they seem to become one. In this extraordinary work, Brahms transforms the concerto into something more intimate: a conversation about friendship, conflict, understanding and, ultimately, reconciliation.