Mozart PLUS!

Artwork by Ian Hill-Smith
Artwork by Ian Hill-Smith

Mozart Plus! The complete works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for piano and violin were performed by Sarah Ewins and Harvey Davies

The Pleyel Ensemble have now completed their series of concerts in which the complete works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for piano and violin were performed by Sarah Ewins and Harvey Davies. This glorious music was set in context with readings of contemporary letters, anecdotes and reviews providing an entertaining and informative background.

PLUS!

Each concert featured great chamber music by other composers for a variety of instrumental combinations.

Please be aware our Mozart PLUS! concerts ran from June 2013 – June 2016. You can read up on each of them below! Please revisit this page for further updates on our scheduling.

Previous Concerts

Mozart Sonatas K. 7 and K. 547 PLUS Mozart Piano Quartet in E flat, K. 493. Finally, with an impossible mixture of sadness and joy, Sarah & Harvey reach the end of their exploration of the extraordinary works of the ineffable Mozart. We felt that we could only pair these works with another of the man’s masterpieces to complete our cycle so Susie Mészáros and Heather Bills complete the line-up today. Thanks to all the musicians who have helped us reach this goal, to you our faithful audience, to Bryan Fox for his invaluable and unstinting help and of course to the inestimable Wolfgang Amadeus – we owe you one mate!!

Mozart Sonata in D major, K. 306 and the fragment K. Anh. 48 PLUS Khatchaturian and Milhaud clarinet trios. We welcome back clarinettist Nick Cox for these fun-filled, energetic works. The Khatchaturian chosen by a regular member of our audience, Mary Anderson.

Mozart Sonata in C major, K. 404 and the fragment K. 403 in completions by Stadler and Levin PLUS Josef Haydn’s piano trio in G, the ‘Gypsy Rondo’. Heather Bills makes up the trio with Sarah and Harvey for this  ever-popular work.

Mozart Sonata fragments K. Anh. 47 & 50 and the Andante & Fugue K. 402 PLUS Dohnanyi Serenade for string trio, Op. 10. Violist Susie Mészáros joins Sarah and Heather for this substantial and exciting work.

Mozart Six Variations on a French song K. 360, Mozart Fantasie K. 396 (completed by Robert Levin) PLUS Brahms’ golden-hued Sonata in A, op. 101 for violin and piano will complete today’s programme from Sarah and Harvey.

Mozart Sonatas K. 8 in Bb & K. 379 in G PLUS Brahms Horn Trio, Op. 40. Naomi Atherton, principal horn of Manchester Camerata, completes the line-up to play the wonderful and tragic Brahms horn trio with its memorial slow movement to the composer’s mother.

Mozart Sonatas K. 372 in Bb & K. 376 in F PLUS Beethoven String Trio, Op. 9, no. 3. Violist Susie Mészáros  of the Chilingirian Quartet joins Sarah and Heather for this early Beethoven masterpiece

Mozart Sonatas K.9 in G and K. 305 in A PLUS Anton Arensky Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 32. Heather Bills joins the Ewins/Davies duo for the sumptuously romantic Arensky piano trio. Russian through and through it nonetheless gives more than a nod in the direction of both Mendelssohn and Chopin.

Mozart Sonatas K. 301 and K. 302 in G and Eb majors PLUS Schumann’s rarely played but gorgeous Fantasiestücke, Op. 88, for piano, violin and ‘cello. The two Mozart sonatas are from the “Mannheim” set written in 1778 and for Schumann’s four Fantasiestücke   Heather Bills will join Sarah and Harvey.

Mozart K. 378 in Bb PLUS Edward Elgar violin sonata Opus 82. The profound masterpiece that is Sir Edward Elgar’s violin sonata written in 1918 during WW1 contrasts with the magisterial Mozart sonata in Bb from 1779/80.

Mozart K. 303 in C and K. 526 in A PLUS John Ireland piano trio in E minor. John Ireland’s martial single movement trio no. 2, written during the Great War in 1917, is played by Sarah and Harvey who are joined by ‘cellist Heather Bills.

Mozart Sonata K. 481 in E flat and Sonata in C K. 296 PLUS Bartok Contrasts. Sarah and Harvey are joined by clarinettist Nicholas Cox for Bartok’s wonderful trio written for Benny Goodman and Joseph Szigeti in 1938.

Mozart Sonata K. 304 in E minor PLUS Mendelssohn piano quartet Op. 1, no. 1 and Mahler’s youthful piano quartet.  Catherine Yates and Heather Bills (viola and ‘cello) join Harvey and Sarah for this exciting programme. The Mendelssohn quartet was chosen by audience member Ray Arnold.

Mozart Sonata K. 377 in F PLUS Schubert Bb piano trio. Heather Bills joins the usual duo of Harvey & Sarah to complete today’s programme with the sumptuous first piano trio by Franz Schubert.

Mozart Sonatas K. 29, 30 and 31 PLUS Dvorak’s glorious Dumky Trio. ‘Cellist Chris Hoyle joins Sarah & Harvey for the piano trio.

Mozart Sonata K. 380 in Eb, Mozart Variations on La Bergère Célimène PLUS Debussy’s Violin Sonata. Sarah & Harvey keep this programme to themselves with music for violin & piano.

Mozart Sonatas K. 26, 27 and 28 PLUS Mendelssohn piano trio in D minor, Op. 49. ‘Cellist Heather Bills joins the duo for the Mendelssohn trio with its glorious melodies and light-winged scherzo.

Mozart Sonatas K.6 and K.454 in Bb PLUS Brahms sonata in G major, Op. 78. A big new concert series programming the complete œuvre of Mozart for violin and keyboard begins with his first work for the combination written when he was just seven. Sarah Ewins and Harvey Davies continue with the mature sonata in Bb written for Regina Strinassachi and complete the recital with Brahms’ luxurious first sonata.