Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5

Mozart wrote all five of his violin concertos between April and December 1775, the year he turned 19. The finale of his Violin Concerto No. 5 is in the style of the “Turkish” music that was popular in Vienna at the time. A divertimento is a type of more light-hearted work that was commissioned for parties with the aim of creating a cheerful atmosphere. However, this did not stop Mozart from exploring darker undertones in his Divertimento No. 17, for example through the use of minor key in the second movement, and the melancholy of the adagio. Our soloist this evening is star violinist Rainer Honeck, concertmaster of the renowned Vienna Philharmonic.