An evening of symphonies reimagined

Thursday, August 27, 7:30pm

The Ballroom, Government House.

An evening of chamber music at its finest — where great symphonic works meet the intimacy of the parlour, under the direction of one of Australia’s most distinguished period-performance specialists - Australian Baroque patron Dr Geoffrey Lancaster AO. Step into the elegance of The Ballroom at Government House for an exclusive evening where Haydn’s most beloved symphonies are reborn in exquisite Classic era chamber arrangements. Hear the wit and drama of the ‘Surprise’ Symphony and the bold theatrical flourishes of the ‘Military’ Symphony as you’ve never heard them before — reimagined with fresh clarity and intimacy, revealing the intricate musical conversations residing at their heart.

The program opens with a spell-binding ‘Sonata in Four Parts’ by Henry Purcell, a colossus of English music who never fails to amaze. Haydn’s ‘Surprise’ Symphony then takes centre stage in an eighteenth-century chamber setting for flute, string quintet and fortepiano that brings you closer than ever to the composer’s genius.

After interval, the electric energy of Mozart’s incomparable Don Giovanni Overture offers breathtaking transcendence, leading to Haydn’s rousing ‘Military’ Symphony, an anti-war masterpiece reimagined seven years after its premiere — complete with music-history’s first-ever orchestral ‘scream’.