Hong Xu

Mozart

A program of Mozart’s piano works challenges the very concept of artistic progress. Even in his early twenties, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart created “music,” as the pianist Artur Schnabel memorably stated, “that’s better than can be played.” An infinite sense of wonder is provoked by these works, which continue to bewilder us with their uncanny grace, humanity, and endearing emotion. In his Reminiscences, Mozart’s friend the Irish tenor Michael Kelly (1762-1826) recounts that Wolfgang Amadeus light-heartedly claimed to be an “enthusiast in dancing, and often said that his taste lay in that art, rather than in music.” The dancing rhythms that pulsate in Mozart’s piano music are one basis for its ageless vitality and charm.

“Ever since my childhood, I have been addicted to these works by Mozart. These beautiful tunes were my food and water,” says Xu. “It’s only as an adult, however, that I’ve begun to see the complexity and originality of these pieces. How can anyone fully interpret this cosmic music?”

Program
Mozart	Sonata in D major K. 576
	Adagio in B minor K. 540
	Sonata in F major K. 332
	Sonata in E-flat major K. 282
	Sonata in E-flat major K. 282

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