Photo: Auckland Philharmonia
Auckland Philharmonia presents Mozart and Mischief. Led by Principal Guest Conductor Shiyeon Sung, the programme features British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor. The evening explores a spectrum of musical character, ranging from the playful animation of toys to the political subversion of Soviet expectations.
The concert opens with Ottorino Respighi’s La Boutique Fantasque, a ballet suite based on piano pieces by Gioachino Rossini that depicts a magical toyshop coming to life. Benjamin Grosvenor then takes the stage for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major. Composed during a prolific period in Vienna, this work famously established Mozart’s reputation as the leading keyboard player of his time. Grosvenor follows the concerto with an encore of Maurice Ravel's Jeux d’eau.
The performance concludes with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9. Written immediately after World War II, this work defied the Soviet regime's demand for a grandiose victory anthem. Instead, Shostakovich composed a concise, sardonic piece that ridiculed bombast and complacency, a decision that would later contribute to his political denunciation.
Recorded by RNZ Concert, Auckland Town Hall, 2 October 2025
Producer: Emre Ekici
Engineer: Adrian Hollay
