Old Wine, New Bottle

Old Wine, New Bottle with Philharmonia Baroque Chamber Players

What if Mozart’s music could surprise you with new colors you didn’t know you were missing? This program shines a spotlight on two of his favorite voices: the basset horn and the basset clarinet. Deeper, warmer, and more velvety than their modern descendants, these instruments were prized in Mozart’s time for their ability to sing, sigh, and whisper with uncanny intimacy.

The program begins with a charming quintet by Mozart’s contemporary Johann Backofen, whose writing shows off the basset horn’s mellow glow and conversational wit. Mozart’s youthful “Milanese” string quartet follows, sparkling with elegance and invention. The program culminates in Mozart’s beloved clarinet quintet, a work of timeless beauty, virtuosity, and ingenuity performed here on a replica of the original basset clarinet Mozart had in mind.

Performed on period instruments by the Philharmonia Baroque Chamber Players, this concert offers a chance to hear familiar music scrubbed clean—lighter, more transparent, and irresistibly alive.