Célestine Wacquez | flute Tine Verhoeven | oboe Alba Mayorga Rodrigo | clarinet Rob Laethem | basson Jaso Enuset | horn
To kick off the festival week in style, the wind quintet BizArt will be providing light and lively musical entertainment in the King's Gallery, just outside the theatre. Their programme will feature the famous overture from The Magic Flute and much more.
But what links Mozart with wind ensembles? In the 18th century, you could hear excerpts from operas (the popular music of the time) in arrangements for various wind ensembles on every street corner. This Harmoniemusik was all the rage in the 1780s, especially in Vienna, but also in Prague and Budapest. Mozart's tunes were, of course, among the biggest hits!
Emperor Joseph II and other nobles hired the finest wind players (usually in pairs of oboes, clarinets, bassoons and horns) to provide music for dinners, evening serenades and even morning music to wake up distinguished guests in style. This practice created a great demand for new works as well as arrangements of popular titles for wind ensembles of various configurations.
Following this great 18th century tradition, the BizArt Ensemble take great pleasure in sharing their music with as many people as possible through rich and varied programmes, sometimes off the beaten track. This time, the wind quintet will serenade passers-by in the King's Gallery, while the opera is being rehearsed in the theatre.