Gábor Takács-Nagy & Budapest Festival Orchestra Presented by Liszt Academy

Gábor Takács-Nagy continues this year’s Haydn–Mozart series and after Symphony No. 87, also leads the performance of one of Haydn’s most popular pieces, Symphony No. 88. Although the work is a truly classical piece of music, the composer hid a little bit of fun or something unusual in each of its movements. These include the notes breaking up the slow introduction; the variations of the second movement; the rustic character of the minuet; or the finale, with birdsong, clockwork-like ticking, and explosions of fireworks. After the intermission, the concert continues with one of Mozart’s best divertimentos: a chamber piece of six movements, originally composed for six instruments. Between the two pieces, adding extra color to the program will be a surprise guest: the music of Weber, who was actually a relative of Mozart’s. BFO musician Andrea Caputo, winner of the 2024 Sándor Végh Competition, will perform the solo of this deep, dramatic clarinet concerto, almost opera-like in terms of expressiveness.