Zubin Mehta conducts Mozart, Schumann and Tchaikovsky in Évian

The last of a triad, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 was composed in 1788. Researchers still puzzle over whether he composed it for a specific occasion or out of an intrinsic creative urge – as was often the case due to frequent complaints about his lack of money. Some even interpret the symphony, literally deified by its posthumous epithet Jupiter, as Mozart’s musical legacy. In any event, the piece offers ample reason to love it: written in radiant C major, the opening movement exudes sparkling vitality in a perfectly Classical guise. Contemplative undertones contrast charmingly with the cheerfulness of the Andante cantabile – and the minuet begins surprisingly with a chromatically descending line. A deeper analysis reveals this to be a reversal of a pleading motif from the first movement. Mozart demonstrated his “divine” talent above all in the finale, which set new standards with a grand fugue.

An overture in second place on a programme may seem surprising at first, but the sparkling energy of Mozart’s symphony provides a contrast to the intense dramatic impact of the following works. Schumann’s only opera Genoveva is about jealousy and betrayal, and its prelude hints at the conflicts in rapid changes of mood – and the happy ending.

Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony is a sombre work. Thanks to the composer’s correspondence with his confidante Nadezhda von Meck, it is documented that the theme, which reappears inexorably in all movements, epitomises fate. The triumphant finale suggests that its power is ultimately overcome.

Berliner Philharmoniker

Zubin Mehta