The Once and Future Mozart

The Once and Future Mozart

"O Mozart, immortal Mozart, how many, how infinitely many inspiring suggestions of a finer, better life you have left in our souls!"—Franz Schubert, 1816

More than two centuries after Schubert penned this paean to the composer, Mozart's legacy continues to transcend time, geography, and genre. This summer, Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival—now in its 51st season—includes a special focus on Schubert's genius, whose work features prominently throughout the four weeks of the festival (July 25 to August 20).

"One of the great qualities of Mozart's genius is his boundless ability to inspire and connect us to art spanning all eras and locations," says Ehrenkranz Artistic Director Jane Moss. "This season provides us with a chance to rediscover favorite works, as well asunearth connections between his music and that of his predecessors, contemporaries, and those who followed him."

Opening the festival on July 25 and 26 is a special program, The Singing Heart, that offers a portrait of humanity in the time of Mozart, pairing his "Haffner" Symphony with traditional songs and spirituals from other parts of the world during the same era. The evening also envisions a hopeful future through the spirit of youth as the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra and the festival's Renée and Robert Belfer Music Director, Louis Langrée, are joined by the Young People's Chorus of New York City in its festival debut. The program culminates in Beethoven's exuberant "Choral Fantasy," performed with pianist Kit Armstrong and the Concert Chorale of New York, in which Beethoven invites