Mozart and Albrechtsberger

Mozart's Symphony No. 40 is one of the all-time great classical hits. Star trombonist Tim Ouwejan plays the virtuoso Concert for trombone by Johann Albrechtsberger, Beethoven's teacher.

Mozart's Symphony No. 40
Mozart's Symphony No. 40 is one of the all-time greatest classical hits. This is not surprising, as the music is elegant, exciting, theatrical and beautiful. For centuries, the work has captured the imagination: composer Robert Schumann heard "A Greek lightness and elegance. Musicologist Donald Tovey saw the symphony as an "Opera Buffa" and pianist Charles Rosen called it "A work of passion, violence and sorrow. And that is precisely the beauty of this Mozart masterpiece: everyone hears something different in it, and at the same time everyone is right.

Tim Ouwejan plays Albrechtsberger
The virtuoso Concert for trombone by Johann Albrechtsberger, the teacher of Beethoven and Mozart's son Franz Xaver, is in the gallant style of the transition from the baroque to the classical period. The piece is light and has none of the bombastic that some will associate with the trombone. It is wonderful light-digestible music, perfect for Sunday mornings.