Mozart. Neukirchner

“The archives of the Prague Conservatoire reveal their treasures” — this could be a description of the opening Concerto for Two Bassoons by Václav Neukirchner. This piece was found here among many other pieces of music for bassoon, most of which are still waiting for their new premieres. Václav Neukirchner (1805—1889), a graduate of the Prague conservatoire and later the first bassoonist at the Royal Opera House in Stuttgart, was a renowned performer, composer and author of the bassoon methodology of his time.

Sophie Dervaux, the soloist, will be accompanied by the Prague Philharmonia bassoonist Tomáš Františ.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's composition has enjoyed worldwide popularity since its inception. The Bassoon Concerto, which he wrote as one of his first solo concertos during his time in Salzburg — before his breakthrough in Vienna — is indeed one of the most performed bassoon works in the entire history of music. With Symphony No. 39, conducted by Sophie Dervaux from her conducting post, we are transported to the end of Mozart's career, when the composer began to sink deeper into debt and financial instability took its toll.

Nevertheless, Mozart's last symphonies (Nos. 39, 40 and 41) form a brilliant triptych and are a popular part of the classical repertoire.

Despite her young age, Sophie Dervaux is a fully established performer on the international scene, championing the bassoon as a solo instrument in contemporary music. After studying at the conservatories of Versailles and Lyon, and after success in numerous international competitions, she was awarded the position of contra bassoonist with one of the world's most prestigious orchestras — the Berlin Philharmonic.

She is currently principal bassoonist with the equally prestigious Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera Orchestra. In addition to her solo career, which has taken her to the world's leading concert halls, including London's Royal Albert Hall and New York's Carnegie Hall, in recent years she has also made a name for herself as a conductor.

She will take up the baton alongside the bassoon at the Lobkowicz evening.

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