June 2021
For centuries, the Gothic cathedral in Burgos has stood at the centre of the city's spiritual and cultural life. To mark the 800th anniversary of the first stones being laid for this UNESCO World Heritage Site, the MCO partners with Gustavo Dudamel for a pair of concerts featuring works by Mendelssohn, Mozart and Beethoven.
The MCO and Gustavo Dudamel enjoy a long and creative collaboration, most recently appearing together at the Peralada Festival in 2019. For their first programme in Burgos, in the cathedral itself, we perform Mendelssohn's third symphony, a vivid portrayal of the dramatic highlands and islands of Scotland, before turning to a religious work fitting to the setting. Mozart's Coronation Mass was first performed at to mark the ascent of Francis II to the throne of the Holy Roman Empire. He would be the last such emperor, but the work itself lives on as one of Mozart's most popular settings of the liturgical Ordinary. It will be sung by Katharina Konradi, Marina Viotti, Mauro Peter and Tareq Nazmi, all of whom make their MCO debuts, and the Orféon Donastiarra, who last performed with the MCO in San Sebastián.
The second programme focuses on a single composer, Beethoven, whose musical works capture the awe-inspiring presence of the architecture being celebrated. Two works from his heroic middle period – the Coriolan Overture and the third symphony (Eroica) – frame an earlier showcase of Beethoven's virtuosity on the piano. Here, taking the soloist role in the second piano concerto, will be the 14-year-old Alexandra Dovgan, making her MCO debut.
