"Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" like you've never heard it before.

In the second half of the 18th century, music for celebrations, banquets, outdoor events, and cafés became very popular and was often referred to as “nachtmusik” or “serenade music.” Its sole purpose was to entertain and delight.

Composers went to great lengths to impress the nobility and influential figures who were often present at these events—perhaps there was a chance of securing a commission for yet another work! As a result, there is a vast amount of fun, quirky, catchy, graceful, varied, and often astonishingly virtuosic music of this kind—which, moreover, frequently pushes musicians to the limits of their abilities.

Mozart and Haydn are major figures in the genre, but there is also an abundance of talented yet lesser-known composers who specialized in this form of entertainment. This program presents some of them—such as Joseph Haydn’s underrated brother Michael, Mozart’s favorite Mysliveček, and the eccentric and intriguing Družecký.

Since the dawn of time, people have sought pleasure and entertainment. “Eine Kleine Festmusik” appeals to this timeless desire—the chatter, the gossip, the fun, the drinking, and the flirting—just as it does today. And music was—as it is now—essential for creating the right atmosphere!