Classics II: Heroes & Villains

Mozart composed his frenetic overture to his opera Don Giovanni less than 48 hours before the opera’s premiere. Its mixture of dark and light moods prefaces the opera’s contrasting themes of comedy vs tragedy. Prokofiev’s second violin concerto is a whirlwind mix of dance rhythms, angular and athletic passages showcasing the soloist’s skills, with a Spanish flare that pleased the audiences at its premiere in Madrid. Beethoven’s “heroic” third sy...