CLASSICAL MUSIC

 Back by popular demand! The Melrose Symphony’s third Opera Night showcases blockbuster favorites from the world of opera. Maestro Udagawa will educate and entertain audiences by sharing the background of these opera highlights and how the music enhances each story.

Soloists: Mara Bonde, soprano; Krista River, mezzo; Ethan Bremner, tenor; Philip Lima, baritone

Boston Baroque presents one of Joseph Haydn’s greatest and most dramatic choral masterpieces—his Lord Nelson Mass, also known by its original title Missa in Angustiis (“Mass in Troubled Times”). Composed in 1798 during a period of political upheaval and uncertainty as Napoleon’s forces threatened Europe, this monumental mass reflects both the anxiety of the age and Haydn’s enduring belief in hope and triumph.

Written at a time when Haydn was at the height of his creative powers, the Lord Nelson Mass pairs soaring vocal lines with electrifying orchestral writing, including prominent parts for trumpets and timpani that give the work its bold, martial character. The nickname “Lord Nelson Mass” was added shortly after the Mass’s premiere when news of Admiral Horatio Nelson’s victory over Napoleon reached Austria, forever linking this powerful music with the idea of victory and resilience.