All-Mozart choral concerts rescheduled for Napier

Singer Anna Pierard and conductor husband Jose Aparicio will both perform at Napier Civic Choir's concert in November. Photo NZME

Napier Civic Choir is going ahead with new dates for its Mozart Requiem concert.

Conducted by music director José Aparicio and accompanied by Hawke's Bay Orchestra and soloists, performances are planned for Friday November 5 at 7.30pm and Sunday November 7at 2.30pm at St Paul's Church, Napier.

The all-Mozart choral concerts open with a selection of arias and duets from Don Giovanni, considered one of the greatest operas of all time.

Based on the story of Don Juan, this outrageous comedy tells the tale of an incorrigible young playboy who blazes a path to his own destruction in a single day.

Mozart's Requiem was the final work the composer ever wrote and the genesis of this choral masterpiece is shrouded in mystery.

Mozart's health was deteriorating when in early July 1791 he received an anonymous commission to compose a Requiem Mass. He believed he had been cursed to write a requiem as a "swansong" for himself, because he was sure he was about to die.

He was only able to complete the Requiem and Kyrie movements, and to sketch out other movements before he died aged 35 on December 5, 1791.

The task of completing the work was passed over to his pupil Süssmayer, to whom the composer had given detailed instruction.

Mozart's writing, with his own death imminent, is at times calm and at others terrifying, but always powerfully dramatic, the solemn effect of the orchestra perfect for a Requiem Mass.

Soloists, soprano Caitlin Roberts, alto Simon Hernyak, tenor LJ Crichton and baritone Tomairangi Henare, are all graduates of Project Prima Volta who are pursuing tertiary studies in voice performance at the New Zealand School of Music, Wellington.

Napier Civic Choir are delighted to be performing alongside these talented young singers and to be providing them with the opportunity to perform with a choir and orchestra.

On Saturday November 6 at 7.30pm, also at St Paul's Church, Hawke's Bay Orchestra and invited players will perform Schubert' Symphony No.3 and Haydn's Symphony No.104, as well Mahler's wonderful song cycle, "The Youth's Magic Horn" with soprano Anna Pierard.

Audiences will be limited to 100 with at least 1 metre between groups and masks are recommended but not mandatory.

Thirty singers (half of the choir) will perform on Friday and the other half on Sunday, due to limitations of space on stage. Performers and audience will keep to separate areas.

Despite the challenges of putting on a concert in the current Covid environment, the choir is going ahead because people need music and performers need to perform and it is even more important at the moment for our communities to experience the uplift which live classical performances bring.

Tickets: Adults $35, SuperGold Card $32, Tertiary students $10, 17 years and under Free.
Door Sales (Eftpos available).

For more details see napierchoir.org.nz