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Our lunchtime series with pianist Howard Shelley is back and better than ever. This year, we’re turning our attention to the (17)80s classics when Mozart was at the top of his game in Vienna, composing reams of piano concertos for the finest instrumentalists of the day. Make the most of your lunch-hour with a Viennese whirlwind of music and insightful introductions as Howard plays 6 of these concertos in St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge.
1784 was Mozart’s ‘year of the piano’ in which he wrote masterpiece after masterpiece, and topped them off with the Piano Concerto No. 19 in December. This piece was probably first performed that winter. Mozart played it again in a six-part concert series given during Lent of 1785. For the price of one gold sovereign, a concert-goer could enjoy all six Lenten concerts. These took place in restaurant ballrooms instead of more conventional concert halls, because the venue hire was cheap: only half a gold sovereign per concert! With these profits, he and his wife Constanze began to live accordingly: moving to a more expensive apartment, sending their son to boarding school and buying a piano worth double their rent.
Since you’ll be in the area, why not pre-book lunch at the Alfred Tennyson pub and restaurant which is just three minutes away? They’ll offer you a free drink (wine, Prosecco or beer) with a pre-booked meal, as long as you show proof of ticket purchase.
If you are a student, then you can get our ‘Education’ tickets for £10. Please bring suitable ID with you on the day to show at the door. All tickets can be bought on the door as well, as well as over the phone and online.