The evening opens with Weber’s Oberon Overture, where the musical language of Haydn and Mozart meets modern harmonies. Haydn’s long-lost Cello Concerto No. 1 will be performed by internationally acclaimed cellist Johannes Moser. The concert concludes with Bizet’s Symphony in C major — a work brimming with youthful energy and French charm.

Carl Maria von Weber
Oberon, Overture

Joseph Haydn
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No. 1 in C major, Hob. VIIb/1

Georges Bizet
Symphony No. 1 in C major

Johannes Moser – cello
Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava
Aurel Dawidiuk – conductor

The Overture to Oberon (1826) is one of Carl Maria von Weber’s best-known orchestral works. The piece masterfully captures the fairy-tale atmosphere of the opera, beginning with ethereal horn calls that evoke the magical world of the elf king Oberon, before shifting into dramatic and virtuosic passages full of energy. The overture is celebrated for its brilliant orchestration and rich melodies, and it continues to be a concert favorite, having strongly influenced the development of romantic opera, particularly the works of Richard Wagner.

Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C major, the older of his two cello concertos, was rediscovered only in 1961 at the National Museum in Prague. This early work, composed around 1760 for the cellist of Prince Esterházy’s court orchestra, showcases Haydn’s mastery even at the age of thirty. It offers the soloist a perfect opportunity to display both brilliant technique and lyrical sensitivity. The concerto will be performed by the JPO’s artist-in-residence, cellist Johannes Moser.

Mozart’s influence is clearly felt in the only symphony composed by Georges Bizet.

Written at the age of seventeen while he was studying at the Paris Conservatory, the symphony remained unperformed until more than eighty years later. Its French charm and elegance, however, quickly won over audiences around the world.