Music at Kohl Mansion closes its 30th anniversary season at 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 5, with the Kohl debut of pianist Anne-Marie McDermott. They will perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto K.449 in E-flat Major with the unusual substitution of a string quartet for orchestra.
Did Mozart intend this arrangement? The jury is out on that, and a knowledgable friend suggests only K.413-15 was designed for string quartet accompaniment, Kohl's Patricia Kristof Moy points in another direction. But that's only a matter for scholarly discussion; the fact is that the 1784 E-flat Major is one of Mozart's earliest mature concertos, a delightful one.
McDermott will also perform Haydn’s 1794 Piano Sonata Hob. XVI:50 in C Major, and the Alexander closes the program with Schumann’s 1842 Piano Quintet in E-flat Major. Let me help you out if you're trying to figure out why the the opening section of the second movement is so familiar: It was the main theme of Ingmar Bergman's Fanny and Alexander. You're welcome.
Kai Christiansen will speak about the program at 6 p.m. in the Kohl Mansion library, and the concert is followed by a complimentary buffet reception with the musicians participating. Tickets are $15 for ages 30 and under (and if that doesn't help to even out the age balance, nothing will), $42 to $45 for others.