New Century Chamber Orchestra is presenting a top-shelf concert that expertly mixes orchestra and chamber music, showcasing the versatility, that is the chamber orchestra’s trademark. Anne-Marie McDermott, pianist and longtime collaborator with Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and NCCO, is on hand to perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto 12 (K.414, 1782), the first in that brilliant series of 16 written for the virtuoso’s own performance in the private houses of the aristocracy of the imperial capital of Vienna. It’s so packed with great melody you can easily see why Mozart became a favorite court entertainer.
Normally the soloist is done after one concerto, but McDermott returns in the second half, sharing the solo spotlight with Sonnenberg, to perform a rarity by French Romantic Ernest Chausson, the Concert for Violin, Piano, and String Quartet. After the stunningly gorgeous Mozart, this is another bath in gentle melody. The string quartet has not much to do — they’re the backing band to the Nadja and Anne-Marie show.
On top of this, there’s Osvaldo Golijov’s tango-infused Last Dance, a tribute to Astor Piazzolla, whose birthday passed a few weeks ago. This is a concert of rarities that seem familiar, none the less.