Mozart's Mass in C Minor

The Oregon Symphony and Oregon Repertory Singers are taking over the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Sunday, May 16, 2027, for Mozart's Mass in C Minor. It's a matinee, starting at 2 PM.

There's a bit of a story to the main piece. Mozart wrote the Mass in C Minor (K. 427) in Vienna between 1782 and 1783, but he barely got a third of it finished. What's left is what people call a "noble torso"—it's not a complete work, but it's enough to stand on its own. It blends Baroque counterpoint with the kind of operatic flair Mozart was known for, and it's famous for its dramatic soprano solos, including an aria he wrote for his wife, Constanze. It's a cornerstone of the classical choral repertoire, so it's one of those pieces that's well-known even if you only know Mozart by name.

Leading the orchestra is Music Director David Danzmayr, who was born in Oberndorf bei Salzburg—Mozart's own backyard. He also directs the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, has received the Bernhard Paumgartner Medal, and has worked with artists like Yo-Yo Ma. The Oregon Repertory Singers will be conducted by Ethan Sperry. The symphony itself dates back to 1896, making it the oldest orchestra on the West Coast and a recognized Oregon "History Maker," known for adventurous programming and collaborations with everyone from The Decemberists to esperanza spalding and Rick Ross.

They're pairing the Mozart with a piece by Portland-born composer Lou Harrison: Lo Koro Sutro, his take on the Buddhist Heart Sūtra, sung in Esperanto. Harrison described it as a statement of hope for a unified world. So you'll get a late 18th-century Viennese mass alongside a 20th-century Portland composer's setting of a Buddhist text in a constructed international language. It's a Sunday afternoon at the Schnitzer, May 16, 2027, at 2 PM.