In a dazzling new production set to challenge the very foundations of classical music history, broadcaster Lauren Laverne is taking to the stage of the London Coliseum. Mozart's Women is not just a performance; it's a historical correction, bringing to light the brilliant female composers and musicians Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart himself celebrated but whom history has largely forgotten.
Laverne, the beloved voice of BBC Radio 6 Music, transitions from presenter to performer in this groundbreaking show. She acts as our guide on a journey through the 18th-century music scene, revealing a hidden network of prodigiously talented women. These were not just muses or acquaintances; they were revered colleagues and competitors whose work inspired the great maestro.
Rescuing Genius from Obscurity
The production, a collaboration with the English National Opera (ENO), meticulously reconstructs the lost soundworld of these artists. It showcases the work of figures like Maria Theresia von Paradis, a virtuoso pianist and composer for whom Mozart wrote a concerto, and Marianne Martines, a child prodigy who hosted famed salons and composed complex orchestral masses that awed Vienna.
Through a powerful blend of storytelling, drama, and musical performance, the show poses a provocative question: if Mozart held these women in such high esteem, why were they erased from our cultural narrative for so long?
A Modern Voice for a Historic Revelation
Laverne's involvement is a masterstroke. Her well-known passion for unearthing musical gems and championing underrepresented artists makes her the perfect narrator for this revelatory tale. Her presence bridges the centuries, connecting a modern audience with this centuries-old injustice in a deeply compelling way.
Staged in the magnificent London Coliseum, the home of the ENO, the production promises to be both an auditory and visual spectacle. It offers Londoners and visitors alike a rare opportunity to experience a completely fresh perspective on Mozart, reframing his legacy not in isolation, but within a rich tapestry of shared creativity that was far more diverse than previously believed.
More than a concert, Mozart's Women is a compelling act of historical recovery. It’s a must-see for music aficionados, history buffs, and anyone interested in the ongoing mission to balance the scales of cultural recognition, proving that the canon of classical genius has always been broader than we were taught.
