Mozart’s “Gran Partita”: UMD Wind Orchestra

The UMD Wind Orchestra concludes its season with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s beloved “Gran Partita” and works by Karel Husa and J.S. Bach. Mozart’s tenth Serenade, the “Gran Partita” roughly translates to “big wind symphony.” Filled with melodic ornamentation, Mozart wrote this light-hearted piece for entertainment at social gatherings and dinner parties. While this informal practice has caused many serenades from that time period to be lost, luckily many of Mozart’s survived and his “Gran Partita” has become widely recognized as one of the most notable works for wind band. Shrouded in mystery and composed over 200 years ago, this serenade leaves quite a bit up to musical interpretation, which leads to the masterwork’s elusive and ever-evolving nature.