The Austro-German musical tradition flourished for centuries: Mozart representing the Classical era, Mahler the Romantic. Coincidentally, both works in this program mark significant watersheds in their composers’ respective careers. Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante exemplifies in form and style both musical genius and utmost craftsmanship, with two soloists engaging in a multi-layered artistic dialogue. When Mahler composed his Symphony No.5, he was newly-wed (to Alma, 19 years his junior) and wanted to show off to the cultural elites in Vienna his marital bliss and artistic prowess. The result is a masterpiece at once more abstract yet more powerfully expressive than anything he had written before.