The Mozart Dinner Concert is a musical and dining experience that has been running in Salzburg, the city of the great composer's birth, for about four decades. The dinner concert features music from various parts of Mozart's career including some of his famous operatic works, which are performed by a professional chamber ensemble and two talented singers. With authentic costumes of Mozart's era worn by the musicians and a wonderful, historic setting, attending a Mozart Dinner Concert feels as though you are travelling back in time and that the composer himself might turn up to take charge and begin conducting.
The venue for these wonderful dinners is the Baroque Hall of St. Peter, an outstanding architectural gem in the Austrian city of Salzburg. Part of a Benedictine monastery, this grand hall is lit by candlelight, adding to the atmosphere of Mozart's time. Indeed, it is known that the Mozart family dined at the hall in 1783 thanks to a diary entry that recorded the event made by the composer's own sister.
The Mozart Dinner Concert consists of a sumptuous three-course meal. Each of the courses is served during breaks in the performance to allow attendees to listen to the music without the hubbub of diners. Although prepared to thoroughly modern standards, the menu is based on eighteenth-century dishes that Mozart would have recognised. Beverages are available, too, although not included in the menu and there is an extensive wine list to choose from.
Many people have enjoyed attending a Salzburg Mozart Dinner Concert over the years, not least because of the high quality of music that is performed. All of the musicians wear rococo-style clothing for the concert, helping to set the scene. The musical programme is split into three acts with carefully chosen pieces – all by Mozart, of course – which begins with arias and duets selected from the composer's 1787 opera, Don Giovanni. The second act kicks off with the world-famous overture for The Marriage of Figaro followed by further works from that opera. The final act consists of music from The Magic Flute and it concludes with the delightful Pa–, pa–, pa– duet, a firm favourite to this day.
Few dining and musical experiences can even rival the level of authenticity of Mozart Dinner Concerts, thanks to the attention to detail, the quality of the venue and, of course, the sheer musical virtuosity of the composer.
Mozart Dinner Concert
