Vienna was a hotbed of musical development in the late seventeenth and early 18th centuries, and a hotbed of political upheaval and change. This era saw the transition from the Classical to the Romantic styles of music and it also saw the Napoleonic wars which had a revolutionary impact across Europe. Opposing Napoleon, the Austrian Empire, of which Vienna was the capital, was established in 1804, following the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire.

The ASO’s three-concert series Born in Vienna offers a tiny sample of the pioneering musical works that emerged in that period, naturally featuring the trio of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert who remain primary figures in the catalogue of great music.

ASO chief conductor Mark Wigglesworth notes that this was also the era of the birth of the orchestra as we have come to know it. The rapid evolution of orchestral writing precipitated significant developments in musical presentation and reception.

Australian Symphony Orchestra: Born in Vienna. Photo supplied

This concert is held in the University of Adelaide’s 660 seat Elder Hall, which Wigglesworth describes as a more intimate space than the...