When the then-president of Lincoln Center William Schuman advised four of his colleagues to set up the first Mostly Mozart Festival back in 1966 it was intended to provide a diverse mix of American freelance classical musicians with a source of income across the hot, artistically quiet New York summer. Since then, the repertoire has widened considerably beyond its original brief to include other ‘Classical era’ composers, and then ‘Neo-classical’ composers – indeed, much of today’s program has only the most tenuous of connections to WA Mozart. Meanwhile, its resident band, the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra (MMFO), has developed apace under its two music directors (Gerard Schwarz, appointed in 1984, and Louis Langrée, MD since 2003).

Mark Morris Dance Group in Empire Garden. Photo © Stephanie Berger

Whether any of that matters is a moot point. With precious little classical music in the Big Apple in July and August, and many New Yorkers decamping to places like Tanglewood or Marlboro, what counts is variety and excellence, and this year’s Festival offered plenty of both. The opening big ticket items were mostly known quantities: Barrie Kosky...