Princeton University Concerts presents Takács String Quartet and Jordan Bak, Viola

The viola may be the butt of many musical jokes, but Mozart? He adored it. So much so that all six of his string quintets give it a starring role, adding a second viola to create a richer, warmer, and more balanced sound. Mozart even preferred playing viola himself when jamming with friends. And in 1787—while riding high on the success of The Marriage of Figaro and knee-deep in drafting Don Giovanni—he somehow found time to write two of his greatest quintets. Were they an instant hit? Not exactly. Vienna wasn’t buying (literally), and a war-induced recession didn’t help. But history has set things right, and now, the legendary Takács Quartet, celebrating their 50^th anniversary, joins the phenomenal Jordan Bak to bring these masterpieces to life. The C Major Quintet (K. 515) is grand, operatic, and full of surprises (including a minuet so off-kilter it’s practically undanceable). Its dark twin, the G Minor Quintet (K. 516), is all stormy drama—until Mozart flips the script with bright, almost cheeky ending. So come join us onstage in celebrating a decade of Performances Up Close, 50 years of Takács brilliance, and two of the most spectacular works ever written for strings.

The viola may be the butt of many musical jokes, but Mozart? He adored it. So much so that all six of his string quintets give it a starring role, adding a second viola to create a richer, warmer, and more balanced sound. Mozart even preferred playing viola himself when jamming with friends. And in 1787—while riding high on the success of The Marriage of Figaro and knee-deep in drafting Don Giovanni—he somehow found time to write two of his greatest quintets. Were they an instant hit? Not exactly. Vienna wasn’t buying (literally), and a war-induced recession didn’t help. But history has set things right, and now, the legendary Takács Quartet, celebrating their 50^th anniversary, joins the phenomenal Jordan Bak to bring these masterpieces to life. The C Major Quintet (K. 515) is grand, operatic, and full of surprises (including a minuet so off-kilter it’s practically undanceable). Its dark twin, the G Minor Quintet (K. 516), is all stormy drama—until Mozart flips the script with bright, almost cheeky ending. So come join us onstage in celebrating a decade of Performances Up Close, 50 years of Takács brilliance, and two of the most spectacular works ever written for strings.