Two Times the Fun

Photo by HarderLee Photography

Rune Bergmann has been fascinated with the music of Mozart since early childhood. When Bergmann got a hold of his first recording — Mozart and Beethoven symphonies — he was immediately intrigued by both composers.

Mozart, in particular, stood out: “[There is] something about the lightness, the brightness, and the happiness in that music…there is some kind of energy that I’ve really loved since I was very little.”

He was surprised to find out that they share the same birthday on 27 January; later, when he became a conductor, he decided that they would celebrate their birthdays together.

Now Bergmann is Music Director of the Calgary Philharmonic, Chief Conductor of Switzerland’s Argovia Philharmonic and holds similar positions — not to mention his numerous guest appearances — all over the world. He has a decade of Mozart double-birthday celebrations under his belt, performed wherever he might be at the time, including a sold out 2019 concert in Calgary featuring period costumes and cupcakes.

This coming January he’ll be taking up the baton once again for Mozart’s Birthday Party, conducting the Calgary Philharmonic in their performance of Symphony No. 38 and Mass in C Major.

“With most composers you always have to think ‘which piece should I do?’ or ‘what would be best?’ With Mozart you could just throw all the numbers of symphonies and whatever he wrote in a hat, make a draw, and still have a great program,” Bergmann jokes. “Everybody says ‘how would you rate Mozart’s symphonies?’ It’s impossible! There is something magical about them all.”

Symphony No. 38, nicknamed ‘Prague’, is indeed one of those magical symphonies. Light, bright, and elegant, it was first performed in the Bohemian capital during Mozart’s first visit. The Bohemians adored Mozart, which was not always the case with his compatriots in Salzburg and Vienna.

“He was an amazing, incredible genius. He had so much in him, so many stories to tell, so much to give to the world,” says Bergmann. “Unfortunately, as always, the world wasn’t ready for him. That’s how the world is.”

It didn’t help that Mozart was reportedly eccentric and impulsive, possessing a prodigious genius that few of his contemporaries could understand.

“Who knows how many diagnoses he would have today; he was really hyper! He didn’t sleep much and wrote music faster than we can write a shopping list. The harmonies, the energy, the tempos, he broke the rules of the time. The way he broke them, we still don’t understand how he did it. [But] you don’t have to understand it to enjoy it.”

Luckily, these days, Mozart’s music has been given its due recognition. Mass in C Major, nicknamed ‘Coronation,’ is one of his most popular, though it remains surprisingly under-performed. Bergmann believes that it is a fantastic match for Symphony No. 38 and a pairing that will make for an enchanting evening.

“We haven’t had the chorus so much involved in our Mozart concerts,” he says. “This will be a perfect occasion!”

Bergmann has had a thrilling, though busy — and tiring — year. Living out of a suitcase while performing across Canada, USA, Colombia, Poland, Switzerland, Spain, and elsewhere has him often missing home, though the inspiration he finds in these places is worth the jetlag. The 2024/2025 season will be his last as Music Director with the Calgary Phil. As such, he’s determined to make this Mozart Birthday Party a special one.

“When we celebrate Mozart, everything is possible, and everything can happen. My goal is to have a great, fun evening that everybody will enjoy,” he says. “Even though Mozart left us many, many years ago he still keeps himself alive in his music and his energy. This is what I try to do as a conductor, I try to give that energy and continue that journey.”