Vienna was the gravitational center of Western music as both the 18th and 19th centuries drew to their close. Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven epitomized the Classical style in Vienna in the year 1800, while Mahler, Strauss, Zemlinsky, and Schoenberg were busy codifying a new musical language in step with the Freudian angst besetting the same city a century later. In this program of Viennese juxtapositions, Joseph Haydn represents the high classicism in vogue around 1800, while Fritz Kreisler’s music for solo violin bids a nostalgic farewell to the 19th century and its opulent excesses and values—including tonality. Schoenberg’s sextet masterpiece, Transfigured Night, sits poised on the threshold of the 20th century, expanding post-Wagnerian harmony into a world of looming social and scientific upheaval.

Event description: An exhilarating jet boat ride down the Colorado River brings listeners to a pristine wilderness grotto carved from the surrounding red rocks, for an inspiring “once-in-a-lifetime” experience (Fodors). These MMF signature events weave a rich sonic tapestry of music with one of the most stunning natural environments imaginable, combining the beauty of music with the area’s scenic wonders.