An emotional rollercoaster. Having composed his hundred-plus symphonies, Haydn turned to another genre – the Mass – late in his life and wrote some of the most extraordinary music of his already star-studded career. ‘Harmoniemesse’, his fourteenth and final Mass, is arguably the most beautiful of them all. The nickname ‘Harmonie’ refers to its rich and complex treatment of the orchestra’s woodwind section, but ‘harmony’ also describes the harmonious and hugely satisfying way in which Haydn combines all the elements of music in this late, great work. The concert opens with the shining jewel Exsultate jubilate, a joyous work for soprano and orchestra. The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra is delighted to welcome back conductor Simon Halsey, a choral director with an outstanding international profile and conductor of the hugely successful Voices en Masse – Brahms Requiem in 2023. Sung in Latin with English surtitles.