Haydn in Paris

Paris in the 1780s was the musical centre of Europe. Academy of Ancient Music plays showpieces by Mozart, Haydn and the Chevalier de Saint-Georges: three geniuses on the edge of a volcano.

They knew how to party in 18th century Paris. The son of an enslaved woman becomes a master-musician – and proves as brilliant with a violin as he is with a sword. A French super-orchestra commissions an explosive new symphony from the far side of Europe. And the young Mozart tells a tale of soldiers, shepherdesses and – of course – love.

Admit it: you’re intrigued. For Laurence Cummings and Academy of Ancient Music, that’s always been the mission – to uncover the stories of a vanished world, and bring them sparkling back to life. The genius of the Chevalier de Saint-Georges has only recently been rediscovered: today he takes his place alongside Mozart and Haydn in a glittering celebration of a supremely elegant age.