The relationships between composers and heads of government has a long, rich history. Monteverdi had a string of royal patrons as did Bach whose supporters included Frederick the Great. Haydn had his Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy for whose family he served as Musical Director (Kapellmeister) for almost 30 years. The relationship between Wagner and the “Mad” King Ludwig II of Bavaria has been celebrated in film. Perhaps no two composers had more contrasting relationships with their sovereign leaders–both ironically named Joseph–than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Dimitri Shoshtakovich whose works we will hear on Sunday, November 25th.