Mozart piano concertos
Encyclopedia
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| Number of concertos: | 27 |
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| Instrumentation: | Piano and orchestra |
| Dates of composition: | 1767–1791 |
The Mozart piano concertos refer to the 27 concerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
s for piano and orchestra written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
. These works, many of which Mozart composed for himself to play in the Vienna concert series of 1784–86, held a special place for him; indeed, Mozart's father
Leopold Mozart
Johann Georg Leopold Mozart was a German composer, conductor, teacher, and violinist. Mozart is best known today as the father and teacher of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and for his violin textbook Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule.-Childhood and student years:He was born in Augsburg, son of...
apparently interrupted him composing a "harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
concerto" at age 4. For a long time relatively neglected, they have come to be seen as containing some of his greatest achievements. Tovey
Donald Francis Tovey
Sir Donald Francis Tovey was a British musical analyst, musicologist, writer on music, composer, conductor and pianist...
championed them in his Essay on the Classical Concerto
Essays in Musical Analysis
Donald Francis Tovey's Essays in Musical Analysis are a series of analytical essays on classical music.The "essays" actually came into existence as programme notes written by Tovey to accompany concerts given by the Reid Orchestra in Edinburgh. Between 1935 and 1939 they were published in six...
in 1903, and later came the famous books by Cuthbert Girdlestone
Cuthbert Girdlestone
Cuthbert Morton Girdlestone was a British musicologist and literary scholar. He was educated at Cambridge and the Sorbonne, and thereafter took up the chair in French in Armstrong College, later to be King's College in Newcastle in 1926, a position he held until 1960...
and Arthur Hutchings
Arthur Hutchings
Arthur James Bramwell Hutchings was professor of music at the University of Durham, England. He wrote extensively on topics as varied as nineteenth-century English church music, Schubert, Edmund Rubbra, and baroque concertos; but his most famous work was the Companion to Mozart's Piano Concertos,...
in 1940 (originally published in French) and 1948, respectively. Hans Tischler published a structural and thematic analysis of the concertos in 1966, followed by the works by Charles Rosen
Charles Rosen
Charles Rosen is an American pianist and author on music.-Life and career:In his youth he studied piano with Moriz Rosenthal. Rosenthal, born in 1862, had been a student of Franz Liszt...
, and Leeson and Robert Levin
Robert D. Levin
Robert D. Levin is a classical performer, musicologist, and composer, and is the Artistic Director of the Sarasota Music Festival.-Education:...
. In recent years, two of the concertos have also been covered in the Cambridge Music Handbook series. The first complete edition was not until that of Richault from around 1850; and since then the scores and autographs have become widely available through the publications of, among others, Norton, Eulenberg
Ernst Eulenburg (musical editions)
Ernst Eulenburg the music publisher was established by Ernst Eulenburg in Leipzig in 1874. The firm started by publishing a series of studies by a Dresden piano teacher, and then expanded into light music and works for men's chorus, at first all non-copyright works.-Origins of the miniature...
and Dover
Dover Publications
Dover Publications is an American book publisher founded in 1941 by Hayward Cirker and his wife, Blanche. It publishes primarily reissues, books no longer published by their original publishers. These are often, but not always, books in the public domain. The original published editions may be...
.
Origins
Early keyboard concertos were written by, among others, C. P. E. Bach, J. C. Bach, SolerAntonio Soler
Antonio Francisco Javier José Soler Ramos, usually known as Padre Antonio Soler, known in Catalan as Antoni Soler i Ramos was a Spanish Catalan composer whose works span the late Baroque and early Classical music eras...
, Wagenseil
Wagenseil
Wagenseil is a surname that may refer to: , German writer* Georg Christoph Wagenseil , 18th-century Austrian composer...
, Schobert
Johann Schobert
Johann Schobert was a composer and harpsichordist. His date and place of birth are disputed. Some sources say he was born in 1735 in Schlesien, Austria; others have him from Silesia, as suggested by Friedrich Melchior, Baron von Grimm, or from Nuremberg, as claimed by Christian Schubart in his...
, Vanhall
Johann Baptist Vanhal
Johann Baptist Vanhal also spelled Wanhal, Waṅhall or Wanhall was an important classical music composer born in Nechanice, Bohemia to a Czech family.- Biography :...
and Haydn. Earlier still, in the Fifth Brandenburg Concerto
Brandenburg concertos
The Brandenburg concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach are a collection of six instrumental works presented by Bach to Christian Ludwig, margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt, in 1721 . They are widely regarded as among the finest musical compositions of the Baroque era...
by J. S. Bach, the keyboard part is elevated to the most prominent position among the instruments. These works, with their alternation of orchestral tutti
Tutti
Tutti is an Italian word literally meaning all or together and is used as a musical term, for the whole orchestra as opposed to the soloist...
s and passages for solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
display, in turn owe their structure from the tradition of Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
operatic arias
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
, from which the first movements of Mozart's piano concertos inherited their basic ritornellic structure
Ritornello
A ritornello is a recurring passage in Baroque music for orchestra or chorus. The first or final movement of a solo concerto or aria may be in "ritornello form", in which the ritornello is the opening theme, always played by tutti, which returns in whole or in part and in different keys throughout...
. A similar structure can also be seen in the violin concerti of, for example, Vivaldi, who established the form, along with the three-movement concerto structure, and Viotti, wherein the concerto is divided into six sections. The keyboard parts of the concertos were almost invariably based on material presented in the ritornelli, and it was probably J. C. Bach, who Mozart admired, who introduced the structural innovation of allowing the keyboard to introduce new thematic material in its first entry.
Early Mozart concertos
The first Mozart concertos, Nos 1–4 (KVKöchel-Verzeichnis
The Köchel-Verzeichnis is a complete, chronological catalogue of compositions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart which was originally created by Ludwig von Köchel. It is abbreviated K or KV. For example, Mozart's Requiem in D minor was, according to Köchel's counting, the 626th piece Mozart composed....
. 37, 39, 40 and 41) were orchestral and keyboard arrangements of sonata movements by other composers. The recognition of this fact led to their initially being ignored in the numbering of his concertos, so that some older works (e.g. Girdlestone) refer to the later concertos with numbers that are four lower than their familiar listing used today.
Mozart also wrote three arrangements of piano sonatas by J. C. Bach
Johann Christian Bach
Johann Christian Bach was a composer of the Classical era, the eleventh and youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach. He is sometimes referred to as 'the London Bach' or 'the English Bach', due to his time spent living in the British capital...
(Op 5. No. 2 in D major; Opus 5. No. 3 in G Major and Opus 5. No. 4 in E flat major, all composed by 1766), catalogued under KV. 107/1, 2 and 3 respectively. These works were written in 1771–1772, based on handwriting analysis of the autographs. The first Mozart concerto proper to introduce new thematic material in the piano's first solo section is No. 6, KV. 238
Piano Concerto No. 6 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 6 in B flat major, K. 238, was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in January of 1776.The work is in three movements:*I. Allegro aperto*II. Andante un poco adagio*III. Rondeau: Allegro-References:...
in B flat Major from 1776, although the earlier No. 5 (1773) KV. 175
Piano Concerto No. 5 (Mozart)
Piano Concerto No. 5 in D major, K. 175, was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1773, at the age of 17. It is Mozart's first fully original piano concerto; his previous efforts were based on works by other composers.-Instrumentation:...
was his first real effort in the genre, and one that proved enduringly popular at the time. The next two, Nos 7–8 (KV. 242
Concerto for 3 Pianos No. 7 in F major, K.242 (Lodron)
In 1776, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed three independent piano concertos, one of which was the Concerto in F for Three Pianos and Orchestra, No. 7, K. 242. He originally finished K. 242 for three pianos in February 1776...
and KV. 246
Piano Concerto No. 8 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 8 in C major, K. 246, or Lützow Concert was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in April of 1776 in the same year as the Haffner Serenade . Countess Antonia Lützow, 25 or 26 years old, second wife of Johann Nepomuk Gottfried Graf Lützow, the Commander of the Hohensalzburg...
) are generally not regarded as demonstrating much of an advance, although No. 7
Concerto for 3 Pianos No. 7 in F major, K.242 (Lodron)
In 1776, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed three independent piano concertos, one of which was the Concerto in F for Three Pianos and Orchestra, No. 7, K. 242. He originally finished K. 242 for three pianos in February 1776...
, the concerto for three pianos, is quite well known. Nine months after No. 8, however, Mozart produced one of his early masterpieces, the "Jenamy" (formerly "Jeunehomme") concerto, No. 9, KV. 271
Piano Concerto No. 9 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 9 "Jeunehomme" in E flat major, K. 271, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was written in Salzburg in 1777, when Mozart was 21 years old....
. This work shows a decisive advance in organisation of the first movement, as well as demonstrating some irregular features, such as the dramatic interruption of the orchestral opening by the piano after only one and a half bars. The final concerto Mozart wrote before the end of his Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
period was the well-known concerto No. 10 for two pianos, KV. 365
Piano Concerto No. 10 (Mozart)
The Concerto No. 10 in E-flat major for Two Pianos, K. 365/316a, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was written in 1779. Mozart wrote it to play with his sister Maria Anna . He was 23 years old and on the verge of leaving Salzburg for Vienna....
: the presence of the second piano disturbs the "normal" structure of piano-orchestra interaction.
Finally, a fragment of a concerto for piano and violin, KV. A056/315f exists that Mozart started in Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
in November 1778 for himself (piano) and Ignaz Fränzl
Ignaz Fränzl
Ignaz Fränzl, , was a German violinist, composer and representative of the second generation of the so-called Mannheim School...
(violin). The project was abandoned when the Elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
, Charles Theodore
Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria
Charles Theodore, Prince-Elector, Count Palatine and Duke of Bavaria reigned as Prince-Elector and Count palatine from 1742, as Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1742 and also as Prince-Elector and Duke of Bavaria from 1777, until his death...
moved the court and orchestra to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
after succeeding to the Electorate of Bavaria in 1777, and Fränzl stayed behind.
Early Vienna concertos
About 18 months after he arrived in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, in the Autumn of 1782, Mozart wrote a series of three concertos for his own use in subscription concerts. He did, however, write, in the spring of that year, a replacement rondo finale in D major, KV. 382 for No. 5, a work that proved to be very popular (on October 19, 1782 he completed another rondo, in A major, KV. 386, possibly intended as an alternative ending for KV. 414, No. 12). This group of three concertos was described by Mozart to his father in a famous letter:
These concertos [Nos. 11Piano Concerto No. 11 (Mozart)Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 11 in F major, KV. 413 , was the second of the group of three early concertos he wrote whilst in Vienna, in the autumn of 1782 . It was the first full concerto he wrote for the subscription concerts he gave in the city...
, 12Piano Concerto No. 12 (Mozart)Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, K. 414 was written in the autumn of 1782 in Vienna. It is scored for solo piano, two oboes, two bassoons , two horns, and strings...
, and 13Piano Concerto No. 13 (Mozart)The Piano Concerto No. 13 in C major, K. 415 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was composed in Vienna in 1782–83. It is the third of the first three full concertos Mozart composed for his subscription concerts.It consists of three movements:...
] are a happy medium between what is too easy and too difficult; they are very brilliant, pleasing to the ear, and natural, without being vapid. There are passages here and there from which the connoisseurs alone can derive satisfaction; but these passages are written in such a way that the less learned cannot fail to be pleased, though without knowing why. . . . The golden mean of truth in all things is no longer either known or appreciated. In order to win applause one must write stuff which is so inane that a coachman could sing it, or so unintelligible that it pleases precisely because no sensible man can understand it.
This passage points to an important principle about Mozart's concertos, that they were designed in the main to entertain the public rather than solely to satisfy some inner artistic urge.
These three concertos are all rather different from one another, and are relatively intimate works, despite the mock grandeur of the last one: indeed, arrangements exist for them for piano plus string quartet that lose little. No. 12, KV. 414
Piano Concerto No. 12 (Mozart)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, K. 414 was written in the autumn of 1782 in Vienna. It is scored for solo piano, two oboes, two bassoons , two horns, and strings...
in A major, the second of the series, is particularly fine: it is often described as "Tyrolean
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
", and stands some comparison with the later A major concerto, KV. 488
Piano Concerto No. 23 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major is a musical composition for piano and orchestra written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was finished, according to Mozart's own catalogue, on March 2, 1786, around the time of the premiere of his opera, The Marriage of Figaro...
. The last of these three, No. 13, KV. 415, is an ambitious, perhaps even overambitious work, that introduces the first, military theme in a canon in an impressive orchestral opening: the last movement is considered to be the best. Like KV 414, it is paralleled by a later concerto in the same key, No. 21, KV 467.
1784
The next concerto, KV. 449Piano Concerto No. 14 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 14 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, written in 1784 is a piano concerto in E-flat major catalogued with K. 449.It is the first composition he entered into a notebook of his music he then kept for the next seven years, marking down main themes, dates of completion, and other...
in E-flat major, ushers in a period of creativity that has certainly never been surpassed in piano concerto production. From February 1784 to March 1786, Mozart wrote no fewer than 11 masterpieces, with another (No. 25, KV. 503
Piano Concerto No. 25 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K. 503, was completed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on December 4, 1786, alongside the Prague Symphony, K.504. Although two more concertos would later follow, this work is the last of the twelve great piano concertos written in Vienna between 1784 and...
) to follow in December of 1786. The advance in technique and structure from the early Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
examples is marked from the very first of this mature series. Written for his pupil Barbara Ployer
Barbara Ployer
Maria Anna Barbara or Babette Ployer was an Austrian piano and composition pupil of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, for whom he wrote two piano concertos in 1784, No. 14 KV. 449 and No. 17, KV...
to play, it (KV. 449) is the first instrumental work by Mozart that shows the strong influence of his operatic writing. KV. 450
Piano Concerto No. 15 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 15 in B flat Major, KV. 450 is a concertante work for piano, or pianoforte, and orchestra by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart composed the concerto for performance at a series of concerts at the Vienna venues of the Trattnerhof and the Burgtheater in the first quarter of...
, the next, shows a reversion to an earlier, galant
Galant
In music, Galant was a term referring to a style, principally occurring in the third quarter of the 18th century, which featured a return to classical simplicity after the complexity of the late Baroque era...
style. KV. 451
Piano Concerto No. 16 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 16 in D Major, KV. 451 is a concertante work for piano, or pianoforte, and orchestra by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart composed the concerto for performance at a series of concerts at the Vienna venues of the Trattnerhof and the Burgtheater in the first quarter of 1784,...
is a not very well known work (Hutchings appears not to have liked it particularly, although Girdlestone ranks it highly). The first movement is broadly "symphonic" in structure and marks a further advance in the interactions between piano and orchestra. Remarkably, Mozart records that he completed it only one week after the previous KV. 450.
The next three concertos, KV. 453
Piano Concerto No. 17 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, KV. 453, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was written in 1784.The work is orchestrated for solo piano, flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, and strings...
, 456
Piano Concerto No. 18 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 18 in B flat Major, KV. 456 is a concertante work for piano, or pianoforte, and orchestra by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In Mozart's own catalogue of his works, this concerto is dated 30 September 1784....
and 459
Piano Concerto No. 19 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 19 in F major, KV. 459 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was written at the end of 1784: Mozart's own catalogue of works records that it was completed on 11 December...
, can be considered to form a group, as they all share certain features, such as the same rhythm in the opening (heard also in KV. 415 and KV. 451). KV. 453 was written for Barbara Ployer, and is famous in particular for its last movement, although it is altogether a great work. The next concerto in B flat, KV. 456, was for a long time considered to be written for the blind pianist Maria Theresa von Paradis
Maria Theresa von Paradis
Maria Theresia Paradis , was an Austrian music performer and composer who lost her sight at an early age, and for whom Mozart may have written his Piano Concerto No...
to play in Paris. It is a short work, with a fine slow movement. Finally, KV. 459, no. 19, is sunny with an exhilarating finale.
1785
1785 is marked by the contrasting pair KV. 466Piano Concerto No. 20 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466, was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1785. The first performance took place at the Mehlgrube Casino in Vienna on February 11, 1785, with the composer as the soloist.-Background:...
(no. 20 in D minor) and KV. 467
Piano Concerto No. 21 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467, was completed on March 9, 1785 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, four weeks after the completion of the previous D minor concerto.- Structure :There are three movements....
(no. 21 in C major), again, remarkably, written within the same month. These two works, one, the first minor-key concerto Mozart wrote (the Jeunehomme concerto has a minor-key second movement) a dark and stormy work, and the other sunny, are among the most popular works Mozart produced. The final concerto of the year, KV. 482
Piano Concerto No. 22 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 22 in E flat major, K. 482, is a concertante work for piano, or pianoforte, and orchestra by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart composed the concerto in December of 1785....
(no. 22 in E-flat), is slightly less popular, possibly because it lacks the striking themes of the first two. Mozart did not write cadenzas for these concertos.
1786
Mozart managed to write two more masterpieces in one month, March: No. 23 in A major KV. 488Piano Concerto No. 23 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major is a musical composition for piano and orchestra written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was finished, according to Mozart's own catalogue, on March 2, 1786, around the time of the premiere of his opera, The Marriage of Figaro...
, one of the most consistently popular of his concertos which is notable particularly for its poignant slow movement in F-sharp minor; the only work he wrote in the key. It was followed by No. 24, KV. 491
Piano Concerto No. 24 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491 is a concertante work for piano, or pianoforte, and orchestra by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart composed the concerto in the winter of 1785–1786 and completed the work on 24 March 1786...
which Hutchings regards as his finest effort: it is a dark and passionate work, made more striking by its classical restraint, and the final movement, a set of variations, is commonly called "sublime."
The final work of the year, No. 25, KV. 503
Piano Concerto No. 25 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K. 503, was completed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on December 4, 1786, alongside the Prague Symphony, K.504. Although two more concertos would later follow, this work is the last of the twelve great piano concertos written in Vienna between 1784 and...
, is one of the most expansive of all classical concertos, rivaling no. 5
Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)
The Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, by Ludwig van Beethoven, popularly known as the Emperor Concerto, was his last piano concerto. It was written between 1809 and 1811 in Vienna, and was dedicated to Archduke Rudolf, Beethoven's patron and pupil...
of Beethoven.
Later concertos
KV. 503Piano Concerto No. 25 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K. 503, was completed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on December 4, 1786, alongside the Prague Symphony, K.504. Although two more concertos would later follow, this work is the last of the twelve great piano concertos written in Vienna between 1784 and...
was the last of the regular series of concertos Mozart wrote for his subscription concerts. The next work, KV. 537
Piano Concerto No. 26 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 26 in D major, K. 537, was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and completed on February 24, 1788. It is generally known as the "Coronation" Concerto.-Source of the nickname "Coronation":...
, the "Coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
", completed in February 1788, has a mixed reputation and possibly is the revision of a smaller chamber concerto into a larger structure. Despite its structural problems, it remains popular. Two fragments of piano concertos, KV. 537a and KV. 537b, in D major and D minor respectively, were also probably begun in this month, although perhaps earlier. Finally, the last concerto, no. 27 (KV. 595)
Piano Concerto No. 27 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat major, K. 595, is a concertante work by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, for piano or fortepiano and orchestra, the last piano concerto he wrote.-Time of composition:The manuscript is dated 5 January 1791...
was the first work from the last year of Mozart's life: it represents a return to form for Mozart in the genre. Its texture is sparse, intimate and even elegiac
Elegiac
Elegiac refers either to those compositions that are like elegies or to a specific poetic meter used in Classical elegies. The Classical elegiac meter has two lines, making it a couplet: a line of dactylic hexameter, followed by a line of dactylic pentameter...
.
The Mozartian concept of the piano concerto
In the works of his mature series, Mozart created a unique conception of the piano concerto that attempted to solve the ongoing problem of how thematic material is dealt with by the orchestra and piano, and with the exception of the two exceptionally fine early concertos KV. 271Piano Concerto No. 9 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 9 "Jeunehomme" in E flat major, K. 271, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was written in Salzburg in 1777, when Mozart was 21 years old....
(Jeunehomme) and KV. 414
Piano Concerto No. 12 (Mozart)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, K. 414 was written in the autumn of 1782 in Vienna. It is scored for solo piano, two oboes, two bassoons , two horns, and strings...
(the "little A major
A major
A major is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps.Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor...
") all of his best examples are from later works. He strives to maintain a mean between a symphony with occasional piano solos and a virtuoso piano fantasia with orchestral accompaniment; twin traps that later composers were not always able to avoid. His resulting solutions are varied (none of the mature series is really similar to any of the others structurally, apart from at a broad level) and complex.
First movement structure
The form of Mozart's piano concerto first movements has generated much discussion, of which modern instances were initiated by the highly influential analysis provided by Tovey in his Essay. In broad terms, they consist of (using the terminology of Hutchings):- PreludePrelude (music)A prelude is a short piece of music, the form of which may vary from piece to piece. The prelude can be thought of as a preface. It may stand on its own or introduce another work...
(orchestra) - ExpositionExposition (music)In musical form and analysis, exposition is the initial presentation of the thematic material of a musical composition, movement, or section. The use of the term generally implies that the material will be developed or varied....
(piano, plus orchestra), ending in a trill in the dominant (for major key concertos) or the relative major (for minor key concertos) - First RitornelloRitornelloA ritornello is a recurring passage in Baroque music for orchestra or chorus. The first or final movement of a solo concerto or aria may be in "ritornello form", in which the ritornello is the opening theme, always played by tutti, which returns in whole or in part and in different keys throughout...
(orchestra) - Middle Section (piano plus orchestra)
- RecapitulationRecapitulation (music)In music theory, the recapitulation is one of the sections of a movement written in sonata form. The recapitulation occurs after the movement's development section, and typically presents once more the musical themes from the movement's exposition...
(piano plus orchestra) - Final Ritornello (orchestra, but always including a piano cadenzaCadenzaIn music, a cadenza is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display....
).
This structure is rather easy to hear when listening, particularly because the ends of the exposition and recapitulation are typically marked with trill
Trill (music)
The trill is a musical ornament consisting of a rapid alternation between two adjacent notes, usually a semitone or tone apart, which can be identified with the context of the trill....
s or shakes.
It is tempting to equate this structure with sonata form
Sonata form
Sonata form is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the 18th century . While it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement...
, but with a double exposition; so
- Prelude = 1st exposition
- Exposition = 2nd exposition
- Middle section = developmentMusical developmentIn European classical music, musical development is a process by which a musical idea is communicated in the course of a composition. It refers to the transformation and restatement of initial material, and is often contrasted with musical variation, which is a slightly different means to the same...
- Recapitulation + final Ritornello = Recapitulation (piano concerto section first, sonata form section second).
However, while there are broad correspondences, this simple equation does not really do justice to the Mozartian scheme. For example, the piano concerto may well not include a well-defined second group of subjects in the prelude; and in particular, does not include a definitive modulation
Modulation (music)
In music, modulation is most commonly the act or process of changing from one key to another. This may or may not be accompanied by a change in key signature. Modulations articulate or create the structure or form of many pieces, as well as add interest...
to the dominant
Dominant (music)
In music, the dominant is the fifth scale degree of the diatonic scale, called "dominant" because it is next in importance to the tonic,and a dominant chord is any chord built upon that pitch, using the notes of the same diatonic scale...
in this section, as might be expected from sonata form, even though Mozart feels free to shift the sense of tonality around in this and other sections. The reason for this, as Tovey remarked, is that the purpose of the Prelude is to generate a sense of expectation leading towards the piano entry; and this must come from the music itself, and not just from the title on the top of the page. If a complete sonata form were imposed on the Prelude, then it would take on a life of its own, so that when the piano entry occurs, it would be rather incidental to the overall structure. To express it in another way, in sonata form, the first group of subjects is linked to and generates an expectation of the second group, which would tend to detract attention away from the piano entry - a point that, as Tovey points out, was only grasped by Beethoven rather belatedly. Conversely, in the Mozartian concept, the piano entry is always a moment of great importance, and he varies it considerably from concerto to concerto. The only exception to this rule is the dramatic intervention of the piano in the second bar of the Jeunehomme concerto, which is, however, minor enough not to disturb the overall structure. Rather than the Prelude being a "preliminary canter" (Hutchings) of the themes of the concerto, its role is to introduce and familiarise us to the material that will be used in the ritornellic sections, so that we get a sense of return at each of these. Technically, therefore, the ritornello sections should only include themes that are introduced in the Prelude. In practice, however, Mozart allows himself to sometimes vary even this rule. For example, in piano concerto no. 19
Piano Concerto No. 19 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 19 in F major, KV. 459 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was written at the end of 1784: Mozart's own catalogue of works records that it was completed on 11 December...
, the first ritornello introduces a new theme, which, however, plays only a minor linking role between the restatements of the first theme.
The prelude is invariably rich in thematic material, with as many as six or more well-defined themes being introduced. However, the concertos fall into two rather marked groups as to what sort of themes they possess. The most popular concertos, such as Nos 19
Piano Concerto No. 19 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 19 in F major, KV. 459 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was written at the end of 1784: Mozart's own catalogue of works records that it was completed on 11 December...
, 20
Piano Concerto No. 20 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466, was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1785. The first performance took place at the Mehlgrube Casino in Vienna on February 11, 1785, with the composer as the soloist.-Background:...
, 21
Piano Concerto No. 21 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467, was completed on March 9, 1785 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, four weeks after the completion of the previous D minor concerto.- Structure :There are three movements....
and 23
Piano Concerto No. 23 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major is a musical composition for piano and orchestra written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was finished, according to Mozart's own catalogue, on March 2, 1786, around the time of the premiere of his opera, The Marriage of Figaro...
tend to have well marked themes. However, another group, such as Nos 11
Piano Concerto No. 11 (Mozart)
Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 11 in F major, KV. 413 , was the second of the group of three early concertos he wrote whilst in Vienna, in the autumn of 1782 . It was the first full concerto he wrote for the subscription concerts he gave in the city...
, 16
Piano Concerto No. 16 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 16 in D Major, KV. 451 is a concertante work for piano, or pianoforte, and orchestra by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart composed the concerto for performance at a series of concerts at the Vienna venues of the Trattnerhof and the Burgtheater in the first quarter of 1784,...
, 22
Piano Concerto No. 22 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 22 in E flat major, K. 482, is a concertante work for piano, or pianoforte, and orchestra by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart composed the concerto in December of 1785....
and 27
Piano Concerto No. 27 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat major, K. 595, is a concertante work by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, for piano or fortepiano and orchestra, the last piano concerto he wrote.-Time of composition:The manuscript is dated 5 January 1791...
, the themes are less marked, and the overall effect is of homogeneity. As Mozart's art progressed, these themes sometimes become less strophic
Strophic form
Strophic form is the simplest and most durable of musical forms, elaborating a piece of music by repetition of a single formal section. This may be analyzed as "A A A..."...
in nature, i.e. he binds them together into a more unified whole.
In addition to the ritornello thematic material, Mozart's mature
Maturity (psychological)
Maturity is a psychological term used to indicate how a person responds to the circumstances or environment in an appropriate manner. This response is generally learned rather than instinctive, and is not determined by one's age...
concertos nearly all introduce new thematic material in the piano exposition, the exceptions being KV. 488 in A major, which, however, follows an unusual course after this, and KV. 537. Hutchings recognises these by labeling ritornellic themes A, B, C etc., and expositional themes x, y etc. Mostly these are first introduced by the piano; but sometimes (e.g. theme y of piano concerto 19) the orchestra plays this role. Sometimes the exposition starts with one of these new themes (in piano concertos Nos 9, 20, 22, 24 and 25), but the exposition can also start by restating one of the preludial themes.
In addition to the preludial and expositional themes, the exposition typically contains various free sections that show off the piano; but, contrary to the popular conception of the piano concerto, and to how it developed in the nineteenth century, these sections are not merely empty displays, but rather, short sections that fit into the overall scheme.
The middle sections, as in much of Mozart's symphonic output, are typically short, and rarely contain the sort of development associated with, in particular, Beethoven. In other words, Mozart normally generates his middle sections by shuffling, condensing and modulating his thematic material, but not by taking a simple theme and genuinely developing it into new possibilities. However, as is the case with all generalisations involving his piano concertos, this can be overstated: the middle section of No. 25, for example, can be described as being a genuine development. In other concertos, such as No. 16, there is no such thing.
Mozart's themes are cunningly employed, so that they fit together in various ways. Despite the formal advances in the prelude, the themes are often later used in different orders, so that a scheme of a prelude ABCDE might later become ABADA or somesuch. Some of the so-called "ritornellic" material of the prelude might indeed never appear again, or only at the end. For example, in piano concerto no. 19 in F, theme C never appears again, while E and F only appear to close the entire movement. This flexibility is of particular importance in the recapitulation which, although it invariably commences with a restatement of the first preludial theme, is no mere repetition of the preludial themes. Rather, it condenses and varies them so that the listener is not tired by simple reproduction. The genius of Mozart's mature movements, therefore, is to be able to manipulate a mass of thematic material without compromising the broader scale conception; and the listener, rather than being given the impression of "fiddling" with all the themes, instead is left with the ritornellic impression: Mozart truly uses "art to conceal art".
One further point of great importance is the interaction between piano and orchestra. In the earlier concertos, such as the not totally successful No. 13 in C major, and even more so, perforce, in the concertos for two and three pianos, the interaction between the two is limited, but the later concertos develop the subtle relations between them to a high degree; for example, in No. 16, KV. 451. His later concertos are truly described as concertos for "piano and orchestra" rather than the more obviously "piano" concertos of the nineteenth century (e.g. that of Grieg etc.).
Because Mozart was developing the form of his concertos as he wrote them, and not following any preconceived "rules" (apart, presumably, from his own judgement of taste), many of the concertos contravene one or other of the generalisations given above. For example, KV. 488 in A major lacks new expositional material, and "merely" repeats the preludial material; further, it effectively merges the first ritornello and the middle section, as does KV 449 in E flat. Several of the later concertos do not hesitate to introduce new material in the supposedly "ritornellic" sections, such as in KV 459, 488 and 491, or, indeed, in the middle section (KV. 453, KV. 459, KV. 488).
Second movement structure
Mozart's second movements are varied, but may be broadly seen as falling into a few main categories. Most of them are marked Andante, but he himself marked at least the poignant A major (KV 488) one AdagioTempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
, presumably to stress its pathetic nature rather than to dictate a particularly slow speed. Conversely, the slow movement of the sunny No. 19 in F major is marked Allegretto, in keeping with the mood of the entire concerto. Hutchings gives the following list of movement types (slightly modified):
KV. 175: Sonata form
Sonata form
Sonata form is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the 18th century . While it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement...
KV. 238: Aria
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
-sonata
KV. 242: Sonata
KV. 246: Aria
KV. 271: Aria
KV. 365: Binary dialogue
KV. 413: strophic binary aria
KV. 414: strophic binary aria
KV. 415: Ternary
Ternary form
Ternary form, sometimes called song form, is a three-part musical form, usually schematicized as A-B-A. The first and third parts are musically identical, or very nearly so, while the second part in some way provides a contrast with them...
with coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
KV. 449: Ternary with coda
KV. 450: Variations
Variation (music)
In music, variation is a formal technique where material is repeated in an altered form. The changes may involve harmony, melody, counterpoint, rhythm, timbre, orchestration or any combination of these.-Variation form:...
with coda
KV. 451: Rondo
Rondo
Rondo, and its French equivalent rondeau, is a word that has been used in music in a number of ways, most often in reference to a musical form, but also to a character-type that is distinct from the form...
KV. 453: Aria
KV. 456: Variations
KV. 459: Sonata (but without development)
KV. 466: Romanza
Romance (music)
The term romance has a centuries-long history. Applied to narrative ballads in Spain, it came to be used by the 18th century for simple lyrical pieces not only for voice, but also for instruments alone. During the 18th and 19th centuries Russian composers developed the French variety of the...
KV. 467: Irregular
KV. 482: Variations
KV. 488: Sonata
KV. 491: Romanza
KV. 503: Sonata without development
KV. 537: Romanza
KV. 595: Romanza
Girdlestone considers the slow movements to fall into five main groups, i.e. "galant", "romance", "dream", "meditative" and the "minor" ones.
Third movement structure
Mozart's third movements are generally in the form of a rondoRondo
Rondo, and its French equivalent rondeau, is a word that has been used in music in a number of ways, most often in reference to a musical form, but also to a character-type that is distinct from the form...
, the customary, rather light structure for the period. However, two of his most important finales, that to KV. 453, and to KV. 491, are in variation
Variation (music)
In music, variation is a formal technique where material is repeated in an altered form. The changes may involve harmony, melody, counterpoint, rhythm, timbre, orchestration or any combination of these.-Variation form:...
form, and both these are generally regarded to be among his best. In addition, three more concertos, KV. 450, 451 and 467 can be regarded as being in rondo-sonata form, with the second theme modulating to the dominant or relative major. However, the simple refrain-episode-refrain-episode-refrain structure of a rondo does not escape Mozart's revising attentions. The difficulty for Mozart with the typical rondo structure is that it is naturally strophic; i.e., the structure is divided into a series of highly differentiated and distinct sections. However, such a structure does not lend itself to creating an overall unity in the movement, and Mozart thus attempts various ways (with greater or lesser success) to overcome this problem. For example, he may have complex first themes (KV 595), contrapuntal treatment (KV 459), or rhythmic and other variation of the theme itself (KV. 449). In general, Mozart's third movements are as varying as his first, and their relation to a "rondo" is sometimes as slender as having a first tune (refrain) that returns.
Performance considerations
The performance of Mozart's concertos has become a topic of considerable focus in recent years, with various issues such as the size of the orchestraOrchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
and its instrumentation
Instrumentation (music)
In music, instrumentation refers to the particular combination of musical instruments employed in a composition, and to the properties of those instruments individually...
, the cadenza
Cadenza
In music, a cadenza is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display....
s, role of the soloist
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
as continuo and improvisation
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
of the written piano part all coming under scrutiny.
Orchestra
Mozart's concertos were performed in his lifetime in a variety of settings, and the orchestra available no doubt varied from place to place. The more intimate works, for example, KV. 413-415, were ideal for performance in the salonSalon (gathering)
A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine taste and increase their knowledge of the participants through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to...
of an aristocratic music-lover: Mozart himself advertised them as possible to play "a quattro", i. e. with just a string quartet accompanying the piano. In larger settings, such as halls or the theatre (or indeed, outdoors), larger orchestral forces were possible, and indeed a requirement for the more richly scored concertos such as KV. 503. In particular, the later concertos have a wind band that is absolutely integral to the music. An extant theatre almanac from 1782, from the Burgtheater in Vienna, suggests that, for the theatre, there were 35 members of the orchestra, e.g. six first and six second violins; four violas, three cellos, three basses, pairs of flutes, clarinets, oboes and bassoons, horns and trumpets, with a timpanist.
Piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and not the harpsichord.
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
His earliest efforts from the mid-1760s were presumably for the harpsichord, but Broder showed in 1941 that Mozart himself did not use the harpsichord for any concerto from No. 12 (KV. 414) onwards. Although early Viennese pianos were in general rather inferior instruments, the fortepianos made by Mozart's friend Stein
Johann Andreas Stein
Johann Andreas Stein, was an outstanding German maker of keyboard instruments, a central figure in the history of the piano...
and Anton Walter
Anton Walter
Anton Walter was a builder of pianos. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians describes him as "the most famous Viennese piano maker of his time".-Life:...
, instruments that Mozart much admired, were much more suitable for Mozart's purposes. The fortepiano
Fortepiano
Fortepiano designates the early version of the piano, from its invention by the Italian instrument maker Bartolomeo Cristofori around 1700 up to the early 19th century. It was the instrument for which Haydn, Mozart, and the early Beethoven wrote their piano music...
s were of course much quieter instruments than the modern concert grand piano, so that the balance between the orchestra and soloist may not easily be reproduced using modern instruments, especially when small orchestras are used. The rise in interest in "authentic performance" issues in the last few decades has, however, led to a revival of the fortepiano, and several recordings now exist with an approximate reconstruction of the sound Mozart might have himself expected.
Continuo role
It seems likely, although it is not absolutely certain, that the piano would have retained its ancient keyboard basso continuoFigured bass
Figured bass, or thoroughbass, is a kind of integer musical notation used to indicate intervals, chords, and non-chord tones, in relation to a bass note...
role in the orchestral tuttis of the concertos, and possibly in other places as well. That this was Mozart's intention is implied by several lines of evidence. First, the piano part is placed in his autographs at the bottom of the score under the basses, rather than in the middle as in modern scores. Second, he wrote "CoB" (col Basso - with the basses) in the lower stave of the piano part during tuttis, implying that the left hand should reproduce the bass part. Some times, this bass was figured
Figured bass
Figured bass, or thoroughbass, is a kind of integer musical notation used to indicate intervals, chords, and non-chord tones, in relation to a bass note...
too, for example in the early edition of Nos 11-13 by Artaria
Artaria
Artaria and company was one of the most important music publishing firms of the late 18th and 19th century. Founded in the 18th century in Vienna, the company is associated with many leading names of the classical era.- History :...
in 1785, and Mozart and his father added figuration themselves to several of the concertos, such as the third piano part of No. 7 for three pianos (KV. 242), and to No. 8 (KV. 246), where Mozart even realised the figuration. On the other hand, this view is not entirely accepted. Rosen, for example, has the view that the essential feature of the piano concerto is the contrast between the solo, accompanied and tutti sections; and this psychological drama would have been ruined if the piano was effectively playing the whole time, albeit discreetly. In support of his case, Rosen argued that the published figured bass of No. 13 (KV. 415) was error-strewn and thus not by Mozart; that Mozart's realisation of the figuration in No. 8 (KV. 246) was for use in highly reduced orchestras (i. e. strings with no wind), and that the "CoB" instruction was for cueing purposes. Conversely, other scholars, notably Robert Levin
Robert D. Levin
Robert D. Levin is a classical performer, musicologist, and composer, and is the Artistic Director of the Sarasota Music Festival.-Education:...
have argued that real performance practice by Mozart and his contemporaries would have been considerably more embellished than even the chords suggested by the figuration. A place where the addition of the piano to the orchestra is particularly common is in the last bars after the cadenza, where the orchestra in score plays to the end on its own (except in No. 24, KV. 491), but in practice pianists, if only to finish playing at the end, sometimes accompany.
As far as modern practice goes, the matter is complicated by the very different instrumentation of today. The early fortepianos produced a more "orchestral" sound that blended easily into the orchestral background, so that discrete continuo playing could have the effect of strengthening the sonic output of the orchestra without (in effect) destroying the ritornellic
Ritornello
A ritornello is a recurring passage in Baroque music for orchestra or chorus. The first or final movement of a solo concerto or aria may be in "ritornello form", in which the ritornello is the opening theme, always played by tutti, which returns in whole or in part and in different keys throughout...
structure that is the basis for the Mozart piano concerto. Furthermore, when the soloist is directing the orchestra as well, as Mozart would have been, the addition of continuo would help keep the band together. Finally, it should be noted that the vast majority of performances of Mozart piano concertos heard today are recorded rather than live, with the net effect of flattering the piano's sound (i. e. the blending of the piano and orchestra is harder to achieve in the studio than in the concert hall); hence, continuo playing by the soloist in recordings might be too intrusive and obvious for most tastes. Nevertheless, continuo playing has discretely appeared in some modern recordings (of the fortepiano) with success, or at least, lack of intrusion (see discography, below).
Cadenzas
Mozart's fame as an improviser (see next section) have led many to suggest that the cadenzaCadenza
In music, a cadenza is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display....
s and Eingänge ("lead-ins": i. e. brief cadenza-like passages leading into returns of the main theme in a rondo) were extensively improvised by him during performance. However, against this must be set the fact that Mozart's own cadenzas are preserved for the majority of the concertos, and may have existed for others (e.g. the now missing cadenzas for Nos. 20, KV. 466
Piano Concerto No. 20 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466, was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1785. The first performance took place at the Mehlgrube Casino in Vienna on February 11, 1785, with the composer as the soloist.-Background:...
and No 21, KV. 467
Piano Concerto No. 21 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467, was completed on March 9, 1785 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, four weeks after the completion of the previous D minor concerto.- Structure :There are three movements....
are possibly mentioned by his father in letters to his sister
Maria Anna Mozart
Maria Anna Walburga Ignatia Mozart , nicknamed "Nannerl", was a musician, the older sister of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and daughter of Leopold and Anna Maria Mozart.-Childhood:...
in 1785). On the other hand, the cadenzas were not supplied as part of the concerto to the publishers, and it would no doubt have been expected that other pianists would supply their own. As might be expected, opinion is sharply divided, with some commentators (notably Hutchings) strongly urging the use of Mozart's own cadenzas when available, and when not for cadenzas to be like Mozart's, especially as far as length goes (i. e. short). The sorts of problems that exist are exemplified by the cadenzas written by the young Beethoven for No. 20 in D minor (which has no extant Mozart cadenzas); Hutchings complains that although they are the best option available, the genius of Beethoven shines through them and, by implication, this makes them a "piece within a piece" that tends to distract from the unity of the movements as a whole.
Improvisation
Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the concertos is the extent to which Mozart (or other contemporary performers) would have embellished the piano part as written in the score. Mozart's own ability to improvise was famous, and he often played from very sketchy piano parts. Furthermore, there are several very "bare" parts in the concerto scores that have led some to deduce that the performer is meant to improvise embellishments at these points, the most notorious being towards the end of the F sharp minor second movement of No. 23 in A major (KV. 488) (the end of the first subject of the second movement of No. 24 in C minor, KV. 491 is another example). Manuscript evidence exists to suggest that embellishment did occur (e.g. an embellished version of the slow movement of No. 23, apparently by his gifted pupil Barbara PloyerBarbara Ployer
Maria Anna Barbara or Babette Ployer was an Austrian piano and composition pupil of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, for whom he wrote two piano concertos in 1784, No. 14 KV. 449 and No. 17, KV...
). In 1840, evidence was published from two brothers, Philipp Karl and Heinrich Anton Hoffmann, who had heard Mozart perform two concertos, Nos 19 and 26 (KV. 459 and KV. 537) in Frankfurt am Main in 1790. Philip Karl reported that Mozart embellished his slow movements "tenderly and tastefully once one way, once another according to the momentary inspiration of his genius", and he later (1803) published embellished Mozart slow movements to six of his later concertos (KV. 467, KV. 482, KV. 488, KV. 491, KV. 503 and KV. 595). Mozart himself wrote to his sister
Maria Anna Mozart
Maria Anna Walburga Ignatia Mozart , nicknamed "Nannerl", was a musician, the older sister of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and daughter of Leopold and Anna Maria Mozart.-Childhood:...
in 1784 agreeing with her that something was missing in the slow movement of KV. 451, and an embellished part of the passage in question is preserved in St Peters Archabbey, Salzburg (see location of autographs below); presumably the part he sent her. Mozart also wrote embellished versions of several of his piano sonatas, including the Durnitz Sonata, KV. 284/205b
Piano Sonata No. 6 (Mozart)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 6 in D major, K 284 is a sonata in three movements:#Allegro#Rondo and Polonaise #Theme with variationsA typical performance takes about 24 minutes....
; the slow movement of KV. 332/300k
Piano Sonata No. 12 (Mozart)
The Piano Sonata in F major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, K. 332/300k, was written at the same time as the Piano Sonata, K. 330 and Piano Sonata, K. 331 , Mozart numbering them as a set from one to three. They were once believed to have been written in the late 1770s in Paris, but it is now thought...
; and the slow movement of KV. 457
Piano Sonata No. 14 (Mozart)
The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor, K. 457, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was composed and completed in 1784, with the official date of completion recorded as October 14, 1784 in Mozart’s private catalogue of works. It was published in December of 1785 together with the Fantasy in C minor, K...
. In all of these works, the embellishments appear in the first editions published under Mozart's guidance, with the suggestion that they represent examples of embellishments for lesser pianists than himself to follow. However, to many admirers of the concertos, it is exactly these sparse points that are so beautiful, and the establishment of the autographs as the texts for the concertos has made many pianists reluctant to depart from them. Nevertheless, the existence of these Mozartian additions, and of several other embellished versions published early in the 19th century suggests that the expectation would be that especially slow movements would be embellished according to the taste or skill of the performer, and thus that the versions most commonly heard today would not reflect how the original listeners in general experienced these works.
Assessment and reception
Mozart's development of the piano concerto created a complex form that was arguably never to be surpassed: of the later composers (especially after Beethoven, who took note of Mozartian procedure) only Brahms really paid attention to his classicism as expressed in the formal structure of these works. Their value as music and popularity does not, naturally enough, rest upon their formal structure though, but on the musical content. Mozart's piano concertos are filled with assured transition passages, modulations, dissonances, NeapolitanNeapolitan chord
In music theory, a Neapolitan chord is a major chord built on the lowered second scale degree. It most commonly occurs in first inversion so that it is notated either as II6 or N6 and normally referred to as a Neapolitan sixth chord...
relationships and suspensions. This technical skill, combined with a complete command of his (admittedly rather limited) orchestral resources, in particular of the woodwind in the later concertos, allowed him to create a variety of moods at will, from the comic operatic nature of the end of KV. 453
Piano Concerto No. 17 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, KV. 453, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was written in 1784.The work is orchestrated for solo piano, flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, and strings...
, through to the dream-like state of the famous "Elvira Madigan
Elvira Madigan
Elvira Madigan was a Danish tightrope walker and trick rider, whose illicit affair and dramatic death at the hands of her lover were the subject of the Swedish film of 1967.- Early life :...
" Andante from KV. 467
Piano Concerto No. 21 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467, was completed on March 9, 1785 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, four weeks after the completion of the previous D minor concerto.- Structure :There are three movements....
, through to the majestic expansiveness of his "emperor" concerto, KV. 503
Piano Concerto No. 25 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K. 503, was completed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on December 4, 1786, alongside the Prague Symphony, K.504. Although two more concertos would later follow, this work is the last of the twelve great piano concertos written in Vienna between 1784 and...
. In particular, these major works of Mozart could hardly fail to be influenced by his own first love, i. e. opera, and the Mozart of Figaro
The Marriage of Figaro
Le nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata , K. 492, is an opera buffa composed in 1786 in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro .Although the play by...
, Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
and Die Zauberflöte is to be found throughout them. Mozart himself clearly put great value on the concertos, some of which he guarded carefully. For example, No. 23 was not published in his lifetime, and the score was kept within his family and close circle of friends whom he asked not to give it away.
The qualities of the piano concertos, although for some time undervalued (especially during the nineteenth century), have come to be more fully appreciated in the last 50 years or so; and the list of notable names that have contributed cadenzas to the concertos (e.g. Beethoven, Hummel
Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Johann Nepomuk Hummel or Jan Nepomuk Hummel was an Austrian composer and virtuoso pianist. His music reflects the transition from the Classical to the Romantic musical era.- Life :...
, Landowska
Wanda Landowska
Wanda Landowska was a Polish harpsichordist whose performances, teaching, recordings and writings played a large role in reviving the popularity of the harpsichord in the early 20th century...
, Britten, Brahms, Schnittke etc.) attests to this fact. Beethoven was clearly impressed by them, even if the anecdotal story about his comments to Ferdinand Ries
Ferdinand Ries
Ferdinand Ries was a German composer.- Life :Born into a musical family of Bonn, Ries was a friend and pupil of Beethoven who published in 1838 a collection of reminiscences of his teacher, co-written with Franz Wegeler...
about no. 24
Piano Concerto No. 24 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491 is a concertante work for piano, or pianoforte, and orchestra by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart composed the concerto in the winter of 1785–1786 and completed the work on 24 March 1786...
is legendary, his concerto no. 3 was clearly inspired by Mozart's no. 24; and his entire concerto production took its point of departure as the Mozartian concept.
Despite their renown, the Mozart piano concertos are not without some detractors. Even amongst his mature examples, there are examples of movements that can be argued to fall short of his normally high standards. This is particularly true for some of the last movements, which can appear to be too light to balance the first two movements - an example being the last movement of No. 16. Girdlestone considered that even popular movements such as the last movement to No. 23 did not really satisfactorily solve the inherent structural problems of rondo last movements, and he suggests that it was not until the last movement of the Jupiter Symphony that Mozart produced a truly great last movement. Similarly, a few of the slow movements have sometimes been considered to be repetitive (e.g. Hutchings' view of the Romanzas in general, and that to No. 20 in D minor in particular - an assessment to be later disputed by Grayson).
Today, at least three of these works (nos 20, 21 and 23) are among the most recorded and popular classical works in the repertoire, and with the release of several complete recordings of the concertos in recent years, notably by Philips
Philips Records
Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also...
and Naxos
Naxos Records
Naxos Records is a record label specializing in classical music. Through a number of imprints, Naxos also releases genres including Chinese music, jazz, world music, and early rock & roll. The company was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong.Naxos is the largest...
, some of the less-well known concertos may also increase in popularity.
Discography
The discography for Mozart's piano concertos is massive. In recent years, a number of (more or less) complete sets of the concertos have been released; these include:DGG: Mozart Die Klavierkonzerte. Camerata Academica des Salzburger Mozarteums. Solist und Dirigent Geza Anda. - Full set sans Nos 7 and 10. DGG Ref 2720030.
Naxos: Concentus Hungaricus, conducted Andras Ligeti, Matyas Antal and
Ildiko Hegyi, played by Jeno Jando. Nos 7 and 10 have Denes Varjon as
the other pianist (No. 7 in the arrangement for 2 pianos).
Sony: English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Murray Perahia, played by
Murray Perahaia. Nos 7 and 10 have Radu Lupu as the extra pianist (No. 7
in the arrangement for 2 pianos).
Decca: Camerata Academica, conducted by Sandor Vegh, played by András Schiff. Lacks Nos 1-4 and the double/triple concertos.
EMI Classics: English Chamber Orchestra, conducted and played by Daniel
Barenboim. Lacks the 2 and 3 piano concertos.
Brilliant Classics: Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by
Paul Freeman, played by Derek Han. No. 10 for two pianos: Zoltán Kocsis and Dezső Ránki; No. 7 for three: Zoltán Kocsis, Dezső Ránki and András Schiff (nos 7 and 10 Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Janos Ferencsik).
Philips (Complete Mozart edition): Academy of St. Martin-in-the Field, conducted by Neville
Marriner. Played by Alfred Brendel. Imogen Cooper is the extra pianist
in Nos 7 and 10. Concertos 1-4: Vienna Capella Academica, conducted by
Eduard Melkus. Played by Ingrid Haebler. Also has the three
arrangements of sonatas by J.C. Bach (K. 107/1, 2 and 3).
Philips: English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jeffrey Tate, played by Mitsuko Uchida. Lacks Nos 1-4 and the double and triple concertos.
Notable fortepiano
Fortepiano
Fortepiano designates the early version of the piano, from its invention by the Italian instrument maker Bartolomeo Cristofori around 1700 up to the early 19th century. It was the instrument for which Haydn, Mozart, and the early Beethoven wrote their piano music...
recordings include:
Archiv: English Baroque Soloists, conducted by John Eliot Gardner, played by Malcom Bilson, with Melvyn Tan and Robert Levin for the double/triple concertos. Nos 1-4 available under the brand of MusicMasters Classics with Thomas Crawford as conductor and Orchestra of the Old Fairfield Academy
Channel Classics
Channel Classics Records
Channel Classics Records is a record label from the Netherlands, specializing in classical music. The managing director and producer is C. Jared Sacks, who grew up in Boston. Sacks was schooled as a professional horn player at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam...
: Anima Eterna Orchestra, conducted and played by Jos van Immerseel. Lacks Nos 1-4 and the double/triple concertos.
Classical Express: Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, conducted by Nicholas McGegan, played by Melvyn Tan (Nos 18-19).
Virgin: New Mozart Ensemble, played by Melvyn Tan (Nos 9 and 27).
L'Oiseau-Lyre: Academy of Ancient Music, conducted by Christopher Hogwood, played by Robert Levin
Robert D. Levin
Robert D. Levin is a classical performer, musicologist, and composer, and is the Artistic Director of the Sarasota Music Festival.-Education:...
.
EtCetera: Musicae Antiquae Collegium Varsoviense, conducted by Tadeusz Karolak, played by Viviana Sofronitsky
Viviana Sofronitsky
-Biography:Viviana Sofronitsky - Russian-Canadian pianist, was born in Moscow, to the family of the distinguished Russian pianist Vladimir Sofronitsky...
. Incl. double/triple concertos and the early harpsichord concertos.
The piano concertos in films
Mozart's piano concertos have also featured in the soundtracks to several films; again, the slow movement to No. 21 (KV. 467) is the most popular. Its extensive use in the 1967 film Elvira MadiganElvira Madigan
Elvira Madigan was a Danish tightrope walker and trick rider, whose illicit affair and dramatic death at the hands of her lover were the subject of the Swedish film of 1967.- Early life :...
about a doomed love story between a Danish tightrope walker and a Swedish officer has led to the concerto often being referred to as "Elvira Madigan" even today, when the film itself is largely forgotten. A partial list of the concertos in recent films includes:
- Elvira Madigan (1967 - the Bo Widerberg version) – No. 21.
- Funeral in BerlinFuneral in Berlin (film)Funeral in Berlin is a 1966 British spy film based on the novel Funeral in Berlin by Len Deighton. It is the second of three 1960s films starring Michael Caine that followed the characters from the initial film, The Ipcress File ...
(1966) - No. 23. - The Spy Who Loved MeThe Spy Who Loved Me (film)The Spy Who Loved Me is a spy film, the tenth film in the James Bond series, and the third to star Roger Moore as the fictional secret agent James Bond. It was directed by Lewis Gilbert and the screenplay was written by Christopher Wood and Richard Maibaum...
(1977) – No. 21. - They All LaughedThey All LaughedFor the 1937 song by George and Ira Gershwin see They All Laughed They All Laughed is a 1981 film directed by Peter Bogdanovich. It is based on a screenplay by Bogdanovich and Blaine Novak.-Plot:...
(1981) – No. 27. - AmadeusAmadeus (film)Amadeus is a 1984 period drama film directed by Miloš Forman and written by Peter Shaffer. Adapted from Shaffer's stage play Amadeus, the story is based loosely on the lives of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, two composers who lived in Vienna, Austria, during the latter half of the...
(1984 – the fictionalised Mozart biopic) – Nos. 10 (for two pianos), 15, 20 & 22. - BarflyBarfly (film)Barfly is a 1987 American film which is a semi-autobiography of poet/author Charles Bukowski during the time he spent drinking heavily in Los Angeles. The screenplay by Bukowski was commissioned by the French film director Barbet Schroeder – it was published, with illustrations by the author, in...
(1987) – No. 25. - Pacific Heights (1990) – No. 19.
- Regarding HenryRegarding HenryRegarding Henry is a 1991 American film drama starring Harrison Ford and Annette Bening, directed by Mike Nichols.The screenplay by J. J. Abrams focuses on a New York City lawyer who struggles to regain his memory and recover his speech and mobility after he survives a shooting.-Plot:Ambitious,...
(1991) – No. 21. - Boxing HelenaBoxing HelenaBoxing Helena is a 1993 romantic drama film and the debut feature film by Jennifer Chambers Lynch, daughter of David Lynch. The film stars Julian Sands and Sherilyn Fenn as the eponymous Helena.-Plot:...
(1993) – No. 25. - Silent FallSilent FallSilent Fall is a 1994 mystery film about a boy with autism who is the only witness to a savage double murder. The film was directed by Bruce Beresford, and stars Richard Dreyfuss, Linda Hamilton, John Lithgow, J. T. Walsh, and Liv Tyler.-Plot:...
(1994) – No. 21. - The AssociateThe AssociateThe Associate is a 1996 film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Dianne Wiest, Eli Wallach, Timothy Daly, Bebe Neuwirth, Austin Pendleton and Lainie Kazan...
(1996) – No. 25. - The Way of the GunThe Way of the GunThe Way of the Gun is a 2000 American film produced by Kenneth Kokin, written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie and starring Ryan Phillippe, Benicio del Toro, Juliette Lewis, Taye Diggs, Nicky Katt, and James Caan. It is considered a cult film. To date, this is the only film that McQuarrie has...
(2000) – No. 23. - Le Goût des autresThe Taste of OthersThe Taste of Others , is a 2000 French film. It was directed by Agnès Jaoui, and written by her and Jean-Pierre Bacri. It stars Jean-Pierre Bacri, Anne Alvaro, Alain Chabat, Agnès Jaoui, Gérard Lanvin and Christiane Millet....
(2000) – No. 21. - SpunSpunSpun is a 2002 American crime dramedy directed by Jonas Åkerlund, and starring Jason Schwartzman, Brittany Murphy, Mickey Rourke, Mena Suvari, John Leguizamo, Patrick Fugit, Eric Roberts, Chloe Hunter, and Debbie Harry. It is Åkerlund's début as a feature-film director, having already become known...
(2002) – No. 23. - The New World (2005) – No. 23.
- Superman ReturnsSuperman ReturnsSuperman Returns is a 2006 superhero film directed by Bryan Singer. It is the fifth and final installment in the original Superman film series and serves as a alternate sequel to Superman and Superman II by ignoring the events of Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace .The film stars...
(2006) – No. 21.
Sound clips
- Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, KV. 466, First Movement, allegro
Location of autographs of the concertos
The autographAutograph
An autograph is a document transcribed entirely in the handwriting of its author, as opposed to a typeset document or one written by an amanuensis or a copyist; the meaning overlaps with that of the word holograph.Autograph also refers to a person's artistic signature...
s of the concertos owned by Mozart's widow
Constanze Mozart
Constanze Mozart was the wife of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.-Early years:Constanze Weber was born in Zell im Wiesental. Her mother was Cäcilia Weber, née Stamm. Her father Fridolin Weber worked as a "double bass player, prompter and music copyist." Fridolin's half-brother was the father of composer...
were purchased by Johann Anton André
Johann Anton André
Johann Anton André was a German composer and music publisher.André wrote operas, symphonies, masses, and lieder, as well as a still unfinished Lehrbuch der Tonsetzkunst in two volumes...
in 1799,and most of these passed into the collections of the Prussian State Library
Berlin State Library
The Berlin State Library is a library in Berlin, Germany and a property of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.-Buildings:The State Library runs several premises, three of which are open for users, namely House 1 in Unter den Linden 8, House 2 in Potsdamer Straße 33 and the newspaper archive...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in 1873. Other autographs owned by Otto Jahn
Otto Jahn
Otto Jahn , was a German archaeologist, philologist, and writer on art and music.He was born at Kiel...
had been acquired in 1869. A few parts of André's collection remained for a long time in private hands; hence, in 1948 when Hutchings compiled the whereabouts of the autographs, two (Nos 6 and 21) were in the hands of the Wittgenstein family in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, whilst No. 5 was owned by F. A. Grassnick in Berlin and No. 26 by D. N. Heinemann in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
; a few others were scattered around other museums. In the last 50 years, however, all of the extant autographs have made their way into libraries. The entire Prussian State collection of autographs was evacuated during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to the eastern front, where they disappeared and were feared lost until the 1970s. At this point they resurfaced in Poland and are now held in the Jagiellońska Library
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. In addition, various copies used by Mozart and his family have come to light. The list of locations of the autographs given by Cliff Eisen
Cliff Eisen
Cliff Eisen is a Canadian musicologist and a Mozart expert. He has been based, since 1997, in the Department of Music at King's College London. As part of the Department's strong connections with the Royal Academy of Music, Eisen also leads courses there...
in 1997 is:
KV: 37, 39-41: Jagiellońska Library
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
, Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
.
KV. 175: Autograph lost; Mozart family copy: Archabbey of St Peter's
St. Peter's Archabbey, Salzburg
St Peter's Archabbey, otherwise St Peter's Abbey in Salzburg is a Benedictine monastery in Austria. It is considered one of the oldest monasteries in the German-speaking area, if not in fact the oldest.-History:...
, Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
.
KV. 238: Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
, Washington, D.C. Mozart family copy in St Peter's, Salzburg.
KV. 242: Jagiellońska Library, Kraków. Other copies: Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin
Berlin State Library
The Berlin State Library is a library in Berlin, Germany and a property of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.-Buildings:The State Library runs several premises, three of which are open for users, namely House 1 in Unter den Linden 8, House 2 in Potsdamer Straße 33 and the newspaper archive...
; Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
Library.
KV. 246: Jagiellońska Library, Kraków. Mozart family copy, St Peter's, Salzburg.
KV. 271: Jagiellońska Library, Kraków. Mozart family copy, St Peter's, Salzburg.
KV. 365: Jagiellońska Library, Kraków. Mozart family copy, St Peter's, Salzburg; performance copy in Statni Zamek a Zahrady, Kromeriz, Czech Republic.
KV. 413: Jagiellońska Library, Kraków. Mozart copy (incomplete), St Peter's, Salzburg.
KV. 414: Jagiellońska Library, Kraków. Mozart copy (incomplete), St Peter's, Salzburg.
KV. 415: Jagiellońska Library, Kraków. Mozart copy, St Peter's, Salzburg.
KV. 449: Jagiellońska Library, Kraków. Mozart family copy, St Peter's, Salzburg.
KV. 450: Thüringische Landesbibliothek, Weimar
Weimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
, Germany.
KV. 451: Jagiellońska Library, Kraków. Mozart family copy, St Peter's, Salzburg.
KV. 453: Jagiellońska Library, Kraków.
KV. 456: Jagiellońska Library, Kraków.
KV. 459: Jagiellońska Library, Kraków.
KV. 466: Bibliothek und Archiv, Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Vienna. Mozart family copy, St Peter's, Salzburg.
KV. 467: Pierpont Morgan Library, New York.
KV. 482: Jagiellońska Library, Kraków.
KV. 488: Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.
KV. 491: Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
, London.
KV. 503: Jagiellońska Library, Kraków.
KV. 537: Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. A fascimile has been published by Dover Publications
Dover Publications
Dover Publications is an American book publisher founded in 1941 by Hayward Cirker and his wife, Blanche. It publishes primarily reissues, books no longer published by their original publishers. These are often, but not always, books in the public domain. The original published editions may be...
.
KV. 595: Jagiellońska Library, Kraków.
Concertos where Mozart's own cadenzas (and Eingänge) are extant
KV. 175: Two versions for each of the first two movements.KV. 246: Two for first movement, three for the second.
KV. 271: Two for each movement.
KV. 365: First and third movements.
KV. 413: First and second movements.
KV. 414: All movements, two for second.
KV. 415: All movements.
KV. 449: First movement.
KV. 450: First and third movements.
KV. 451: First and third movements.
KV. 453: Two for first and second movements.
KV. 456: Two for first movement, one for third.
KV. 459: First and third movements.
KV. 488: First movement (unusually, written into the autograph).
KV. 595: First and third movements.
Cadenzas to at least KV. 466 and 467 also possibly existed.
These cadenzas are part of the public domain and can be accessed here:
http://imslp.org/wiki/36_Cadenzas,_K.624_%28Mozart,_Wolfgang_Amadeus%29
External links
- The Classical Music Pages by Matt Boynick has short introductions to nearly all of the concertos, and soundclips from each movement - accessed 15 December 2006.
- The Mozart Forums Köchel catalogue page has a useful summary of the information about the concertos (and all of Mozart's other known works) contained in the Köchel catalogue - accessed 15 December 2006.
- The Mozart Forums Mozart PIano Concerto page has a set of articles about the concertos - accessed 22 December 2006.