Piano Concertos K. 107 (Mozart)
Encyclopedia
The Piano Concertos, K. 107 are three keyboard concerto
s by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
, based on sonata
s by Johann Christian Bach
. These sonatas are from Christian Bach's Op. 5; Mozart turned Sonata no. 2 in D, Sonata no. 3 in G, and Sonata no. 4 in E flat from this set into the three concertos of K. 107.
These concertos remained unpublished in the Alte Mozart-Ausgabe
, the first complete edition of Mozart's works, so they were not given a number by the publishers of that edition, Breitkopf & Härtel
(as the other 27 concerti were given in that publication). Therefore, when these works are enumerated with the rest, it can be seen that Mozart composed exactly 30 keyboard concerti. These three works, however, and the concerti numbered as Piano Concertos 1 through 4
are actually not original compositions, but arrangements of works by other composers.
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 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...
, based on sonata
Sonata
Sonata , in music, literally means a piece played as opposed to a cantata , a piece sung. The term, being vague, naturally evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of forms prior to the Classical era...
s by Johann Christian 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...
. These sonatas are from Christian Bach's Op. 5; Mozart turned Sonata no. 2 in D, Sonata no. 3 in G, and Sonata no. 4 in E flat from this set into the three concertos of K. 107.
These concertos remained unpublished in the Alte Mozart-Ausgabe
Alte Mozart-Ausgabe
The Alte Mozart-Ausgabe is the name by which the first complete edition of the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is known nowadays, published by Breitkopf & Härtel from January 1877 to December 1883, with supplements published until 1910...
, the first complete edition of Mozart's works, so they were not given a number by the publishers of that edition, Breitkopf & Härtel
Breitkopf & Härtel
Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house. The firm was founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf . The catalogue currently contains over 1000 composers, 8000 works and 15,000 music editions or books on music. The name "Härtel" was added when Gottfried...
(as the other 27 concerti were given in that publication). Therefore, when these works are enumerated with the rest, it can be seen that Mozart composed exactly 30 keyboard concerti. These three works, however, and the concerti numbered as Piano Concertos 1 through 4
Piano Concertos Nos 1-4 (Mozart)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart began his series of preserved piano concertos with four that he wrote at the age of 11, in Salzburg: KV 37 and 39-41. The autographs, all held by the Jagiellonian Library, Kraków, are dated by his father as having been completed in April and July of 1767...
are actually not original compositions, but arrangements of works by other composers.
Further reading
- Dennis Pajot's article on these three concertos at mozartforum.com.