Mozart Double Piano Concerto

Classical Music / Concertos

Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in E-flat major, K. 365/316a, is simply known as Mozart Double Piano Concerto (No. 10). It is not known when the composer completed this concerto but a research by Alan Tyson, a Glasgow-born British musicologist who specialized in studies of the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven, shows that cadenzas for the first and third movements are written in Mozart and his father Leopold Mozart's handwriting on a type of paper used between August 1775 and January 1777 (Wiki).  Most sources, however, including Alan Tyson's book Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores and Lindeman's The Concerto: A Research and Information Guide (2006) indicate that this concerto was composed in 1779. 

It is presumed that Mozart wrote it to play with his sister Maria Anna ("Nannerl"). He later performed it in a private concert with his pupil Josepha Barbara Auernhammer, an Austrian pianist and composer. 

 

Featured Video: 

I've listened to some interpretations, but consider the best this one played by Daniel Barenboim and Vladimir Ashkenazy, "Barenboim, Ashkenazy: "Barenboim, Ashkenazy: Mozart  Double Concerto - Documentary of 1966", with the English Chamber Orchestra. From 32.58 to 51.16:  32:58 Double Concerto, First movement 43:14 Double Concerto, Second movement 51:16 Double Concerto, Third movement  This video was taken in March 1966, when Barenboim and Ashkenazy were then two great young pianists and good friends.  (Youtube, uploaded by Allegro Films by Christopher Nupen. Accessed March 11, 2020.)

NOTE: 

Please watch on Youtube! Unfortunately, this video is not available for display on other websites. Thank you.  Here!

 

Resource:

Piano Concerto No. 10 (Mozart). en.wikipedia.org

 

(c) March 2022. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.  

Mozart Piano Concertos Nos. 1-4

Classical Music / Piano Concertos

Wolfgang A. Mozart's Piano Concertos Nos. 1-4

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart began his series of preserved piano concertos with these four that he wrote in Salzburg, K. 37 and 39-41, the autographs dated by his father Leopold Mozart as having been completed in April (K. 37) and July (K. 39–41) of 1767.  Although these works were long considered to be original, they are now known to be orchestrations of sonatas by various German virtuosi. The works on which the concertos are based were largely published in Paris, and presumably Mozart and his family became acquainted with them or their composers during their visit to Paris in 1763–64.

The young Mozart seems to have begun to learn how to cope with the structural problems of composing in the piano concerto form by using movement from the sonatas of other composers. It may be that his father had devised this as a compositional teaching method.


Here's a link: Mozart's Piano Concertos Nos. 1-4, K.37, 39-41. Produced by Decca in 12 videos. Artists: Robert Levin, harpsichord; The Academy of Ancient Music with Christopher Hogwood, conductor & director.  Accessed July 28, 2020.




Resource: 

Piano Concertos Nos. 1-4 (Mozart). en.wikipedia.org. 



(c) April 2018.  Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.

A Mozart Celebration

Classical Music / Mozart

Celebrating the genius of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with three favourite overtures, six great piano concertos, and his final three symphonies. 

This post is inspired by a recent series of performances hosted by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, February 1-10, 2018. The events featured the SSO with pianist Emanuel Ax, Maestro David Robertson, conducting.



I.  Dramatic Mozart   

Don Giovanni: Overture
Piano Concerto No.14 in E flat, K449
Piano Concerto No.20 in D minor, K466
Symphony No.40 


II.  Seductive Mozart

Cosi fan tutte: Overture
Piano Concerto No.16 in D, K.451
Piano Concerto No.17 in G, K453
Symphony No.39 


III.  Magnificent Mozart 

The Marriage of Figaro: Overture
Piano Concerto No.19 in F, K.459
Piano Concerto No.27 in B flat, K.595
Symphony No.41 (Jupiter)


Resources:

Booklets, and SSO programs to subscribers. 2018.
Sydney Symphony Orchestra. SSO website.  Accessed February 2018.


(c)  2018.  Tel Asiado.  Inspired Pen Web.  All rights reserved.  

Last 8 Piano Concerti of Mozart, and earlier ones played by Lili Kraus

Mozart Piano Concerti / Great Mozart Interpreters / Daniel Barenboim

Daniel Barenboim plays Mozart's last 8 Piano Concertos with Berlin Philharmoniker

The music of Wolfgang Mozart has been an essential driving force of the entire life of Daniel Barenboim, a prominent conductor and pianist. It remains central to his performing career both as a pianist and as a conductor. These performances of Mozart's last eight great piano concertos (Italian: concerti) admirably demonstrate Barenboim's dictum that even when a true musician has already performed a familiar work hundreds of times, he or she 'never accepts that the next note will be played the same way as it was played before.'

The Mozart repertoire include: Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466; Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467; Piano Concerto No. 22 in E flat major, K. 482; Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488; Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491; Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K. 503; Piano Concerto No. 26 in D major, K. 537; Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat major, K. 595.



Enjoy Mozart's piano concertos beautifully interpreted by Barenboim. 

 

 

And more ... 

 

Earlier Mozart Piano Concertos played by Hungarian-born pianist Lili Kraus: Mozart - Piano Concertos No.11,12,13,14,17,18,19 + Presentation (Century's recording : Lili Kraus). Youtube, uploaded by Classical Music / Reference Recording. Accessed April 18, 2023.

 

Mozart - Piano Concertos No.20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27 + Presentation (Century's record. : Lili Kraus). YouTube, uploaded by Classical Music / Reference Recording. Accessed January 27, 2021. 

Video Credit:

Daniel Barenboim plays Mozart's last 8 Piano Concertos. Youtube, uploaded by EuroArtsChannel. Accessed January 9, 2016.

March 2016. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.

Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor

Classical Music / Piano Concertos


Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466, was written by W.A. Mozart in 1785. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was the soloist in the first performance of his own Piano Concerto No.20 in D minor (K. 466), on February 11, 1785, in Mehlgrube Casino,  Vienna. He performed it without any rehearsal and the music sheets came directly to the concert hall from the copyists.

Few days after the first performance, Leopold, the composer's father, visiting in Vienna, wrote to his daughter Nannerl about her brother's recent success: "[I heard] an excellent new piano concerto by Wolfgang, on which the copyist was still at work when we got there, and your brother didn't even have time to play through the rondo because he had to oversee the copying operation."

Other works by Mozart in this key include the Fantasia K. 397 for piano, Requiem, a Kyrie, the aria "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" from the opera The Magic Flute and parts of the dark opera Don Giovanni. It is the first of two piano concertos he wrote in a minor key, with No. 24 in C minor the other.

Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major

Classical Music / Piano Concertos

 

Wolfgang A. Mozart's Concerto No.21 became enormously popular with second Movement - Andante - better known as "Elvira Madigan"

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467 was first performed this day on March 10, 1785, in Vienna, with no less than the composer himself as the soloist. Mozart was 29 years old. It was completed on March 9, 1785 by Mozart four weeks (other biographers say it's three weeks) after the completion of his tempestuous D-minor concerto, K. 466.

Piano Concerto No.21 in C Major (K.467) by Mozart premiered on March 10, 1785, with no other than the maestro himself the soloist.  He was 29 years old.  (Mozart photo by C. Vogel.)

The concerto has three movements:

• I. Allegro maestoso
• II. Andante in F major - "Elvira Madigan" (Famously nicknamed "Elvira Madigan" - featured in the 1967 Swedish film of the same title,  Elvira Madigan. The imagery used in the movie was of a lazy boat ride on a placid lake. Since the film, "Elvira Madigan" has been used as the unofficial name of Mozart's second movement from this piano concerto. This dream-like andante movement is such a lovely melody. In recent times, it has also been used in some other films. It was also used in Marcel Barceau's funeral.)
• III. Allegro vivace assai

A handbill advert read as follows:

"On Thursday, March 10, 1785, Kapellmeister Mozart will have the honor of giving in the Imperial and Royal Court Theater a Grand Musical Concert for his own benefit including not only a new, just finished fortepiano concerto [presumably sight-read by the orchestra] to be played by him, but also an especially large fortepiano with pedals will be used for improvisations. The remaining pieces will be announced by a large poster on the day of the concert."

 

 

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 - Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Ronald Brautigam - Live HD

 

 

Mozart - Piano Concerto No.21 "Elvira Madigan" - 2nd Movement - Andante

(Note: This is a slower version of Mozart's Piano Concerto 21 "Andante")

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 (Andante)

 

Resources:

• Hutchings, A. 1997. A Companion to Mozart's Piano Concertos, Oxford University Press

• Latham, Alison, ed., The Oxford Companion to Music. Oxford University Press ( 2002)

• "Piano Concerto No. 21 in C, K. 467" written by Herbert Glass for the LA Times. www.laphil.com/philpedia/piece-detail.cfm?id=114&bc=1. Retrieved March 10, 2012.

• Steinberg, Michael, The Concerto: A Listener's Guide, p. 305-307, Oxford University Press (1998)

Video Credit:

• The Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Edo de Waart and pianist Ronald Brautigam perform one of Mozart's most beloved works: his highly melodic 'Piano Concerto No. 21'. YouTube uploaded by AVROTROS Klassiek. Accessed November 21, 2023.


• Mozart's Andante, Piano Concerto 21 2nd Movement. YouTube, uploaded by vmichelotto. Accessed March 12, 2012.


• Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21 "Andante". YouTube, uploaded by Poloshia. Accessed January 8, 2010.

Mozart photos:  Public Domain.

 

(c) January 2010. Updated November 21, 2023. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.

Mozart Clarinet Concerto in A, K.622

Classical Music / Clarinet Concerto 


One of the best loved and most popular music composed by Mozart. It's heavenly. It's beautiful. Mozart wrote this famous Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622, in October 1791 for the clarinetist Anton Stadler. The first movement is based on Mozart’s earlier torso of 199 bars of a basset horn concerto in G.  It was first performed by Stadler in Prague, on October 16, 1791. Reception of his performance was positive in general.  It consists of three movements, in a fast–slow–fast succession:

1. Allegro (in A major and in sonata form)
2. Adagio (in D major and in ternary form)
3. Rondo: Allegro (in A major and in rondo form)

Here's a highly recommended beautiful performance of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra; Cornelius Meister, conductor; Arngunnur Árnadóttir, clarinet.  From Iceland Symphony's concert, Harpa, Reykjavík, September 10th 2015. Youtube, uploaded by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Accessed January 27, 2019.


 

Clarinet Concerto in A was one of Mozart's final completed works, and his final purely instrumental work (he died less than two months after its October premiere). The concerto is notable for its delicate interplay between soloist and orchestra, and for the lack of overly extroverted display on the part of the soloist (no cadenzas are written out in the solo part).

More listening pleasure: 

 

Mozart Clarinet Concerto in A major K 622 (Full). Clarinet: Robert Marcellus Conductor: George Szell Orchestra: Cleveland Orcherstra. Youtube, uploaded by BLOP888. Accessed October 16, 2013.

Resource:

Clarinet Concert (Mozart). en.wikipedia.org. Accessed  October 16, 2013. 




(c) October 2013. Updated January 27, 2019. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.