Mozart Piano Concertos
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Number of concertos: | 27 |
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| Instrumentation: | Piano and orchestra |
| Dates of composition: | 1767-1791 |
Mozart wrote music in all the important genre of the classical era, but his most important works have come to be seen to be the operas and the concertos, of which the piano concertos are the most numerous and substantial. 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 apparently interrupted him composing a "harpsichord concerto" at age 4. For a long time relatively neglected, they have come to be seen as containing some of his greatest achievements. Tovey championed them in his Essay on the Classical Concerto in 1903, and later came the famous books by Cuthbert Girdlestone and Arthur Hutchings 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 important works by Charles Rosen, and Leeson and Robert Levin. In recent years, some of the concertos have also been covered in the Cambridge Music Handbook series. The first complete edition was not until the Richault one of around 1850; and since then the scores and autographs have become widely available through the publications of eg Norton, Eulenberg and Dover. This article traces their development from older concepts and authors, and the stylistic and inspirational advances within then, from the earliest four, based on works of older composers, through to the "mature" series, which contains some of Mozart's most important and popular music.
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[edit] Origins
The most characteristic movement of the concerto concept is the first, towards which the following is largely addressed. Early keyboard concertos were written by, among others, C.P.E. Bach, J.C. Bach, Soler, Wagenseil, Schobert, Vanhall and Haydn. Earlier still, in the Fifth Brandenburg Concerto by J.S. Bach the keyboard part is elevated to the most prominent position among the instruments. These works, with their alternation of orchestral tuttis and passages for solo display, in turn owe their structure from the tradition of Baroque operatic arias, from which the first movements of Mozart's piano concertos inherited their basic ritornellic structure. 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, the great friend of Mozart, who introduced the structural innovation of allowing the keyboard to introduce new thematic material in its first entry.
[edit] Early Mozart Concertos
The first Mozart concertos (KV. 37, 39, 40 and 41) were effectively orchestral and keyboard arrangements of sonata movements by other composers. The recognition of this fact led to their 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 herein) today (eg in Girdlestone, piano concerto no. 19 is referred to as no. 15).
The first Mozart concerto proper to introduce new thematic material in the piano's first solo section is number 6, KV. 238 in B flat Major from 1776, although the earlier (1773) KV. 175 was his first real effort in the genre. The next two, KV. 242 and KV. 246 are generally not regarded as demonstrating much of an advance, although KV. 242, the concerto for three pianos, is quite well known. Nine months after KV. 246, however, Mozart produced one of his early masterpieces, the "Jeunehomme" concerto, KV. 271. 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 bar. The final concerto Mozart wrote before the end of his Salzburg period was the well-known concerto for two pianos, KV. 365: the presence of the second piano disturbs the "normal" structure of piano-orchestra interaction.
[edit] Early Vienna Concertos
About 18 months after he arrived in Vienna, 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 final, KV. 382, for KV. 175, a work that proved to be very popular (sometime in 1782-1783 he also wrote another rondo, in A, KV. 386, probably originally intended for KV. 414). This group of three concertos were described by Mozart to his father in a famous letter:
These concertos [Nos. 11, 12, and 13] 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. KV. 414 in A major, the second of the series, is particularly fine: it is often described as "Tyrolean", and stands some comparison with the later A major concerto, KV. 488. The last of these three is an ambitious, and, it is widely considered, overambitious work that introduces the first, military theme in a canon in a very impressive orchestral opening: the last movement is considered to be the best.
[edit] Major Vienna works
[edit] 1784
The next concerto, KV. 449 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 (KV. 503) to follow in December of 1786. The advance in technique and structure from the early Vienna examples is marked from the very first of this mature series. Written for his pupil Barbara Ployer to play, it is the first instrumental work by Mozart that shows the strong influence of his operatic writing. KV. 450, the next, shows a reversion to an earlier, galant style. KV. 451 is a not very well known work (Hutchings appears not to have like 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, 456 and 459, 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) 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 Bb, KV. 456, was for a long time considered to be written for the blind pianist Maria Theresa Paradies, although this is now unclear. It is relatively miniature work, with a particularly fine slow movement. Finally, KV. 459, no. 19, is a sunny work with a particularly splendid and exhilarating final.
[edit] 1785
1785 is marked by the contrasting pair KV. 466 (no. 20 in D minor) and KV. 467 (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 (no. 22 in E-flat), is less popular, probably because it lacks the striking themes of the first two.
[edit] 1786
Mozart managed to write two more masterpieces in one month, March: no. 23 in A major KV. 488, one of the most consistently popular of his concertos which is notable particularly for its poignant slow movement in F# minor; the only work he wrote in the key. It was followed by no. 24, KV. 491 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": it is a work that even Glen Gould, not known for being a great admirer of Mozart, expressed some reluctant admiration for.
The final work of the year, no. 25, KV. 503, sometimes referred to as "Mozart's Emperor Concerto", is one of the most expansive of all classical concertos, rivalling no. 5 of Beethoven.
[edit] Later concertos
KV. 503 was the last of the regular series of concertos Mozart wrote for his subscription concerts. The next work, KV. 537, the "Coronation", has a mixed reputation and it is possible that is the revision of a smaller chamber concerto into a larger structure. Despite its structural problems, it remains popular. Finally, the last concerto, no. 27 (KV. 595) 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 elegaic.
[edit] The Mozartian Concept
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 deal with by the orchestra and piano, and with the exception of the two exceptionally fine early concertos KV. 271 (Jeunehomme) and KV. 414 (the "little A major") all of his best examples are from this series. He strives to maintain a mean between a sort of symphony with piano solos stuffed in here and there, 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.
[edit] 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):
Prelude (orchestra)
Exposition (piano, plus orchestra), ending in a shake in the dominant (for major key concertos) or the relative major (for minor key concertos)
First Ritornello (orchestra)
Middle Section (piano plus orchestra)
Recapitulation (piano plus orchestra)
Final Ritornello (orchestra, but always including a piano cadenza).
This structure is rather easy to hear when listening, particularly because the ends of the exposition and recapitulation are typically marked with trills or shakes.
It is tempting to equate this structure with sonata form, but with a double exposition; so
Prelude = 1st exposition
Exposition = 2nd exposition
Middle section = development
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 to the dominant 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 was 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, 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, 20, 21 and 23 tend to have well marked and indeed hummable themes. However, another group, such as nos 11 16, 22 and 27, the themes are less marked, and the overall effect is of homogeneity. As Mozart's art progressed, these themes sometimes become less strophic in nature, ie he binds them together into a more unified whole.
In addition to the ritornello thematic material, Mozart's mature 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 labelling 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 possiblities. 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 decribed as concertos for "piano and orchestra" rather than the more obviously "piano" concertos of the nineteenth century (e.g. 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 Eb. 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).
For an example of an analysis of a Mozart first movement, see the entry on KV. 459.
[edit] 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 Adagio, 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
KV. 238: Aria-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 with coda
KV. 449: Ternary with coda
KV. 450: Variations with coda
KV. 451: Rondo
KV. 453: Aria
KV. 456: Variations
KV. 459: Sonata (but without development)
KV. 466: Romanza
KV. 467: Irregular
KV. 482: Variations
KV. 488: Sonata
KV. 491: Romanza
KV. 503: Sonata without development
KV. 537: Romanza
KV. 595: Romanza
[edit] Third movement structure
Mozart's third movements are generally in the form of a rondo, 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 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, by its very nature, strophic, ie 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), contrapunctual treatment (KV 459), or rhymthic 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.
[edit] 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 orchestra and its instrumentation, the cadenzas, role of the soloist as continuo and improvisation of the written piano part all coming under scrutiny.
[edit] 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 salon of an aristocratic music-lover: indeed, Mozart himself advertised them as possible to play "a quattro", ie 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 alamanac 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 (see comments in Grayson).
[edit] Piano concerns
It should be pointed out here that all of Mozart's mature concertos were indeed concertos for the piano and not the harpsichord.
[edit] i) Continuo role
It seems likely, although it is not absolutely certain, that the piano would have retained its ancient basso continuo role in the orchestral tuttis of the concertos, and possibly in other places as well.
[edit] ii) Cadenzas
Mozart's fame as an improviser (see next section) have led many to suggest that the cadenzas and "entries" 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 are known to have existed for others (e.g. the now missing cadenzas for KV. 466 and KV. 467 are mentioned by him in a letter to hsi sister 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.
[edit] iii) 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.
[edit] 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, Neapolitan 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, through to the dream-like state of the famous "Elvira Madigan" Andante from KV. 467, through to the majestic expansiveness of his "emperor" concerto, KV. 503. In particular, these major works of Mozart could hardly fail to be influenced by his own first love, ie opera, and the Mozart of Figaro, Don Giovanni and Die Zauberflöte is to be found throughout them. These qualities, 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 attempted to contribute cadenzas to the concertos (e.g. Beethoven, Hummel, Landowska, Britten, Brahms, Schnittke etc) attest to this fact. Beethoven was clearly impressed by them, even if the anecdotal story about his comments to Ferdinand Ries about no. 24 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. 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 and Naxos, some of the less-well known concertos may also increase in popularity.
[edit] References
Girdlestone, C. M. Mozart's piano concertos. Cassell, London.
Grayson, D. 1998. Mozart piano concertos nos 20 and 21. Cambridge Music Handbooks, Cambridge University Press.
Hutchings, A. A Companion to Mozart's Piano Concertos, Oxford University Press.
Leeson, D. N. and Levin, R. D. 1977. On the authenticity of K Anh. C14.91 (297b), a Symphonia Concertante for Four Winds and Orchestra. Mozart-Jarbuch 1976/1977, 70-96.
Mozart, W. A. Piano Concertos Nos. 1-6 in full score. Dover Publications, New York.
Mozart, W. A. Piano Concertos Nos. 7-10 in full score. Dover Publications, New York.
Mozart, W. A. Piano Concertos Nos. 11-16 in full score. Dover Publications, New York.
Mozart, W. A. Piano Concertos Nos. 17-22 in full score. Dover Publications, New York.
Mozart, W. A. Piano Concertos Nos. 23-27 in full score. Dover Publications, New York.
Rosen, C. 1997. The Classical Style, expanded edition. Norton, New York.
Tischler, H. 1966. A structural analysis of Mozart's Piano Concertos. Institute of Medieval Music, New York.
Tovey, D. F. Essays in musical analysis, volume 3, Concertos. Oxford University Press.
| Piano Concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart |
|---|
| Childhood Arrangements: | No. 1 F Major K. 37 | No. 2 B flat Major K. 39 | No. 3 D Major K. 40 | No 4 G Major K. 41 |
| Salzburg Concertos: No. 5 D Major K. 175 | No. 6 B flat Major K. 238 | No. 8 C Major K. 246 | No. 9 E flat Major K. 271 "Jeunehomme" |
| Concertos for Multiple Pianos: No. 7 F Major K. 242 for 3 pianos | No. 10 E flat Major K. 365 for 2 pianos |
| Early Vienna Concertos: No. 11 F Major K. 413 | No. 12 A Major K. 414 | No. 13 C Major K. 415 |
| Major Vienna Concertos: No. 14 E flat Major K. 449 | No. 15 B flat Major K. 450 | No. 16 D Major K. 451 | No. 17 G Major K. 453 | No. 18 B flat Major K. 456 | No. 19 D Major K. 459 | No. 20 D Minor K. 466 | No. 21 C Major K. 467 | No. 22 E flat Major K. 482 | No. 23 A Major K. 488 | No. 24 C Minor K. 492 | No. 25 C Major K. 503 |
| Later Concertos: No. 26 D Major K. 537 "Coronation" | No. 27 B flat Major K. 595 |
