Piano concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed 23 original works for piano and orchestra between 1773 and 1791, plus seven arrangements of existing sonatas. The first four numbered concertos are orchestral and keyboard arrangements of sonata movements by other composers. Three unnumbered concertos, K. 107/1, 2, and 3, are arrangements of piano sonatas by J.C. Bach, likely dating from 1771 or 1772 based on handwriting analysis. Concerto No. 5 in D major, K. 175, written in December 1773, was his first real effort in the genre and proved popular at the time. Concerto No. 6 in B major, K. 238, from January 1776, introduced new thematic material in the piano's first solo section. Two concertos from 1776, No. 7 for three pianos and No. 8 for two pianos, date from that year but do not demonstrate much advance over earlier efforts. Nine months after No. 8, Mozart produced one of his early masterpieces, the "Jenamy" concerto, No. 9, K. 271, which shows a decisive advance in organization. This work features dramatic interruptions of the orchestral opening by the piano after only one-and-a-half bars. The final concerto before the end of his Salzburg period was the well-known Concerto No. 10, K. 365, for two pianos.
From February 1784 to March 1886, Mozart wrote no fewer than 11 masterpieces, ushering in a period of creativity never surpassed in piano concerto production. The next concerto, No. 14 in E major, K. 449, written for his pupil Barbara Ployer, is the first instrumental work showing strong influence of his operatic writing. No. 15, K. 450, reverts to an earlier galant style, while No. 16, K. 451, marks further advances in interactions between piano and orchestra. Records show he completed it only one week after the previous work. Three concertos from 1784-1785, Nos. 17, 18, and 19, share certain features like the same rhythm in the opening. No. 17, K. 453, is famous particularly for its last movement. The year 1785 marked contrasting pairs: K. 466 in D minor and K. 467 in C major, both written within the same month. These are among Mozart's most popular works, with K. 466 being the first minor-key concerto he wrote. In March 1786, Mozart managed to write two more masterpieces in one month: No. 23 in A major, K. 488, notable for its poignant slow movement in F minor, followed by No. 24 in C minor, K. 491, which some regard as his finest effort.
Mozart's piano concerto first movements consist of a prelude, exposition, middle section, recapitulation, and final ritornello including a cadenza. The prelude typically opens quietly in later concertos, allowing the piano's solo entry to balance better with the orchestra. This structure differs from sonata form because it does not include a well-defined second group of subjects or definitive modulation to the dominant in the prelude. The purpose of the prelude is to generate expectation leading toward the piano entry rather than taking on a life of its own. Mozart allows himself to vary even rules about introducing new material in supposedly ritornellic sections. For example, in Piano Concerto No. 19, theme C never appears again while E and F only appear to close the entire movement. His mature movements manipulate mass thematic material without compromising broader scale conception. Second movements fall into categories like aria-sonata, binary dialogue, strophic binary aria, ternary with coda, variations, rondo, and Romanza. Most are marked Andante, though the slow movement of No. 23 in A major is marked Adagio to stress its pathetic nature. Third movements generally follow rondo form but two important finales, K. 453 and K. 491, use variation form.
The performance of Mozart's concertos has become a topic of considerable focus regarding orchestra size, instrumentation, cadenzas, and continuo roles. All mature concertos were for piano rather than harpsichord; Broder showed in 1941 that Mozart did not use the harpsichord from No. 12 onwards. Early Viennese fortepianos by Stein and Anton Walter were much quieter instruments than modern grand pianos, making balance between orchestra and soloist difficult to reproduce today. It seems likely the piano retained its ancient keyboard basso continuo role during orchestral tuttis, as implied by autographs placing the piano part under the basses. Mozart wrote "CoB" (col Basso) in lower staves during tuttis, implying left hand should reproduce bass part. Charles Rosen argues this would ruin psychological drama if piano played whole time discreetly, while Robert Levin contends real performance practice was more embellished. Cadenzas were not supplied to publishers though many exist for majority of concertos. Opinion is sharply divided on whether to use Mozart's own cadenzas when available or compose new ones similar to his style. Evidence published in 1840 from Philipp Karl suggests Mozart embellished slow movements tenderly according to momentary inspiration.
Among all concertos, only two, No. 20 in D minor and No. 24 in C minor, are in minor keys. The concertos in major keys were undervalued in the 19th century until Donald Tovey championed them in his Essay on the Classical Concerto in 1903. Clara Schumann's concert repertoire contained only the D minor, C minor, and No. 10 for two pianos, which she first performed in concert in 1857, 1863, and 1883 respectively. Peter Gutmann calls the D-minor concerto "the most historically popular and influential" of all concertos. Fuller post-1900 assessment shows the D-minor concerto remains highly appreciated but now shares honors with many others. Their value rests upon musical content rather than formal structure alone. Mozart's piano concertos are filled with assured transition passages, modulations, dissonances, Neapolitan relationships, and suspensions. These qualities have become more fully appreciated in the last 50 years or so. Today at least three works, Nos. 20, 21, and 23, are among the most recorded and popular classical works in the repertoire. Despite their renown, some movements can be argued to fall short of normally high standards, particularly some last movements appearing too light to balance first two movements.
Common questions
How many original piano concertos did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart compose?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed 23 original works for piano and orchestra between 1773 and 1791. He also created seven arrangements of existing sonatas that are not counted as original compositions.
When was the first real piano concerto by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart written?
Concerto No. 5 in D major, K. 175, was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in December 1773. This work marked his first real effort in the genre and proved popular at the time.
Which two piano concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are in minor keys?
Only two piano concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are in minor keys: No. 20 in D minor and No. 24 in C minor. These works are among his most historically popular and influential pieces.
What year did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart write eleven masterpieces during a single period of creativity?
From February 1784 to March 1786, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote no fewer than 11 masterpieces. This period ushered in a phase of creativity never surpassed in piano concerto production.
Did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart use harpsichord in his mature piano concertos?
All mature concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were for piano rather than harpsichord. Broder showed in 1941 that Mozart did not use the harpsichord from No. 12 onwards.