Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Violin Concerto No. 1 in B flat Major, K. 207
Born: January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria
Died: December 5, 1791 in Vienna, Austria
Composed: 1775
Mozart’s relationship to the violin began early in his life. He began studying the violin at age six, taught by his father, who had released his Treatise on the Fundamentals of Violin Playing in the same year of his son’s birth. Later in life, Wolfgang became a subject in the Austrian Court as conductor, soloist and violinist, and in 1772 Hieronymus Franz Josef von Colloredo Mannsfeld von Schrattenbach became the Prince Archbishop of Salzburg. The Archbishop’s tyrannical attitudes made him hated by the citizenry and Mozart. Mozart felt oppressed, infuriated and caught in a hideous trap.
However, still under the whip of the Archbishop, 1775 proved a prolific year for Mozart’s violin compositions. He had played in the Salzburg orchestra as a section player and concertmaster and made friends with the acclaimed violinist Gaetano Brunetti, and his five violin concerti were composed for him, although Mozart kept a set of parts for himself to use as well. Generally, it has been stated that Mozart composed all five of his violin concerti during those twelve months: No. 1 (K. 207) possibly was begun in 1773, based on analysis of the handwriting and manuscript paper; No. 2 (K. 211) in June; No. 3 (K. 216) in September; No. 4 (K. 218) in October; and No. 5 (K. 219) during December. Eight violin concerti have been credited to Mozart but only these first five are fully authenticated. Such output was amazing, but at age nineteen he was filled with energy, a certain bravura, and a bit of defiance.
The first concerto appeared on April 14, 1775. The composer was spurred in this endeavor by a need to win the approval of the new Archbishop, and to please his father (who encouraged his son to have a violin career) and to provide some new violin material for himself.
K. 207 in B-flat major reveals a format which was echoed in the subsequent concerti: a substantial first movement, a singing second movement, and a vivacious conclusion. The Concerto No. 1 begins forte, marked Allegro moderatowith the soloist playing immediately with the orchestra. A small elegant introduction from the orchestra presents the two main subjects. The soloist follows with a careful reiteration of the themes (the standard double exposition) continuing with conversations with the orchestra, but is clearly held in the limelight. Notice all the fast moving sixteenth notes in virtuosic declamations. Mozart then follows basic sonata-allegrostructure, providing a small development (with coloration from a minor key) before moving on to a recapitulation before the quiet close. Mozart did not write any cadenzas for this concerto: he expected soloists to improvise.
The second movement, marked Adagio in E flat major, opens with a luxuriant melody in the strings. E flat major was a “warm key” for Mozart, which he used for expressive thought. This theme emerged later in his Marriage of Figaro in the aria “Porgi amor.” After an orchestral introduction, the soloist sings quietly with gentle accompaniment from strings and winds. This alternating collaboration holds steady throughout the movement. Two small pianissimo chords close this section.
An energetic rondo marked presto opens the finale. The music moves quickly throughout, with ample opportunities for the soloist to demonstrate prowess and expertise. Its vigor does stop off for a brief dance-like tune, before dancing to the conclusion, ignited by rapid scale passagi from the soloist.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Major, K. 211
Born: January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria
Died: December 5, 1791 in Vienna, Austria
Composed: 1775
In 1756, Mozart’s father Leopold published his Thorough Violin Manual, a work that received high praise and was published in several editions. As a violinist himself, Leopold started his son in violin lessons at age five and encouraged Mozart saying, “you yourself do not know how well you play the violin when you play with energy and with your whole heart and soul; yes, indeed, just as though you were the first violinist in all of Europe.” Mozart, however, was drawn more strongly to the piano and viola, and although he remained a competent violinist throughout his lifetime, he never intended to follow a violinist’s career in spite of parental encouragement. Recognizing his son’s predilection for other instruments, Leopold once wrote his son in Salzburg that he imagined “your violin is probably hanging on a nail.”
Mozart’s authentic five violin concerts were written during the Salzburg years while Mozart was head of the court orchestra. The first, K. 207, was probably written in 1753 and the remaining four burst forth between April 14-December 20, 1775. (An additional three, making a total of eight violin concertos, K. 268, 271 and 294a, sometimes attributed to Mozart, were not of his making.) Michael Steinberg suggests that these first five violin concerts constituted a “meal ticket” while in the service of Count Hieronymus Colloredo, the composers’ despised, tyrannical patron. Mozart, even at the early age of 19, was beginning to build up the financial debt that plagued him all his life, and he needed the money.
The five concertos resemble chamber music more than demanding, fiery concerto style works showcasing individualistic virtuosity. All offer tasteful melodies in graceful presentation and rather delicate approach.
The first movement of K. 211 begins with a short ritornello in galant style. The soloist enters recalling the first theme with light accompaniment from the strings. The movement drops the typical development section of later classical concertos. The notable contrasts between the orchestra and soloist are more reminiscent of baroque practice, making this concerto a “transitional” work before Mozart settled into his mature concerto style. A bright but not highly virtuosic cadenza completes the movement.
The second movement opens with a slow orchestral introduction before the soloist enters singing a gentle tune accompanied by delicate strings. The music remains quietly undisturbed and tranquil throughout. The soloist is carefully featured without significant orchestral dialogue. The movement closes with a recall of the opening theme and small solo for the violinist.
The third movement opens with the soloist singing a bright tune supported by light and occasional bouncy accompaniment from the orchestral body. Alternation between soloist and orchestra provides a clear definition for the soloist to demonstrate control and sensitivity rather than glittering acrobatics.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, K. 216
Born: January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria
Died: December 5, 1791 in Vienna, Austria
Composed: 1775
Johann Andreas Schachtner, a friend of the Mozarts, recalled that at age seven, Wolfgang appeared with his little violin to join a party making music in his home. He had been taking violin instruction from his father for a couple of years. Challenging his father’s demands to leave the guests, the child responded: “But you don’t need to have studied in order to play second violin” (my apologies to second violinists in the ISO). The story goes on to report that the little boy joined the group anyway, played beautifully, and Herr Schachtner, with tears streaming down his face, finally laid down his own violin to listen to the prodigy.
Although he did not like it, Mozart continued his violin studies, and became an acclaimed soloist during the 1770s. Since the violin was the most popular instrument of that time, the concertizing provided money and important background for future string writing.
In 1775 when he was nineteen, Mozart penned four more violin concerti, having composed the first in 1773. While writing his violin concerti, he was also working as concertmaster and fulltime section player for Hieronymous Colloredo, Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg’s royal orchestra. Mozart’s duties were extensive, including co-conducting, playing and composing special requests for the archbishop’s pleasure and parties. Coupled with these responsibilities, the speed of such concerto output was startling, but as a teenager, he was filled with energy, bravura, confidence, and a bit of defiance. Defiance was aimed at the man whom he called “Archbishop Booby” who had deservedly earned the hatred of the citizenry, especially of Mozart. Mozart hated him not only for his tyrannical, autocratic attitudes, but also because he treated Mozart as an uppity servant, paid him a paltry sum of 150 guilders, and insisted that he eat with the maids and footmen. Constant tension and fighting were inevitable. When Mozart visited Vienna in 1781, he was finally sacked by Count Arco, the archbishop’s steward.
Even though he considered playing the violin to be “an unpleasant chore,” it is likely that Mozart wrote his violin concerti for himself as soloist. The Third, however, was written for his friend Antonio Brunetti. In 1781, Mozart decided to quit playing the violin. Henceforth, if playing a string instrument at all, he played viola for the last ten years of his life.
It is not known when K. 216 premiered, but a good guess is that it was sometime soon after its completion in September. Only one performance with Mozart as soloist has been verified. The Third Violin Concerto has three movements. In the first, Mozart adheres to conventional sonata form. The opening introduction begins with a chipper theme displayed by first violins, based on an aria from Il re pastore (The Shepherd King, a light opera Mozart had completed one year previously). A second theme is also included in the opening section before the soloist enters with a lightly perfumed version of the first subject. A bold oboe struts into the soloist’s initial presentation, but is quickly dismissed by the leading violin. The development offers virtuosic solo and collaborative opportunities while focusing on the secondary subject. Texture and mood change with a diversionary recitative, bridging to the traditional recapitulation. A solo cadenza is followed by a coda.
The second movement (Adagio) presents an intimate, slow-moving lyrical cantilena sung first by muted violins and then the soloist, underscored with triple metered accompaniment from second violins and violas. Muted strings are joined with pizzicato basses and gentle, sustained wind harmonies. Flutes replace the reedy oboes to soften the texture. Occasionally the winds have a dialogue with the soloist, but orchestration at all times remains light and discrete. This backdrop provides a steady yet quiet foundation against which the soloist projects the final restatement of the tender theme at the close. Noted Mozart scholar Alfred Einstein described this section as “an adagio that seems to have fallen straight from heaven.”
The third movement is a bright rondo in a triple meter (3/8). After the orchestra opens the scene with a lilting tune, the soloist happily joins in the first episode. A series of episodes follow before a return of the initial rondo theme. Suddenly, the music is stopped mid-flight as Mozart drops in two slower ideas—one based on a Hungarian folk tune, shifting to 2/2 meter in gavotte style, in the middle of the last movement. Known as a movement within a movement, this unexpected intrusion was a familiar practice of the baroque. Mozart’s surprise episode closes as suddenly as it began, and the jolly opening returns as if nothing had happened. At the conclusion, winds are given a prominent role in saying goodbye. It is likely that this concerto also included a harpsichord during early performances.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major, K. 218
Born: January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria
Died: December 5, 1791 in Vienna, Austria
Composed: 1775
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto no. 4 for violin in D major, K. 218 (1775) One device composers in the mid-18th century used to compel audience attention is the loud orchestral unison at the start, called le coup d’archet (the stroke of the bow) by the French. Mozart later was to satirize this device a bit in the so-called “Paris” Symphony K. 297, which by Classic standards was unusually noisy and bombastic. A typical example of a coup d’archet is presented in this work: a dotted rhythmic figure on the notes of the tonic triad (D-F*-A); the fanfare nature of this figure is emphasized by the horns. One gets to hear this figure only twice; it re-appears in the solo’s first entrance, in the violin’s highest register. This is arguably one of the most difficult entrances in the entire violin repertoire, especially in terms of intonation. The fanfare opening certainly has its effects on other thematic aspects of the movement. The most salient feature of the second theme is a sudden forte on a broken-chord figure, appearing in the melody and the bass simultaneously in opposite directions. At the close of this theme is also a five-note fanfare figure, tossed about in different registers of the orchestra. While the first violins have all of the repetitions of this figure in the orchestral exposition, in later occurrences of the same idea, it will pass successively from the oboe to the horn, solo violin, and the lower strings. The elision of the fanfare opening at the recap is a particularly interesting point. Beethoven and the later Romantics would have certainly made the return of the fanfare the main point of the movement; by not bringing back the fanfare, a greater emphasis is placed upon the continuity of the movement, and one does not have to make a big build-up at the end of the development. The slow movement is a fairly straightforward one; cast in a binary form, it has no development or episodic sections at all. As one may expect, the melodies are more flowing than in the previous movement; just as the horns set the tone for the first movement, the oboes set the tone for the second. While the first theme is a fairly stately one, the second theme is more whimsical, with the oboe echoing phrases of the solo. The only real surprise of the movement is its ending on a rather inconclusive note; while it ends on its proper tonic triad in the key of A major, the melody, ending on the third of the triad (C*), already sets up pointers back to D major, linking itself to the Finale. Many surprises happen in the Finale, cast in the usual Rondo. The beginning of the first theme starts in one tempo, and finishes in another. The opening “Andante grazioso” is only reserved for the start of the theme; an “Allegro ma non troppo” takes care of the rest of the theme, and does the second theme as well. As in a Rondo the first theme has to come back a number of times, the “Andante” tempo recurs as a matter of course. When it comes time for the third theme, lo and behold comes a third tempo; though also marked “Andante grazioso”, it is set in a different meter and takes on the character of a gavotte. There is even a musette, a droning pedal-point often used in the middle sections of gavottes. After the next occurrence of the first theme, the form is more compressed. The original “Andante” is reduced from fourteen bars to six; the second theme barges right in without any transition materials. After the last wind-up of the first theme, the orchestra again eschews a slam-bang ending, but instead, fades out to a pianissimo. This movement has probably the most original treatment of the Rondo form in Mozart; ordinarily a form in which most of the elements are quite predictable, there is a surprise at every step of the way, yet the integrity of the form is still intact.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219 (“Turkish”)
Born: January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria
Died: December 5, 1791 in Vienna, Austria
Composed: 1775
1775 was a banner year for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Within eight months, he wrote five violin concertos, the last being completed in December of that year. Although a teenager, he was well acquainted with the instrument. He had been a child prodigy as a violinist, performing at the Salzburg Court in 1763 when he was only seven. The year must have been very busy. In 1775, he was not only composing at a rapid pace but was serving as a part time concertmaster and full-time section player for the Archbishop of Salzburg’s orchestra. His father, Leopold, insisted, “You have the potential to become the finest violinist in Europe if you would only do yourself justice and play with boldness, spirit and fire.” Papa Mozart knew of what he spoke, having published a treatise on the “Fundamentals of Violin Playing” in 1756, which became a standard text that was referenced throughout the 19thcentury. Not only did it discuss and instruct violin technique but also addressed matters of performance practice and realization of ornaments. Eventually, Mozart played all five concertos to great success throughout Europe in the 1780s. In 1791, when he went to Vienna, he put his violin away, preferring the viola.
K. 219 differs from the other four concertos in allowing the soloist to enter with a slow melody (marked Adagio) before introducing a totally new theme (marked aperto) and settling in to present the two main ideas. Thus, Mozart was trying something new from the other concertos, which reflected Baroque concerto structure. The music of the exposition overall is vintage, sparking Mozart. His development tones down the merriment in the minor mode before the recap snaps back into A major and provides a virtuosic summation.
The second movement is contemplative, intimate and thoughtful. Although the orchestra begins this section, the soloist quickly takes charge and the orchestral forces relax into the background. This is the longest and most elaborate of the three movements.
The last movement is technically a rondo, moving gracefully in minuet style. The “minuet music,” introduced briefly by the soloist, will appear three times. The first episode is elegantly decorated, and the second episode fattens out a bit and has more dynamic coloration. Small pauses quickly delineate the rondo sections. Another pause prefaces the surprise. It is the high stepping Turkish march, popping in out of nowhere, that has provided the sobriquet. Four of the five highly accented melodies in this section are based on Hungarian folk tunes. The soloist remains the leader of the fun with firm orchestral responses. Cellos and basses are instructed to play coll’ arco al roverscio, using the wooden part of the bow rather than the hair. Janissary music (music of the Turkish military establishment) was very popular at this time, so the surprise march was clearly an audience pleaser. After the interruption, the soloist leads back to the main theme and approaches an enigmatic close. In place of customary dash and display, the closure presents statements and (dynamic) understatements of what had gone before, ending modestly with a rising, poised and controlled melodic line from the soloist.
Mozart notes by Marianne Williams Tobias, in kind courtesy of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
Fritz Kreisler Encores
(Arranged by Jaakko Kuusisto, 1994 IVCI Laureate)
Kreisler notes by Nicholas Johnson, Ph.D., Butler University