Program Notes
“You have no idea how well you play the violin. If only you would do yourself justice and play with boldness, spirit and fire, as if you were the greatest violinist in Europe!” Thus Leopold Mozart (himself a fine violinist, respected composer, and famous pedagogue) admonished his son Wolfgang Amadeus in 1777.
Mozart began violin lessons at the tender age of six, under the primary tutelage of his father. As a touring child prodigy, he performed on both violin and keyboard throughout Europe. At age 13, Mozart became second concertmaster of the Archbishop of Salzburg’s court orchestra. He frequently led the orchestra and took solo parts, often in his own works. But by 1777, Mozart’s concert activities were focused on the piano, and his preference for the viola was well-established. Difficult and sophisticated viola parts feature prominently in the greatest chamber works from the last decade of his life. He usually favored the viola for playing chamber music, such as for the famous quartet evenings with Haydn, Dittersdorf and Vanhal.
The exact order in which Mozart composed his five Violin Concertos is unknown. The last three were written in 1775 when he was 19. Analyses of his handwriting and the manuscript paper suggest that the first concerto was composed two years earlier. For stylistic reasons, it is believed that the second concerto also must have been written prior to 1775. It is uncertain whether Mozart composed these five concertos for himself or for Antonio Brunetti (who replaced him as concertmaster) as both men had parts in their possession.
All five concertos follow the same structure. The first movements are in sonata-allegro form with a double exposition (the first taken by the orchestra and the second by the soloist) and a cadenza at the end of the recapitulation. The second movements are in a contrasting key to the outer movements. They also are in sonata-allegro form and offer a cadenza just before the concluding phrase.
The final movements of four of the concertos are rondos. While the final movement of KV207 is in sonata-allegro form, an alternate rondo (Rondo in B-flat Major, KV269) also exists. The Rondos of KV216, 218 and 219 each feature a middle section of a contrasting and individual character. This may partially explain their popularity over KV207 or 211. Before each return to the rondo theme, the soloist plays a miniature cadenza-like flourish that serves as a connecting bridge.
KV216 in G major (my personal favorite) is in Mozart’s friendliest key. The first movement begins with a theme closely resembling an aria (“Aer tranquillo”) from his recently-composed opera, Il rè pastore, KV208. The solo sections contain additional themes beyond those stated in the orchestral introduction, and the oboes and horns have a more significant role than in Mozart’s earlier violin concertos. In the aria-like second movement, the delicate texture includes muted upper strings and pizzicato lower strings. Flutes replace the oboes – the only time Mozart includes flutes in his violin concertos. The middle section of the cheerful third movement begins with a serenade-like melody in a minor key, accompanied by pizzicato strings. It then launches into a rustic folk song from Strasbourg. This tune includes a drone accompaniment and fiddle variations featuring left-hand pizzicato and chromatic triplets. Notes also are plucked in the soloist’s final statement of the rondo theme. The concerto ends graciously, with the winds alone playing the final phrase.
Mozart did not leave any written cadenzas for the violin concertos. While many great cadenzas have been composed, I’ve always felt that playing my own presents the most personal and organic expression of my relationship with the music.