Portrait of a young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by Giambettino Cignaroli, 1770
The concertos of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart number among the greatest bodies of work that exist in the Western concert music canon. He composed over 40 for a wide variety of instruments, and without his lifelong fascination with this form we would not have the mighty Romantic and modern soloistic showcases that we love today.
From vivacious early experiments to the magisterial later masterworks, Mozart’s sublime invention never dimmed. Pianist and scholar Rachel Franklin explores how he built the modern concerto form with inexhaustible creativity and shaped our contemporary expectations of virtuosity allied with expressive power.
British-born Franklin has been a featured speaker for organizations including the Library of Congress and NPR, exploring intersections among classical and jazz music, film scores, and the fine arts.
July 24 Form and Function
Mozart inherited the early concerto structure from such Baroque masters as Vivaldi, Handel, and the Bach family. By the time he’d composed what turned out to be his last concerto masterpiece, he had vastly expanded the form and created a multifaceted vehicle for individual brilliance, rich orchestral variety and profound emotional expression. Over half of these works are for the piano and designed for Mozart himself to perform, clearly revealing the endless beauty of his keyboard vision. Works include K. 271, 466, 488, 491 and many others.
July 31 Mozart’s Soloists
In addition to his complete mastery of the keyboard Mozart was a brilliant violinist and possessed a flawless understanding of how to compose for all other concert instruments. As well as more piano masterpieces, Franklin explores his concertos for horn, violin, flute, clarinet and others. Featured works include the Sinfonia Concertante, K. 364; Clarinet Concerto, K. 622; Flute and Harp Concerto in C major, K. 299; and a variety of horn and violin concertos.
2 sessions
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