Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 1 in F major, K. 37

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791) - Piano Concerto No. 1 in F major, K. 37 (1767)

I. Allegro [0:00]
II. Andante [5:23]
III. Allegro [10:44]

(Cadenzas: Murray Perahia)

Murray Perahia, piano
English Chamber Orchestra (1984)

Mozart's first piano concerto was written when he was 11, possibly as an exercise devised by his father. The work is in three movements and lasts around 16 minutes.

"Mozart, in his first four concertos, based each movement on a piano sonata composed by someone else. The practice of borrowing, adapting, and arranging pieces from other composers was common in the operas of the day, and scholars believe Leopold Mozart wanted his son to become acquainted with orchestral writing, and, more specifically, with the concerto medium. The concertos were arranged in 1767, when Mozart was eleven years old, following a lengthy stay in Paris. It was during this leg of the tour that Mozart became acquainted with the composers Johann Gottfried Eckard, Johann Schobert, Hermann Friedrich Raupach and Leontzi Honauer, from whose sonatas he then borrowed and arranged movements in the concerto form.

The second movement of the F Major Concerto is the only movement of the four works which has not yet been identified with another composer's work. The first movement is an arrangement of Raupach's Piano Sonata No. 5, and the finale comes from Honauer's Sonata Op. 1 no. 3. The bold opening movement demonstrates an early understanding of orchestral color and instrumentation. The Andante is reminiscent of a royal processional, with a few flippant grace-note gestures adding a hint of personality. The pathos of the contrasting minor section is artfully framed by the sustained strings, a coloristic effect which allows for the soloist to emote unhindered by the accompanying orchestra. The grace-notes return in the spirited rondo of the third movement, providing a unity between movements which demonstrates Mozart's taste-if not in his own compositional decisions, then at least in his choice of whose pieces would sound nice together."

(source: AllMusic)

[bartjebartmans]

Mozart arranged these concertos as an exercise to abstract the proper thematic and structural content of the ritornelli from his source material. The added orchestral accompaniment made this a valuable study for the 11 year old Mozart it also elevated these otherwise quite average works to greater heights with the Mozartean touch and sound.
I. Allegro = Hermann Friedrich Raupach (1728–1778): Violin Sonata, Op.1 No.5 (1756)
II. Andante = Unknown (Perhaps by Mozart?)
III. Allegro = Leontzi Honauer (ca.1730–ca.1790): Harpsichord Sonata, Op.2 No.3 (1763)
Year/Date of Composition 1767 (April) Salzburg

[antonkomel]

The worst day this year for me. Music like this is a beautiful gift when the world around you is going crazy. A masterpiece.

[klangschatten]

Absolutely beautiful piano concerto, an early masterpiece!

[sergioscoccini]

Solo un genio come Mozart poteva comporre il concerto n.1 a 11anni ( quinta elementare)

[fobosdeimos]

2:15 MAGIC MAGIC FOREVER.... OH WOLFGANG....

[ln]

What did you do when you were 11?
Mostly everyone: I was just a kid
Mozart: I was working on becoming one of music’s immortals.

[NovicebutPassionate]

Inserting a bar of 4/4 (curiously not reflected by the notation) in the cadenza is interesting. (15:05) Thanks for the upload!

[KaewSaBa]

By the way, Mozart composed this at the age of 11.

[Jimbarleyy]

The immense talent of an eleven year old, outdoing me..a....20 year

[LucasHagemans]

0:41 . 1:50 . 2:10 . 4:40 . 4:53 . 5:10

[IQSD-zsqn]

Mozart uses the rhythm flexibility in his piece

[calt]

0:23 nicked from an early haydn symphony