Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Horn Concerto No. 4, K. 495

- Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 -- 5 December 1791)
- Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra
- Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
- Soloist: Dennis Brain
- Year of recording: 1953

Horn Concerto No. 4 in E flat major, K. 495, written in 1786.

00:00 - I. Allegro moderato
08:05 - II. Romanza. Andante
12:33 - III. Rondo. Allegro vivace

The only one of Mozart's four concertos to be included in his thematic catalog, K. 495 was entered on 26 June 1786, a few weeks after the first performances of Le nozze di Figaro. Such a date makes it, by currently prevailing chronology, the second in order of composition. Like the other three horn concertos, it was composed for his old friend Joseph Leutgeb (1732-1811), who had moved to Vienna from Salzburg (where he was member of the court orchestra) in 1777, four years before Mozart. Mozart described the concerto in his entry as being composed for Waldhorn (literally "woods or forest horn"), an alternative name for the French horn that reminds us of the instrument's associations with hunting.

The partially incomplete score is notated in four different colors of ink, an idea that has generally been supposed to be another of the jokes Mozart made at the expense of Leutgeb. More recently it has been suggested (in the notes accompanying the New Mozart Edition) that the use of varying colors serves the purpose of coded instructions denoting refinements of dynamics and nuance. In common with all four concertos, the solo part contains many passages that present a considerable challenge to players on the natural (valveless) horn. Among these was the use of so-called "stopped notes," a procedure that involved the player inserting his right hand into the bell to enable him to play notes otherwise unavailable on the horns of the day. Mozart's horn concertos all include such stopped notes, in addition to bass notes obtained by the technique known as "overblowing," another skill developed by Leutgeb.

Like K. 417, the first of the Leutgeb concertos (and to which it bears a certain resemblance), K. 495 is scored for two horns, two oboes, and strings, and cast in three movements: Allegro maestoso, Romance, and Rondo.

[jamesmorrison]

The quality of the recording is so good for a 1953 recording!

[kockahrdlicka]

I play this concerto two years ago with Prague Symphony Orchestra, and also i play the others three concerts.
Greetings from Czech Republic.

[enricochestri]

My favourite horn concerto. Love the second movement, it's like walking in the midst of Nature. Also the 3rd movement.
The Swingle Singers did a jazz-like version of the "hunting" finale.

[amadeus]

Mozart’s first horn concerto: elegant and poised

Second concerto: majestic and intellectual

Third concerto: playful and romantic

Fourth concerto: joyful and sweet

[davidrehak]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:4.Esz-dúr Kürtverseny KV 495
1.Allegro moderato 00:05
2.Romanza:Andante 08:05
3.Rondo:Allegro 12:35
Dennis Brian-kürt
Philharmonia Zenekar
Vezényel:Herbert von Karajan

[marcosPRATA]

Mozart, belo clássico, textura homofônica. E como presente do site, a partitura!

[davidcodd]

Who wrote the cadenza in the first movement? Or did he improvise it?

[vazquezmar]

im playing the 2nd one for my solo this year ( im in 8th grade) wish me luck

[modestoney]

3:18 Adagio in g minor by Giazotto (Albinoni)

[zacdavid]

At the end of the first solo phrase in the first movement, most current editions have the (Eb) horn extending to high C in the sixteenth-note figure. (beat and a half on G, then A, B, C and down.) Here, it only goes to an A.
Brain plays it as it is NOT written. 

 Is the score version or the played version the original?

[michaeledwards]

Thete's no denying the beautifully smooth, even tone Dennis Brain has. But why is this performance dropping odd bars here and there from the performance (as shown in the score by displaying them in negative shading)? Is there a known reason for this? Are the bars spurious in some way? Just wondering....

[jameerlawrencebondoc]

Shame on ads ruining classical music with EDM

[pumpkinpoi]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Horn Concerto No. 4 in E Flat Major, K. 495

Philharmonia Orchestra
Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor
Katy Woolley, horn

November 22, 2017
Ryman Auditorium, Jackland

[yannickm]

3:18 Bach-Aria "Es ist vollbracht"

[CleanSplash]

The score is in concert pitch for french horn why the sound plays in Eb

[sasawhare]

Denis Brain would be great horn player, If he could keep intonation ... Therefore I prefer Baumann.