Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 17 in G major & 26 in D major, 'Coronation'

Featuring

Michael Alexander Willens
Ronald Brautigam
Kölner Akademie
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

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Composition History

Mozart's pet starling learned to sing the theme of the finale's variations from the G major Piano Concerto, K 453, shortly before its premiere.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Mozart's concertos, unlike those focused on mere virtuosity, emphasized a creative dialogue between the soloist and the orchestra, akin to an ancient tragedy.

Composition History

Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, K 453, was written for his pupil Barbara Ployer, who premiered it in Döbling on June 13, 1784.

Performer Biography

Ronald Brautigam, the fortepiano soloist, was awarded the Nederlandse Muziekprijs in 1984, the highest Dutch musical award.

Instruments

The fortepiano used in this recording is a 1992 instrument by Paul McNulty, modeled after a c. 1795 instrument by Anton Walter, a famous fortepiano maker praised by Mozart and Beethoven.

Composition History

The 'Coronation' Concerto, K 537, earned its nickname from a performance by Mozart at Frankfurt-am-Main during the coronation of Emperor Leopold II, though it was not part of the official festivities.

Compositional Technique

The autograph manuscript of Mozart's 'Coronation' Concerto, K 537, is unusually incomplete, with trumpet and timpani parts marked 'ad libitum' and the left-hand piano part often left blank, suggesting improvisation.