Mozart was very protective of his new compositions, asking his father to have them copied at home to prevent unauthorized distribution in a pre-copyright era.
Performer Biography
Anne-Marie McDermott, the pianist on this recording, has an extensive discography including complete Prokofiev sonatas and George Gershwin's piano music with orchestra.
Composition History
The D-major Concerto (K.175) is considered Mozart's first truly original keyboard concerto, composed when he was not yet 18 years old.
Compositional Technique
The mature Mozart's symphonic sound is characterized by the elegant interlacing of woodwind timbres with the strings, creating a tripartite texture of soloist, accompaniment, and obbligato winds.
Composer Biography
Mozart often used his piano concertos, including the Concerto in B-flat major (K.450), as vehicles to showcase his own virtuosity at the keyboard.
Composition History
Mozart extensively re-composed the slow movement of K.450, crossing out original notation and squeezing in alterations, disproving the idea that his music always emerged fully formed.
Critical Reception
Mozart's Concerto in D major (K.451), though less played today, was highly esteemed when new, with one 1792 review calling it "one of the most beautiful and brilliant that we have from this master."
