Mozart's violin concertos were all composed during his time as a full-time violinist at the Salzburg court, between 1773 and 1776.
Compositional Technique
Mozart's violin concertos feature a constant dialogue between the solo violin and the orchestra, moving away from the typical Baroque concerto's alternation of tutti and solo sections.
Compositional Technique
Mozart's rondo finales in these violin concertos each arrange their episodes differently and openly borrow from contemporary dance music, including a popular 'Straßburger' melody and a 'Turkish' dance scene.
Composer Biography
Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, though a great piano virtuoso, also received extensive violin training from his father, Leopold Mozart, the Salzburg concert master.
Performer Biography
Gil Shaham, the violinist on this recording, is a Grammy Award-winner and was named Musical America's 'Instrumentalist of the Year'.
Instruments
Gil Shaham performs on the 1699 'Countess Polignac' Stradivarius violin.
Composition History
Mozart composed four of his five violin concertos within a single six-month period in 1775, finishing the last one just before his 20th birthday.
