PROGRAM NOTES
by
Hanguang Wang

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791)

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Piano Concerto No. 14 in E♭ major, K. 449

I. Allegro vivace

II. Andantino

III. Allegro ma non troppo

 

The E-flat piano concerto was composed in February 1784, which was a start of the most intensive period of concerto writing in Mozart’s career. No less than six piano concertos date from 1784, three from1785, and three more from 1786; a staggering twelve piano concertos were composed in three years. The reason for such intensive productivity was partly because Mozart saw composing piano concertos as a vehicle for his own considerable virtuosity at the keyboard, and partly because the Viennese had been awakened to the wonders of Mozart's piano playing and with it came a flood of commissions. He once wrote to his father in early 1784, “I have 30 subscribers more than Richter and Fischer combined. The first concert on March 17th went off very well. The hall was full to overflowing, and the new concerto (Piano concerto No. 14, K. 449) I played won extraordinary applause. Everywhere I go, I hear praises of that concerto.”

In the context of the other concertos, the first of the series, the Concerto in E-flat, Mozart considered it a work “of quite a peculiar kind, composed rather for a small orchestra than for a large one.” Although the dimensions of orchestration and the length of the piece are not very ambitious, the Piano Concerto K. 449 is still full of dramatic energy. In the first few minutes, Mozart introduces at least five different themes, setting the tone for the ensuing soloist to enter and participate in the ensemble.

The slow movement presents an interesting mix of sonata and rondo elements reflecting an intimate elegance in subtle yet rich harmonies. The finale combines contrapuntal style and comic-opera elements, all the while presenting an original sonata-rondo form. The cheerful coda provides a witty conclusion to this inspired concerto.

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Sinfonia concertante in E flat for violin and viola, K364

I. Allegro maestoso

II. Andante

III. Presto
 

During a two-year period from 1778 to 1779, Mozart composed a series of concertos for several soloists after returning from a sojourn in Paris and Mannheim. The sinfonia concertante was one of the most popular symphonic forms in Paris, and Mozart was greatly influenced by it. As the name implies, the genre here is essentially a hybrid of symphony and concerto, showcased between two and nine solo players, with an orchestral accompaniment. Unlike the concerto grosso, which usually treats soloists and the orchestra equally, the sinfonia concertante lets the solo lines do most of the melodic heavy lifting, leaving the orchestra to cover merely the initial exposition and little else. Influence by the touring experience, many details in this Sinfonia Concertante display characteristics typical of Mannheim's music, such as the dotted rhythms of the opening bars and the orchestral crescendo at the end of the introduction.

The proportions of the first movement (marked with the epic-sounding tempo "Allegro maestoso") are certainly generous and expansive, demonstrating the work's symphonic aspect. To better entertain the middle classes and showcase the talent of local musicians, Mozart squeezed in as many crowd-pleasing melodies as possible, providing ample material to demonstrate the solo performers’ musical agility and charm the audience. In the second movement, which is one of Mozart’s relatively rare minor-mode slow movement, you will find a profound emotion that may reflect the composer’s grief over the death of his beloved mother, for which the dual voices of violin and viola contributing to the work's charm. As musicologist Maynard Solomon has noted, the second movement model exemplified here used “copious dramatic gestures and recitative-like interjections to impart a somewhat objectified sense of the tragic or pathetic.” In the finale, the Sinfonia concertante ends with the characteristic laughter, which is “laughter without an object…simply light and lucidity.”

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Symphony No. 33 in B♭ major, K. 319

I. Allegro assai

II. Andante moderato

III. Menuetto

IV. Finale: Allegro assai
 

Symphony No. 33 in B-flat major was composed on July 9, 1779, was originally a three-movement work; Mozart added the minuet movement for a mid-1780s performance in Vienna, where four-movement symphonies were already in vogue. Scored for two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, and strings, Symphony No. 33 is the smallest of his late symphonies, and is sometimes referred to as a chamber symphony because of its light orchestration and transparent musical textures.

In the early 1779, Mozart returned from a frustrating 16-month tour of Europe. He had failed to find a new, more lucrative position, and he was still grieving the loss of his mother, who had died while he was away. A few months later, he began work on a new symphony. The lightness of the work extends to the mood of the piece. Despite the disappointment one might expect the composer to have felt after such a disappointing period in his life, the symphony is a light-hearted and witty work. Though intimate at times, it rarely strays into sadness or introspection. It became one of only a few of his symphonies that were published during his lifetime.