Book Description

Outstanding in their variety and creativity, Mozart’s piano concertos reflect his supremacy as a composer. He wrote the first of these precocious works in 1767, when he was 11 years old. Piano concertos continued to be a lifelong preoccupation for the composer, and these formative pieces foreshadow the even greater works to come. All possess his characteristic keyboard mastery, experimentation with texture, and a natural sensitivity to form and balance. This edition completes Dover’s five-volume series of all 27 of Mozart’s concertos. It includes: Concerto No. l in F major, K.37; Concerto No. 4 in G major, K.41; Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, K.39; Concerto No. 5 in D major, K.175; Concerto No. 3 in D major, K.40; and Concerto No. 6 in B-flat Major, K.238. The four earliest works, which display evidence of Leopold Mozart’s guiding hand, are based on themes by other composers. Nevertheless, they are transformed by the addition of interludes and episodes for orchestra. Concertos Nos. 5 and 6 are wholly original, and taken as a whole, this compilation offers a revealing look at the development of a budding genius. Pianists and all lovers of fine music will appreciate these seminal works, reproduced complete and unabridged from the authoritative Breitkopf & Härtel Complete Works edition.