Both of the Mozart concertos offered here are works of his early maturity. The Concerto No. 10 in E-flat major for Two Pianos was composed in 1779, not long after the composer had reluctantly returned to his position at the court of Prince-Archbishop Colloredo in Salzburg after his extended journeys to Paris and several German cities in fruitless search of employment. Despite his deep dissatisfaction in the service of his musically insensitive royal boss and the recent death of his mother, music of sublime quality continued to gush from him. He wrote this double concerto to perform with his older sister Maria Anna (“Nannerl”), who – by some accounts – was at least his brilliant brother’s equal as a keyboard virtuoso (the pair had toured and performed together as children). At around 25 minutes in length, the piece is quite substantial for both its genre and time. Having absorbed both French and Italian influences during his previous periods of European travel, the concerto is the first of two experiments in the double-concerto format (the second is his Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola in E flat, K.364).
As usual in Mozart’s concertos, the orchestra begins the opening Allegro movement by outlining the main themes to come. Both pianos then enter together with the initial orchestral theme, in brusque and attention-getting fashion. As the music unfolds, the listener soon notes the spontaneous, but nearly seamless flow of the dialogue between the two pianos. While the two soloists are often heard playing together, only one instrument is heard in many passages – such that the listener, lacking the visual perspective of an actual concert hall, is often hard-pressed to tell which soloist is at work. Suffice it to say that each player gets his fair share of charming and gracious solo action. Another characteristic of the piece is that – given the richness of the piano parts – the orchestra doesn’t have as much to say as it does in most of Mozart’s other concertos. The movement continues in lyrically expansive fashion until its marvelous double cadenza brings it to an emphatic close.
In the central Andante movement, the orchestra again remains mostly a background presence. The prevailing mood is one of warm contentment, with the two pianos alternating between exquisitely unified communion and sublime exchanges of relaxed commentary, as if two close friends are exchanging quiet confidences. The finale is a
dandy, rollicking Rondo – full of high spirits and energetic drive briefly broken by a minor-hued dramatic interlude. Another brilliant double cadenza brings the work to a close, leaving the listener feeling almost bereft.
You must be logged in to post a comment.