CMLIII. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus: Concerto #26 in D Major for Piano and Orchestra ("Coronation"), K. 537

CMLIII. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791)

Concerto #26 in D Major for Piano and Orchestra ("Coronation"), K. 537 (1788)
1. Allegro
2. (Larghetto)
3. (Allegretto)
Mitsuko Uchida, piano
English Chamber Orchestra
Jeffrey Tate, cond.
(32:43)

"It is very Mozartean, while at the same time it does not express the whole or even the half of Mozart. It is, in fact, so 'Mozartesque' that one might say that in it Mozart imitated himself -- no difficult task for him. It is both brilliant and amiable, especially in the slow movement; it is very simple, even primitive, in its reflection between the solo and the tutti, and so completely easy to understand that even the nineteenth century always grasped it without difficulty ..." -- Alfred Einstein

It's easy to imagine that as Mozart passed the quarter-century mark, writing a piano concerto was as simple and natural as powdering his wig.

I have an image of Wolfgang eating his breakfast with one hand whilst the other pens notes onto manuscript paper. He's done it 25 times already -- and besides, it's he that will perform it. So the autograph is -- sketchy!

You can see the autograph here (Morgan Library).

So in addition to the lack of tempo indications for the 2nd and 3rd movements, there wasn't much notated for the left hand of the solo part.

Still, Mozart can't himself -- no difficult task -- the work resounds with his genius. He follows only the outlines of the sonata form -- the music seems to follow his whims, with tons of escapes from the tonic to faraway keys, which he brings back with suave cadences.

**

The nickname stuck simply because Mozart performed it at the coronation of Leopold II at Frankfurt on October 15, 1790.

1. Allegro

2. (Larghetto)

3. (Allegretto)