Horn Concertos (Mozart)
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The four Horn Concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are a major part of most professional horn players' repertoire. The concertos were written for his friend, the horn virutoso Joseph Ignaz Leitgeb (also spelled as "Leutgeb"), whom he had known since they were both members of the court orchestra in Salzburg. Leitgeb was clearly a skilled player, as the works are very difficult to perform on the natural horn of the period, requiring lip trills, much hand-stopping, and rapid tounging.
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[edit] No. 1 in D major, K. 412
Completed in 1791, the work is in two movements:
Although numbered first, this was actually the last of the four to be completed. Compared to the other three concertos, it is shorter in duration (two movements vs. three), and is much simpler in regard to both range and technique, perhaps in a nod to Leitgeb's advanced age and (presumably) reduced capabilities at the time of composition. The second movement is believed to have been finished by Mozart's student Franz Xaver Süssmayr after his death.
[edit] No. 2 in E flat major, K. 417
Completed in 1783, the work is in three movements:
Mozart's good-natured ribbing of his friend is evident in the manuscript inscription "W. A. Mozart took pity on Leitgeb, ass, ox and fool in Vienna on 27 May 1783."
[edit] No. 3 in E flat major, K. 447
Completed between 1784 and 1787, the work is in three movements:
- I. Allegro
- II. Romance (Larghetto)
- III. Allegro
[edit] No. 4 in E flat major, K. 495
Completed in 1786, the work is in three movements:
The manuscript was written with multicolored inks, perhaps in a jocular attempt to rattle the intended performer (Leitgeb). The Rondo from this concerto is perhaps the most famous movement from all four horn concertos: Flanders and Swann used this movement for the tune of their song "Ill Wind".
[edit] Fragmentary and uncompleted works
Musicologists believe that Mozart conceived other horn concertos in addition to the four outlined above, based on manuscripts including an uncompleted first movement from a concerto in E-flat major (K. 370b) (with which the Rondo, K. 371 was probably paired), and a fragment of the first movement of a concerto in E major (K. 494a)
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