Mozart, WA :: Concerto No. 1 in G major, K. 313

Concerto No. 1 in G major, K. 313

Mozart, WA

International Music Company present's Amadeus Mozart's Concerto No. 1 in G Major, K. 313 for flute and piano, edited by Jean-Pierre Rampal. Mozart composed this concerto in early 1778; the date of the first performance is not known. The orchestra consists of two flutes (in the slow movement only), two oboes, two horns, and strings. Performance time is approximately twenty-five minutes.

A lot has been written about Mozart s dislike of the flute and the lovely music he wrote for it anyway all based on one parenthetical comment in a letter to his father. It is not unreasonable for a composer of Mozart s capabilities to write well for an instrument he or she does not particularly admire, but it seems unlikely that Mozart would have composed an opera about its magical power to transform human passion 'The sad will become happy, and the stony-hearted affectionate' the Three Ladies tell Papageno if he himself did not believe that. In December 1777, Mozart wrote to his father that he had accepted a commission from De Jean to write 'three short, simple concertos and a couple of quartets for the flute.' He was determined to complete the work in two months and made no mention at the time of his aversion to the instrument; no doubt the promised payment of 200 gulden, a sizeable sum, mitigated any inconvenience. In any event, Mozart procrastinated. On February 14 he wrote to his father that he had only finished two concertos and three quartets, and that De Jean had sent only 96 gulden. Leopold immediately realized that Mozart had been fudging the numbers all along; he fired off a letter of accusation. Mozart indignantly replied with a series of lame excuses, including the famous comment that has troubled flute players ever since.

The G major concerto is a bargain at any price. It is not only a work of delectable melody and elegance, but one that shows off the virtuosity of the player as well.

- Phillip Huscher