No. 1, in B flat major (Koechel No. 207)
No. 2, in D major (Koechel No. 212)
No. 3, in G major (Koechel No. 216)
No. 4, in D major (Koechel No. 218)
No. 5, in A major (Koechel No. 219)
No. 6, in E flat major (Koechel No. 268)
Mozart composed five violin concertos at Salzburg in 1775. The
accompaniment of the five concertos is scored for the same instruments:
two oboes, two horns, strings. In 1776 Mozart wrote a sixth concerto—E
flat major—with an accompaniment scored for flute, two oboes, two
bassoons, two horns, and strings. A seventh was discovered by Dr.
Kopfermann in 1907. There is some doubt as to its genuineness.
These concertos were undoubtedly written for Mozart’s own use. As a
child, he played the violin as well as the forerunners of the
pianoforte, and on his tour in 1763 he played the violin in public. His
first published composition was a sonata in C major for pianoforte and
violin (K. No. 6). This, and one in D major, were composed in 1763 at
Paris. They are dedicated to the Princess Victoire of France. In 1775
Mozart was practicing diligently the violin to please his father. It was
one of Wolfgang’s duties at the Court to play the violin. He disliked to
do it. His father, an excellent violinist, encouraged his son: “You have
no idea how well you play the violin; if you would only do yourself
justice, and play with boldness, spirit, and fire, you would be the
first violinist in Europe.” This was in answer to a letter from Munich
in which Mozart had written: “I played as though I were the greatest
fiddler in Europe.” In 1777 the father reproached him for neglecting the
violin (in Vienna Wolfgang preferred to play the viola in quartets). And
it was in 1777 that Mozart wrote of one Franzl whom he heard playing a
violin concerto at Mannheim: “You know I am no great lover of
difficulties. He plays difficult things, but one does not recognize the
difficulties and imagines that one could do the same thing at once: that
is true art. He also has a beautiful round tone—not a note is missing,
one hears everything; everything is well marked. He has a fine
_staccato_ bow, up as well as down; and I have never heard so good a
double shake as his. In a word, though he is no wizard, he is a solid
violinist.”
The characteristics of the Salzburg violin concertos are the same. They
are in three movements, _allegro_, _andante_ or _adagio_, and _rondo_.
The first movement is the one most developed, although it might be
considered as in aria form rather than the form befitting a first
movement of a symphony. There is the customary alternation between
_tutti_ and solo passages. The structure is more compact than that of
the aria; it has more life. The “passage” measures grow out of the
themes, play about them, or are closely related to them. The second
movement requires expressive playing of sustained melody and is of a
cheerful character. The _finale_ is in rondo form and joyful mood.