Horn Concertos (Mozart)

The four concertos for horn and orchestra (K. 412, 417, 447 and 495) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are an important part of the repertoire of most professional horn players.

Formation

Mozart wrote the four concerts during his time as a freelance composer in Vienna ( 1781-1791 ). The Concerto in K. 417, and the Concerto in E KV 495 by Mozart were dated by hand, with the May 27, 1783 ( K. 417 ) and the June 26, 1786 ( K. 495 ). The other two concerts, the Concerto in D, K. 412, and the Concerto in K. 447, were not dated by Mozart. Ludwig von Kochel was for these two concerts with the emergence time in 1782 for KV 412 and KV 447 for 1783 on. This gives for the order of the concerts:

This numbering is still in use, although it has been found that it is false. Today it is believed that the alleged third concert ( K. 447 ) in 1787, ie after K. 495 ( " No. 4" ), must be developed. Why did Mozart not entered in his autograph thematic directory, remains unexplained. When supposedly first concert (KV 412), it is assumed that it was not composed as the first, but as the last of the four concerts, in the year 1791. These late date would also explain that this concert and exclusively from a first set a rondo, which was not instrumented to an end, there is a middle movement is missing. The correct order of the four horn concertos would therefore be:

The - according to the new numbering - Horn Concertos first three KV 417, 495 and 447 as well as the incomplete set of instrumented Rondo KV 412 Mozart wrote for the horn player Joseph Leutgelb ( 1732-1811 ). Joseph Leutgelb (then Lower Austria ) was born 1732 in Neulerchenfeld. It is unclear where and with whom Leutgelb studied. From 1764 to 1773 he was listed as " Hunter horn " in the Salzburg court calendar, also two public appearances in Vienna (1752 and 1762) occupied and 1770 he is mentioned in Paris, where he performed two or three himself composed solo concerts and reaped great success. However Leutgebs solo concerts can not be found. Almost all composed for Leutgelb works are provided with a written notice to the horn players, usually an ironic remark, such as the dedication of the Concerto in Eb KV 417 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has, pity on Leitgeb the donkey, ox and fool / / 27 at Vienna. Rondo May 1783 draft KV 412 is even throughout with ironic comments.

Swell

• Franz Giegling (ed.): New Mozart Edition. Series V: Concerts. Working group 14: Concerts for one or more string, wind and stringed orchestra. Volume 5: Horn Concertos. In 1987. Barenreiter -Verlag, Kassel.