Mozart Piano Concerto No. 9 "Jeunehomme" in E flat major, K. 271 (1/3)

Viviana Sofronitzki Fortepiano

The Piano Concerto No. 9 "Jeunehomme" in E flat major, K. 271, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was written in Salzburg in 1777, when Mozart was 21 years old.

The work has long been known as the "Jeunehomme" Concerto. It was said that Mozart wrote the piece for a French pianist "Jeunehomme" when she visited Salzburg. But scholars couldn't identify the woman for whom he actually wrote it. Recently, the musicologist Michael Lorenz has argued that the woman was actually Victoire Jenamy (1749-1812), a daughter of Jean-Georges Noverre, a famous dancer who was one of Mozart's best friends.[1]

The work is scored for solo piano, two oboes, two horns, and strings.

It consists of three movements: 1. Allegro, in E-flat major and common (C) time
2. Andantino, in C minor and 3/4 time
3. Rondo (Presto), in E flat major and cut time.

The first movement opens, unusually for the time, with interventions by the soloist, anticipating Beethoven's Fourth and Fifth Concertos. As Girdlestone (1964) notes, its departures from convention do not end with this early solo entrance, but continue in the style of dialogue between piano and orchestra in the rest of the movement. Mozart wrote two cadenzas for this movement.

The second movement is written in a minor key. In only five of Mozart's piano concertos is the second movement in a minor key (K. 41, K. 271, K. 456, K. 482, and K. 488. K. 41 is an arrangement). Mozart wrote two cadenzas for this movement.

The third movement which opens with the solo piano is in a rondo form on a large scale. It is interrupted, surprisingly, by a slow minuet section (a procedure Mozart would repeat with his 22nd concerto, 1785). The work ends in the original tempo.

The work is highly regarded by critics. Charles Rosen has called it "perhaps the first unequivocal masterpiece [of the] classical style."[2] Alfred Brendel has called it "one of the greatest wonders of the world". Alfred Einstein dubbed it "Mozart's Eroica."

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Mozart
• Piano
• concerto
• 09
• k.
• 271
• Jeunehomme
• period
• instruments
• Viviana
• Sofronitzki
• Fortepiano

[Pitborn]

Why is it that the piano sounds like an instrument made by my neighbor in his spare time und the violins have a vibrato like a ten year-old? ;-)

[giggianna]

In time of Mozart were used several pitch, not only 430 or 425; it depended from the country, from the musicians, the instruments, etc. etc.

Anyway, I like this performance: for the excellent pianist, who plays the fortepiano not, as usually, as a typewriter; and for the good orchestra

[Sviolinist]

@Eushayson 440 isn't considered period tuning. Your math is a bit wrong. 440 is a modern, standard A in Hz.

[beardedisbeautiful]

Baroque tuning was generally A415, current tuning is A440, though many orchestras play at A442, or higher. Buring Mozart's time the tuning was only slightly brighter than Baroque, probably c. 425 or A430.

[adriathan1994]

when it is on period instruments it is tuned a half-tone down because the baroque oboe plays a half-tone lower...

[Lawrencelovespiano]

LOL! I tried the notes on my piano and it does sound D Major.

[Eushayson]

@Sepharite & Obelix5150

Actually, this is period-accurate tuning, which is lower and richer. Technically it's a pitch of 440 or lower as opposed to more modern orchestras which are 460 or sometimes as high as 480. That's not to mention the fact that period instruments are generally a little deeper-sounding that your standard modern pieces.

[Obelix5150]

Like D and 1/4 Major, lol.

[Sepharite]

Is the tuning weird? It sounds like D major?