Mozart: Horn Concerto in E-flat major, K.447

Introduction

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 3 in E-flat major, K. 447, was completed between 1784 and 1787, during the Vienna Period.

Background

The composition was written as a friendly gesture for the hornist Joseph Leutgeb (his name is mentioned few times in the score), and Mozart probably didn't consider it as particularly important, since he failed to enter it to the autograph catalogue of his works. The autograph score remained well preserved; it is stored in the British Library in London.

Instrumentation

The concerto is scored for 2 clarinets in B♭, 2 Bassoons, Solo Horn in E♭ and strings.

Form

The work is in 3 movements:

1. Allegro (4/4)
2. Romance (Larghetto) (4/4)
3. Allegro (6/8)

This concerto "has clarinets besides bassoons and string for accompaniment. They bring warmth and light colouring to this most attractive work, and in spite of unadventurous support they partner the bassoons in many typical phrases."

The main melody of the third movement is reminiscent of the theme from the rondo of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 22 written in 1785.

Discography

Given its duration (about 15 minutes), the Concerto is typically grouped with Mozart's other three for the instrument, in boxed sets of Mozart's concerti for wind instruments or even all his concerti.

One example is Dennis Brain's November, 1953 recording of the four horn concertos on EMI with The Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan.

The Naxos Records CD "Complete Works for Horn & Orchestra" includes, besides the concerti, three rondos for horn and orchestra completed by musicologists.

William Purvis has recorded No. 3 along with No. 2, K. 417, with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra for Deutsche Grammophon, on a disc which also includes Mozart's Oboe Concerto, K. 314 and Bassoon Concerto, K. 191. Like the other two soloists, Purvis improvised his own cadenza for the two horn concerti on the disc.

Fred Rizner has recorded this concerto together with K. 495 with the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by José Luis García Asensio on a Summit disc which also includes the Clarinet Concerto, K. 622 (with clarinetist Joaquin Valdepeñas).