Presentation No.

2 – Thiago Andre

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Piano Concerto No. 15 in B-flat major
K. 450, 1784
Genre: Piano Concerto

Movements:

1. Allegro: Concerto sonata-form

2. Andante: Theme and variations
3. Allegro: Rondo form

Modern Edition:

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus. Piano Concerto No. 15 in B-flat major, K. 450. Ed. Marius
Flothuis. Germany: Bärenreiter Kassel, 1975.

Recording:

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus. Concerto No. 15 for Piano and Orchestra, K. 450. Murray
Perahia – English Chamber Orchestra. England: Sony Music Entertainment, 1982,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUwRKr07vug

Literature:

Eisen, Cliff, and Stewart Spencer. Mozart: a life in letters. England: Penguin Books, 2007.

Irving, John. Mozart’s Piano Concertos. England: Ashgate, 2003.

Sadie, Stanley. The new grove dictionary of music and musicians. London: Macmillan
Publishers Limited, 2001.

Zaslaw, Neal, and William Cowdery. The compleat Mozart: a guide to the musical works of
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. New York: London, 1990.

Historical Background:

1784 was another intense year for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Although his personal
life had several difficulties such as the hard relationship with his father and the fear of how his
family was going to accept his marriage with Constanze, he entered in what were to be the
busiest and most successful years of his life1. During this year he gave numerous subscriptions,
private concerts, and composed several pieces for different genres. Between February and

1
Stanley Sadie, The new grove dictionary of music and musicians (London: Macmillan Publishers Limited,
2001), 287.
March of the same year, Mozart presented a group of three piano concertos, Piano Concerto,
No. 14 in E-flat major K. 449, No. 15 in B-flat major K. 450, and No. 16 in D major K. 451.
These concertos were presented during the Lenten (academies) concerts in Vienna2.
After a concert in April of the same year in Vienna, Mozart shared the success of two
of these concertos and the piano quintet to his father in one letter saying: “I’ve covered myself
in glory. My concert at the theatre also turned out very well. My concertos and a quintet were
extraordinarily well received3.” One of the concertos that Mozart was telling his farther about
was the Piano Concerto No. 15 in B-flat major, K. 450.
According to Zaslaw and Cowdery, in the piano concertos of this period, Mozart
brought a new style of orchestration that more heavily relies on the wind section, which he
developed further throughout his late operas, concertos, and last three symphonies4. The wind
section in this piece does not only double the string section or work as a harmonic background,
but Mozart also has the wind section executing and sharing in the work’s thematic
development. This new compositional feature in Mozart’s music negatively struck his
contemporaries. Some of the more conservative critics thought his use of the wind section was
either impracticably difficult or overloaded the accompaniments. Despite his contemporaries’
concerns, we can see that the melodic material in this piece does not merely accompany and/or
overload the piano, but rather provides an important balance and collaboration between the
soloist and orchestra.

Piano Concerto No. 15 in B-flat major, K. 450

The Piano Concerto No. 15 in B-flat major, K. 450 has three movements and its
instrumentation is compounded by a string section, flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, and 2 horns.
Often addressed by Mozart as “bound to make the performer sweat5,” this concerto demands
of the pianist to execute fast arpeggios, hand-crossings, wide jumps, and several passages were
the soloist “battles against” the orchestra.
The first movement is written in concerto sonata-form and uses a significant amount of
opening orchestral material. The opening of this piece is characterized by a constant sense of
forward motion that maintains a cheerful atmosphere and conversation between the wind and

2
Neal Zaslaw and William Cowdery, The compleat Mozart: a guide to the musical works of Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart (New York: London, 1990), 118.
3
Cliff Eisen and Stewart Spencer, Mozart: a life in letters (England: Penguin Books, 2007), 478.
4
Zaslaw and Cowdery, The compleat Mozart, 127.
5
Zaslaw and Cowdery, The compleat Mozart, 127.
string sections. These two opposing sections have distinct material that often plays
independently in alternation or together as a distinct polyphonic. The winds provide
punctuation of the phrasing and fill out the texture and dynamic. This piece revolutionizes the
treatment of the wind section in Mozart’s concertos6.
We can see Mozart’s new structure through the clear conversation between the wind
and string sections not only in the opening theme, but also in the piano’s entrance. In light of
that, this piece brings a strong and important structure that is used in future concertos, the
constant collaboration between the parts. Due to the structure of this movement, the soloist
strives for an extreme control of their speed and touch. The collaboration between the orchestra
and piano part enables the audience to understand a clear difference between them. Because of
that, the pianist does not need to put too much effort to be heard for the audience, even when
they have frequent virtuosity episodes using several scales, fast arpeggios, and extensive
jumps. Mozart uses material related to the themes previously presented in the cadenza part,
which shows the abilities of the performer. Using a long trill with a dominant-7th, Mozart
creates the necessary tension to connect to the tutti.
The slow movements of Mozart’s piano concertos display an uncomplicated
expressive, introspective, and innocent melody. This also applies to the second movement of
this concerto. Structurally, this movement consists of a theme, two variations, and coda. The
variation sets are not frequent in Mozart’s piano concertos and it is possible to notice its
presence in only two-slow movements, Piano Concerto No. 15 in B flat- major K. 450 and No.
18 in B flat-major K. 456.
With 113 measures, the theme and variations start in E-flat major and are divided in
eight-measure strophes. The orchestra executes the theme or variation in eight measures, and
it is succeeded by the piano for another eight measures. The entire movement thus presents a
constant exchange between the orchestra and the soloist. For a better understanding of this
movement, we can divide the phrases as A-A’-B-B’ and coda. Figure 1 provides information
about the division of this movement.

A (m. 1) A’ (m. 9) B (m. 17) B’ (m. 25)

Theme
strings piano strings piano
A (m. 33) A’ (m. 41) B (m. 49) B’ (m. 57)
1st Variation
strings/piano piano strings/piano piano
A (m. 65) A’ (m. 73) B (m. 81) B’ (m. 89)
2nd Variation piano/strings piano/wind and piano/strings piano/wind and
(m.69) pizz. strings (m. 84) pizz. strings

6
Irving, Mozart’s Piano Concertos, 43.
 M. 95 – 109 – Alternates strings + winds with piano.
Coda M. 109 – 111 – Piano and winds
M. 112 – 113 – Piano + strings + basson
Figure 1. Overview of the second movement from Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 15 in B – flat major, K 450.

The strings section starts the main theme in sempre piano dynamic level. This theme is
repeated by the piano a few measures later. The repetition of the theme is not exactly the same
and it is possible to notice a few extra notes on both hands. However, the bass line of the piano
repeats the cello and bass part of the orchestra. The theme section goes until measure 32 and it
is characterized by a constant collaboration between the strings and piano parts with an
expressive melody. Figure 2 presents the first entrance of the orchestra and piano parts.

Figure 2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 15 K. 450, II. Andante, mm 1-24. (ed. Marius
Flothuis. Germany: Bärenreiter Kassel, 1975)

The First Variation starts in measure 33 with the strings section presenting the main
melody and is accompanied by the piano part. While the string section presents its melody, the
left-hand of the piano doubles the cello and bass part and the right-hand presents a constant
movement with ascending and descending arpeggios. Figure 3 shows the beginning of the First
Variation.
Figure 3. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 15 K. 450, II. Andante, mm 25-38. (ed. Marius
Flothuis. Germany: Bärenreiter Kassel, 1975)

The piano part takes over the solo part in measure 41. In this part it is possible to notice
the presence of the same ascending and descending arpeggios, that now are executed by the
left-hand. The right-hand is in charge of the main melody, which is a sort of like the melodic
material previously presented by the string section. Figure 4 exemplifies the material presented
by the piano during his phrase in measure 41.
Figure 4. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 15 K. 450, II. Andante, mm 39-43. (ed. Marius
Flothuis. Germany: Bärenreiter Kassel, 1975)

It is noticeable that this same structure will be repeated between measures 49-56. The
piano and string sections present together another eight-measure strophe and later the piano
takes over the solo part between measures 57-64. In this moment, the piano still uses the left-
hand with arpeggios, while the right-hand executes the repetition of the melodic line.
The Second Variation starts in measure 65. Different from the previous sections, the
piano presents the main melody and after four measures, the string section supports the solo
part. Measure 73 marks the presence of the wind section for the first time in this movement.
The wind section presents the main theme, while the piano presents ascending and descending
arpeggios in the right-hand, and the string section presents its accompaniment using pizzicato.
Figure 5 shows the entrance of the wind section and exemplifies the way that Mozart wrote the
string and piano parts.
Figure 5. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 15 K. 450, II. Andante, mm 73-75. (ed. Marius
Flothuis. Germany: Bärenreiter Kassel, 1975)

The Coda starts in measure 95 and presents an alternation between the orchestra and
piano. The long notes present in the string section create a harmonic accompaniment, which
contrasts with the rhythmic motif executed by the wind and piano parts. The alternation in
piano/forte dynamic level also helps to create a distinction between the parts. The Coda is
concluded using the same idea of collaboration presented throughout this movement. Figure 6
shows the beginning of the Coda part.
Figure 6. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 15 K. 450, II. Andante, mm 94-99. (ed. Marius
Flothuis. Germany: Bärenreiter Kassel, 1975)

The third movement is written in B-flat major and like several of Mozart’s other piano
concertos, it is written in rondo form. The piano part presents the main theme, while the long
note present in the bassoon contrasts with the rhythmic accompaniment present in the string
section. This contrasted material gives the soloist brilliant passagework as a background to the
main motivic work. After the theme is presented, the orchestra assumes the tutti. The wind
section and lower strings are now executing the rhythmic accompaniment while the violin
section executes the melodic line.
Similar to the first movement, the wind section has more elaborated material and is not
used only as an accompaniment part. The melodic and rhythmic material present in this
movement helps to create a joyful and similar idea that is present in the first movement.
However, it is possible to observe that the piano part often presents a simple and delicate
melody, which contrasts with the vivacity and agility present in the first movement.
There are two cadenzas in this movement. This is something that was going to be
common in Mozart’s piano concertos. The first cadenza is a little short and is compounded by
some arpeggios and a small presentation of the theme. The connection of this cadenza does not
happen in the usual way, which uses the dominant-7th chord. On the other hand, the second
cadenza is more active which has more fast passages, octaves, and hand-crossings that show
the skills of the soloist. The connection of the second candeza with the tutti happens more
lightly. There is a long trill at end of the cadenza that creates a necessary tension and works as
a call for the return of the orchestra. However, Mozart goes in a different direction and brings
the orchestra back in piano dynamic level and keeps this same energy until the end of the piece.