Mozart - Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra in C major, K 299

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

 

 

(27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791),

 

 Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra in C major, K 299

Tamara Coha Mandić, flute
Diana Grubišić Ćiković, harp
Croatian chamber orchester
Igor Tatarević, conductor
Croatian music institute concert hall
Zagreb, 12 november 2013

 

이 협주곡이 작곡된 것은 모차르트가 22세 때인 1778년 4월로 당시 모차르트는 파리에 머무르고 있었다.
그곳의 사교계 인사들과 접촉하면서 아르투아(Artois)지방의 영주이자 음악애호가인 드 귄 백작
(Comte de Guine)에게서 그의 딸의 결혼을 위해서 의뢰받은 곡이다.

결혼을 축하하기 위한 음악이니만큼 매우 화려한 느낌을 주며, 특히 안단테의 우아한 부드러움에는
누구나가 매혹된다. 파리 사교계의 분위기에 어울리는 ‘갈랑풍(galant style)’의 경쾌하고 화사하며
우미한 곡이다

플루트와 하프가 그려내는 음색미, 그 기교에 의해 표현되는 기복과 변화, 그 위에 관현악이 반주로서
전개해 가는 배경은 현란하여 우아함의 극치를 보여 주고 있다. 곡 전체에 활력이 넘치고 아름다운 선율이
매혹적이다.  전 3악장 으로 구성되었으며, 펼침화음으로 이루어진 단호한 주제로 시작하여 경쾌한 론도로
마무리된다.

 

Mozart wrote the concerto in April 1778, during his seven-month sojourn in Paris. It was commissioned by Adrien-Louis de Bonnières, duc de Guînes (1735–1806), a flutist, for his use and for that of his older daughter, Marie-Louise-Philippine (1759–1796), a harpist, who was taking composition lessons from the composer, at the duke's home, the Hôtel de Castries. Mozart stated in a letter to his father that he thought the duke played the flute "extremely well" and that Marie's playing of the harp was "magnifique".

 

As a composition student, however, Mozart found Marie thoroughly inept. The duke (until 1776, the comte de Guines), an aristocrat Mozart came to despise, never in fact paid the composer for this work, and Mozart instead was offered only half the expected fee for the lessons, through de Guines' housekeeper. But he refused it. (For his tutoring, Mozart was owed six Louis d'or.) And it is not at all certain whether the duc de Guines and his daughter Marie ever actually played this concerto.^[2][3]

 

In the classical period, the harp was still in development, and was not considered a standard orchestral instrument. It was regarded more as a plucked piano.^[4] Therefore, harp and flute was considered an extremely unusual combination. Currently, there is much more repertoire for a flute and harp duo, especially without orchestra. Much of this repertoire was written by composers in the nineteenth century. Mozart's opinion of the harp, however, was perhaps dubious at best, for he never wrote another piece that employed it.

 

Mozart quite likely composed this work with the duke's and his daughter's particular musical abilities in mind. He probably composed the majority of this concerto at the home of Joseph Legros, the director of the Concert Spirituel. Monsieur Legros had given Mozart the use of his keyboard in his home so that he could compose. (Mozart perhaps also composed part of the concerto at his second Paris apartment, which was on the rue du Gros Chenet.)

 

The piece is essentially in the form of a Sinfonia Concertante, which was extremely popular in Paris at the time.^[1] Today, the concerto is often played by chamber ensembles, because it is technically and elegantly challenging for both the solo instruments it calls for. It is also often played by orchestras to display the talents of their own flutists and harpists.

 

The harp part appears to be more like an adaptation of a piano piece than an original harp part; this is especially evident in the patterns of five and ten notes throughout all three movements which would not fall under the fingers as easily for a harpist, as the fifth fingers are typically not used, though they were considered part of early harp technique^{[citation needed]}. There are no full, rich glissandi, and although there is counterpoint in the harp part, it does not typically include lush chords. Mozart did not include any cadenzas of his own, as is normal for his compositions.^[5] Alfred Einstein claims that Mozart's cadenzas for this work were lost. A few popular cadenzas are often performed, such as those by Carl Reinecke, but many flutists and harpists have chosen to write their own. André Previn has also written cadenzas for this piece. The original manuscript of the Concerto for Flute and Harp still exists; it has been housed since 1948 in the Jagiellonian University Library in Kraków.^{[citation needed]}

Form and movements

The soloists in the piece will sometimes play with the orchestra, and at other times perform as a duo while the orchestra is resting. The flute and harp alternate having the melody and accompanying lines. In some passages, they also create counterpoint with just each other. Mozart concertos are standard in how they move harmonically, as well as that they adhere to the three-movement form of fast–slow–fast:

I. Allegro

 

The orchestra states both themes. The first is immediately present, and the second is introduced by the horn. Both themes fall under the conventional sonata form. The soli then re-work the already present themes.^[5]

II. Andantino

The short phrases in this movement are introduced by the strings, and become lyrically extended. This further develops into variations on the theme. The cadenza in this movement leads to a coda, where the orchestra and soli focus on the lyrical theme.^[5] The key is in F major.

III. Rondeau – Allegro

The harmonic form is: A–B–C–D–C–B–{cadenza}–A(coda). Some music theorists feel that this is actually more of an arch than a typical rondo form, because music from the A section is still audible in the C and D sections.^[5]