Mozart’s Concerto No.20 for piano and orchestra in D minor, K.466 ?

[kriatina]

I have been listening to Mozart’s Concerto No. 20 for piano and orchestra in D minor K.466 and it seems incomparable to the usual compositions of Mozart.

There are obvious sections which are typical Mozart, but some parts seem so untypical that it has made me wonder if this composition as a whole can really be attributed to Mozart?

Taking into account Mozart’s gentle character, the very delicate keyboard instruments of the period and Mozart’s “usual” wonderful style, this work appears to be from a different period, composed and thought out on the more heavy grand pianos of the late 19th century and even the nature of the piece is very late 19th century with only some echoes of Mozart.

Has anyone any views on this?

Thanks you from Kristina.

[j_menz]

Mozart’s gentle character

 

You need to do some reading. Wolfie was a bit of a terror.

[kriatina]

Hello, j_menz,

The problem with reading books about Mozart is that they seem to contradict each other
and it also seems that every Mozart-writer (or Mozart-painter) has their own particular angle from which they write (or paint).

That is why I am wondering how this Concerto No. 20 for piano and orchestra in D minor K.466  
sounds to a musically trained listener (which I am not, I have only my instinct to go on)
and if someone else has been wondering about the same question?

Thanks from Kristina.

[evitaevita]

You need to do some reading. Wolfie was a bit of a terror.

I think she means Mozart's gentle character in his compositions, not his personality.

[kriatina]

Thank you, evitaevita,

It is correct, I did mean his gentle character in his compositions.

Thanks from Kristina.

[pjaul]

IMO, Mozart is fundamentally transformed when he is writing in the minor mode.  More so than any other composer that I know probably.

[davidjosepha]

IMO, Mozart is fundamentally transformed when he is writing in the minor mode.  More so than any other composer that I know probably.

Indeed, it's a shame he didn't write more in minor keys--only 2 of his concertos and 2 of his symphonies are in minor keys, and 3 of the 4 of them are brilliant.

[j_menz]

Mozart's gentle character in his compositions

Whilst Mozart can be gentle, he is by no means always so. His piano music is not wholly representative of his compositional style, perhaps due to the limited dynamic potential of the instruments of the day - but where that is not a factor.....

[justgatsby]

Indeed, it's a shame he didn't write more in minor keys--only 2 of his concertos and 2 of his symphonies are in minor keys, and 3 of the 4 of them are brilliant.

Which isn't brilliant?

[kriatina]

Hello j_menz,

The Requiem Mass in D minor (K. 626) by Mozart was composed shortly before his death, when he was already suffering from the symptoms of ESRF (as established by medics) and impending death.

Mozart expressed that he knew there was not much time left. He also seemed rather isolated at this point. Such a situation makes it understandable, that his Requiem Mass in D minor (K. 626) was composed in a completely different mood than any of his other former compositions.

Could you please explain what you mean?

[j_menz]

Hello j_menz,

The Requiem Mass in D minor (K. 626) by Mozart was composed shortly before his death, when he was already suffering from the symptoms of ESRF (as established by medics) and impending death.

Mozart expressed that he knew there was not much time left. He also seemed rather isolated at this point. Such a situation makes it understandable, that his Requiem Mass in D minor (K. 626) was composed in a completely different mood than any of his other former compositions.

Could you please explain what you mean?

It was an extreme example, but a lot of Mozart written for orchestra etc is not the gentle stuff his piano compositions are.  I mean merely that one should not limit oneself just to those piano works in arguing for what was "typical" of Mozart's musical expression.

Another, mid-career, example:

[kriatina]

Thank you, j_menz for your example, I shall think about what you have written.

Mind you, with many operas etc there might also be sometimes a doubt about the interpretation of the director/producer of the opera coming up, as I have noticed to my great surprise, when I visited the Haendel Museum in London where they showed some videos of Haendel-operas, which were rather unrecognizable of Haendel, because the director/producer showed some sort of orgies with screaming actors/singers who were almost naked during their performances ... not quite how I would imagine a respectable Haendel opera to be performed or directed... I was ever so disappointed because the entrance fee to the Haendel Museum in London is very expensive and I doubt very much that the videos shown there were representative of Haendel or his music...

I have also noticed the same phenomenon with Wagner's operas where many of the singers (?) do not appear to be singing but they sound as if they are competing who screams the loudest.

As you can imagine, seeing and listening to such performances made me rather critical...

I am so glad that I have had a chance once to listen to some rare recordings of Wagner, i.e. one recording of Callas when she was singing Isolde very early in her career and, as you can imagine, it is in a completely completely different class of music altogether...

[g_s_223]

A parallel example is Don Giovanni: I think this is one of the greatest of operas: the protagonist takes the essential nature of man, to have agency, and forces it to the most extreme extent, to the eternal damnation of his soul. And the key signature of Dmin is identical to the work you mention. Also, of course there is the indispensable K421 in Dminor: