Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 | David Fray, Christoph Eschenbach & Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse

Another era-defining masterpiece by Mozart. Here, the Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466 is performed by Pianist David Fray and the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse under the baton of Christoph Eschenbach at the Halle Marcadieu in Tarbes, France, in 2023.

(00:25) I. Allegro
(13:31) II. Romanze
(21:39) III. Rondo. Allegro assai

Between 1784 and 1786, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) wrote twelve piano concertos, many of which are significant in the history of the genre. He completed his Piano Concerto No. 20 on February 10, 1785, and it was premiered in Vienna one day later, with Mozart himself playing the solo part.

Piano Concerto No. 20 is the first of only two piano concertos by Mozart in a minor key. It shares the key of D minor with works such as the Requiem and the overture from Don Giovanni. In Mozart's music, D minor stands for the highest levels of drama and expressiveness. The D minor concerto is considered Mozart’s first “symphonic concerto”. This had already been hinted at in his nineteenth piano concerto with large, independent orchestral passages and the solo piano as an occasional accompanying element.

The main movement ends in a Piano, which is rare in Mozart’s pieces and at first glance does not fit the dramatic character of the work. Rather, it contains a large-scale interlinking of the movements’ content. The resolution of the musical conflicts sparked takes place in the two further movements of the concerto. This approach of an overall artistic concept was to be pursued prevail to perfection in the following musical eras.

With the Piano Concerto No. 20 at the latest, Mozart overcame the obligation of music to follow the entertainment ideals of its time and he found individual artistic freedom – another reason why Concerto K. 466 is a special work.

© 2023 Les Films Figures Libres – Orchestre national du Capitole – POM.tv - viàOccitanie

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