Free Keyboard/Piano Concertos By J. C. Bach And Mozart Essay Example

The first movements of piano concertos by J.C. Bach and W.A. Mozart
Mozart’s piano concertos are said to among his best compositions. The Piano Concerto in A Major, K. 488 is testament to this. This graceful composition has three movements and uses small orchestra comprised of instruments from all four classes. The instruments are two flutes, two bassoons, two clarinets and two horns as well the instruments from the string section like the violin.
One significant difference of Mozart’s concertos was refusing the harpsichord and clavichord. He started to compose sonata concertos only for piano with orchestra, as the harpsichord and clavichord were sounding weaker than piano, which was more elegant and a little bit heavier. This can be heard in Piano concerto in A Major, K. 488 – piano line is sharp and light, like a drops of water in a fountain.
All the three movements of Mozart's Piano Concerto in A Major, K. 488 are brilliantly arranged. The first movement is particularly superbly crafted and easily catches the ear of any listened. The movement is in the sonata form and possesses an extra “double composition” characteristic. One distinct feature of the sonata form in the first movement is that the first exposition does not end with a double bar. Neither does it end with a repeat sign to indicate a repeat of the former exposition. Instead, this first exposition is designed to be played by the orchestra without the voice of the soloist. The exposition does not also modulate, and neither does it conclude on the dominant key. It is maintained in the tonic key. Another distinct element of the sonata form in this first movement is the use of a traditional cadenza, which happens near the ending of the movement’s recapitulation.
Mozart's Piano Concerto in A Major, K. 488 first movement begins with a graceful and calm theme in the strings, which initially dwell on a subdominant chord before ending in a familiar plagal cadence that is so common with Mozart’s works. The movement’s closing themes is intensive unlike the opening one, features a gloomy melodic interplay between the strings and the winds, and uses the subdominant chord. In a nutshell, the first movement of Mozart’s piano Concerto No.23 in A Major is simply one of his best.
Just like Mozart’s composition, the Piano Concerto in A Major, K. 488, J. C. Bach's Concerto for Harpsichord or Piano in E-flat Major is another musical composition that exhibits unique characteristics. Bach was a great admirer of Mozart and his influence is conspicuous in this piece. Its first movement is very well crafted. This movement is framed by several ritornellos. Its form combines aspects of both the ritornello and the sonata form. The 1st ritornello of this movement presents the movement’s primary themes in the tonic key. This movement is filled with a lot of seriousness and rhythmic energy. The three episodes in the first movement perform varying functions, and these are the exposition, the development and finally recapitulation. In this first movement also referred to as the allegro, there leading soloist performs the traditional role of improvising the cadenza. This happens just before the occurrence of the final orchestral ritornello. The cadenza is introduced by an orchestral 6/4 chord. To signal the end of the cadenza, the soloist to perform a trill over the dominant chord.
Both composers were musical geniuses and innovators of their time. Concertos, written by them, hold the harmonic and tempo structure, interaction between instruments and the mood inherent to sonata concerto. Both wrote concertos in three movements. It is hard to tell which one of them composed better sonata concertos, because they both brought something fresh and unseen and, of course, both achieved excellence.