It was in particular after settling in Vienna in 1781 that Mozart turned his serious attention to the composition of piano concertos. Enjoying the popularity of novelty in Vienna, he was able to organize subscription concerts in which he included these concertos, vehicles to demonstrate his ability as a composer and as a remarkable keyboard-player. The Concerto in D minor, one of only two in dramatic minor keys, was written early in 1785 and was played by the composer on 11th February, the day after its completion, in the presence of his father Leopold Mozart, now partly reconciled to his son's abandonment of Salzburg and his imprudent marriage. The concerto is ominous in its opening, lyrical in its slow movement, and ebullient in its conclusion. The Concerto in C major, K. 467, has recently won wider general popularity through its use in the film Elvira Madigan. The slow movement, there used, is among the most beautiful Mozart ever wrote, and remarkably survives its sometimes inappropriate dissemination.
Recommended recording
Recommended recording: Mozart: Piano Concertos K. 466 & K. 467, played by the pianist Jeno Jandó with the Concentus Hungaricus conducted by András Ligeti.
Naxos 8.550434
