Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Concerto No. 5 in A major for violin and orchestra, KV 219, performed by violin soloist Pinchas Zukerman and the WDR Symphony Orchestra under the baton of its principal conductor Cristian Măcelaru. Recorded live at the Kölner Philharmonie on February 26, 2021.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major K. 219
00:00:00 I. Allegro Aperto
00:09:50 II. Adagio
00:20:00 III. rondeau. Tempo di menuetto.
Pinchas Zukerman, violin
WDR Symphony Orchestra
Cristian Măcelaru, conductor
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○ Work introduction
It combines lively passion for playing with dramatic action and individual expression with the "neutral" collective statement of the orchestra: no wonder that the solo concerto can look back on an impressive success story - from the Baroque to our present day. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart also loved this concerto form. As a genius opera composer, he exploited its dramatic potential in his 40 solo concertos, attaching more importance to a multi-layered spectrum of expression than to self-promoting virtuosity. Which is why the orchestra is never neglected. This is no different in his five violin concertos. With the exception of the first (from 1773), he composed them all in Salzburg in 1775. Because he had held the post of concertmaster in the court orchestra there since 1772, it is assumed that Mozart - not only an outstanding pianist but also a very good violinist - wrote these works for his own performances.
His Fifth Violin Concerto in A major, K. 219, is his most original; the rondo finale is nothing short of spectacular: in contrast to an otherwise graceful minuet, the middle section surprises with a wildly demonic "Alla turca." Here Mozart brings the Turkish "Janissary music", popular at the time, into play for the first time. The military music of the Janissaries, the elite unit of the Turkish troops, had left musical traces due to the two sieges of Vienna by the Ottomans. Fear of them had long since given way to fascination with the exotic Orient. A true "Turkish fashion" was the result - not only in terms of clothing. Of all things, the wild, percussion-fueled sound of their military bands, which had once spread fear and terror, now provided entertaining goose bumps. So when Mozart resorts to this style in his Violin Concerto, he stages a "clash of cultures" en miniature. The noisy march rhythm including oriental ornamentation soon runs out of breath. As if nothing had happened, the minuet in elegant triple time starts again, and the concert ends gently, relaxed and peaceful.
(Text: Verena Großkreutz)
16 июл 2024
