Composition Dates of Mozart's Piano Concerto Cadenzas
We hear Mozart's cadenzas to his Piano Concertos all the time. On recordings and in performance. However very seldom are we told when these cadenzas were written. Many assume they are just part of the original Concerto. And seldom are we told there are different sets of cadenzas to many of the Concertos. This posting attempts to clarify when these cadenzas might have been written by Mozart. I go into style and analysis of the cadenzas as little as possible, but the below articles are a must read for anyone wanting to understand those issues in Mozart's cadenzas.
The majority of what is written here is taken from these sources:
"Zur Chronologie der Klavierkonzert-Kadenzen Mozarts" by Christoph Wolff in the 1978/79 Mozart-Jahrbuch
"Cadenzas and Styles of Improvisation in Mozart's Piano Concertos" by Christoph Wolff in Perspectives on Mozart Performance 1991
Unpredmeditated Art: The Cadenza in the Classical Keyboard Concerto by Philip Whitmore 1991
Various editions of the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe containing the Piano Concertos.
The Mozart Piano Concerto cadenzas are listed in K6 under K626aI/Nr.1 - 64; however the incipits, autograph/manuscript information, and remarks are placed within the Concerto it belongs to in the main portion of K6. The cadenzas have different K3 numbers, and differing Artaria and André publishing numbers, which I do not use to avoid more confusion for readers than there already is with numbers. Therefore all numbers of cadenzas used below are the K6 K626aI number.
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Piano Concerto in D #5 K175 + K382
Concerto originated December 1773 in Salzburg; Mozart replaced original finale with Rondo K382 in Vienna probably in February 1782.
Mozart wrote 2 sets of cadenzas for all three movements (K175/i, ii and K382) in Vienna. Wolff from letter passage of February 15, 1783 places Set A (K626aI/2,4, 26)--[they are on same double page as Eingang to 2nd movement of K271] in February of 1783. Set B (K626aI/1,3,25) is a direct revision of Set A, probably dating from March of 1783 for Mozart performances at the Burg theater in Vienna. That these cadenzas were written much later than the Concerto is stressed by Robert Levin who wrote the 1st movement cadenza goes up to F3 showing that it was undoubtedly written for later use on a five-octave instrument.
Piano Concerto in Bb #6 K238
Concerto originated in January 1776 in Salzburg
These cadenzas (K626aI/5,6,7) are slight and short and no doubt composed early. Wolff dates them 1777/78 or even earlier. No autograph exists for dating criteria.
Concerto for 3-Pianos #7 in F K242 (also 2 Piano Version)
Concerto originated in February 1776 in Salzburg
Mozart wrote in the autograph score cadenzas to all three movements (no separate K626aI number), no doubt the 3 Lodron ladies whom the Concerto was written for were not capable of composing or improvising their own cadenzas. The cadenzas were also put directly into the score to be synchronized with the later version for 2-pianos in 1779.
Piano Concerto in C #8 K246
Concerto originated in April 1776 in Salzburg
Mozart wrote three sets of cadenzas for movements i and ii of this Concerto. Set A (K626aI/8, 11) were probably written for Therese Pierron. They are virtually solos for the right hand. Brevity, right hand predominance, lack of reference to material from the movement and the absence of bar-lines point to an early origin time. Set B (K626aI/9, 12) are more technically demanding than Set A and is thought to be for Mozart himself, but still show the above characteristics of Set A--it is impossible to determine which originated first of the two Sets. Set C (K626aI/10.14) show features of Mozart's later Vienna cadenza style and are dated by Wolff sometime after April 1782 in Vienna. Another cadenza to the 1st movement of this Concerto exists in the Paris Bibliotheque Nationale. Described in a 1997 article by Tibor Szász the cadenza is found in the hand of a copyist on a loosely inserted page to the keyboard part belonging to a set of orchestral parts of this Concerto. The copy appears to have been made in Paris in 1778. Szász believes it is authentic Mozart and meant to be a replacement for Mozart's authentic cadenza for this movement from Set A--which is included in the Concerto in the proper place in the 1st movement. However Gregory Butler writes the cadenza includes elements from the other cadenzas--including that of Set C, which originated later in Vienna, so we are not certain if the cadenza derives from Paris, or if it even is authentic Mozart.
Piano Concerto in Eb #9 K271
Concerto originated in January 1777 in Salzburg
Mozart composed 2 sets of cadenzas for each of the first two movements, and 3 sets of Eingänge to the 3rd movement for this Concerto. Set A (K626aI/16,18, and 2 Eingänge deest) originated with the Concerto itself in January 1777, with the Eingänge to 3rd movement in autograph score. Set B (K626aI/15,17,Eingänge 19,20) could be for a performance in Spring (March?) of 1783 or even 1784 for performances in Vienna. Two further Eingänge (Set C) to 3rd movement (K626aI/21,22) can be dated to February 1783 from Mozart's letter passage of February 15, 1783. As the first of these Set C Eingänge is a through reworking of the Set A Eingäng and that in Set B is a further development of those, the sequence of cadenzas would be Set A-Set C-Set B.
Concerto for 2-Pianos in Eb #10 K365
Concerto probably originated in early 1779 in Salzburg
Mozart composed cadenzas to the 1st and 3rd movements (K626bI/23,24) no doubt sometime shortly before his November 23, 1781 performance with Josepha Auernhammer. These cadenzas appear to be a reworking of a earlier version of which an incomplete 1st piano part to the 3rd movement cadenza--from sometime prior to the finished cadenza-- exists, and was the model for the reworking of the finished cadenza.
Piano Concerto in F #11 K413
Concerto originated in winter 1782/83, before December 18, 1782 in Vienna
Mozart composed cadenzas for the 1st and 2nd movements (K626aI/37 and 38) of this Concerto. Wolff believes the existence of Salzburg copies (in Leopold Mozart's hand) shows the cadenzas originated in connection with performance of Concerto during his Salzburg stay in 1783, if not already for the first Vienna performance.
Piano Concerto in A #12 K414
Concerto originated probably in autumn 1782
Mozart composed two sets of cadenzas for all three movements and Eingänge to the 2nd and 3rd movements. Set A consists of cadenzas to all three movements and Eingänge for 2nd and 3rd movements (K626aI/28, 30, 31, 35, 36) and probably date from the year the Concerto was written. Set B includes cadenzas to all 3 movements and a Eingang for the 2nd movement (K626aI/27,29,32, 34). There is also a 5 measure fragmentary sketch of the 2nd movement cadenza (K626aI/33). This second Set of cadenzas is written on a double page that also contained Clarinet parts to the 1st movement of the Concerto K488 (dated March 2, 1786), thereby showing the cadenzas perhaps belong to the winter of 1785/86. The set might be placed in conjunction with the publication of the Artaria printing of the Concerto in 1785 or recalled for one of the December 1785 Academies of Mozart's in Vienna.
Piano Concerto in C #13 K415
Concerto originated most likely in winter 1782/83 in Vienna
Mozart composed cadenzas to all 3 movements (K626aI/39,40 ,41). Wolff believes the cadenzas originated in connection with performance of Concerto during his Salzburg stay in 1783, if not already for the first Vienna performance. An Eingang for the 2nd movement also exists (K626aI/13), written on the same sheet Mozart used to jot down 4 symphony incipits (3 by Joseph Haydn, 1 unknown K387d/Anh A59). As it was commonly believed these incipits were the symphonies Mozart referred to in his letter of May 15, 1784, Wolff dated the Eingang in 1784. Neal Zaslaw convincing stated letter probably refers to Michael Haydn symphonies. However Alan Tyson's studies show paper probably dates from Vienna 1784. This Eingang was originally incorrectly placed as belonging to the Concerto K246.
Piano Concerto in Eb #14 K449
Concerto entered in Mozart's work catalogue as February 9, 1784
Mozart composed a cadenza to 1st movement ( K626aI/42), probably at time of origin of Concerto.
Piano Concerto in Bb #15 K450
Concerto entered in Mozart's work catalogue as March 15, 1784
Mozart composed cadenzas for 1st and 3rd movements (K626aI/43, 45) and Eingang for 3rd movement (K626aI/44) probably from time of composition of Concerto.
Piano Concerto in D #16 K451
Concerto entered in Mozart's work catalogue as March 22, 1784
Mozart composed cadenzas to 1st and 3rd movements (K626aI/46 and 47). From a letter passage of Mozart to his sister on June 12, 1784, which Mozart tells her he will send the Cadenzas to this Concerto as soon as possible, Wolff believes possible cadenzas date from June or July 1784.
Piano Concerto in G #17 K453
Concerto entered in Mozart's work catalogue April 12, 1784
Mozart wrote 2 sets of cadenzas for the 1st and 2nd movements of this Concerto. Set A (K626aI/48 and 50) Wolff dates from time of Concerto. Set B cadenzas for this Concerto (K626aI/49 and 51) have been treated as questionable on stylistic grounds. They are preserved in either a very corrupt form (perhaps written down from memory by a pupil?) or are not by Mozart. There are many "unmozartian figures" in both cadenzas. If these second are authentic Mozart, the chronological order of the two sets is not obvious.
Piano Concerto in Bb #18 K456
Concerto listed in Mozart's work catalogue as September 30, 1784
Mozart wrote two sets of cadenzas to the 1st and 3rd movements, plus another to the 1st movement. Set A (K626aI/54 and 57) probably dates from time of Concerto. The single cadenza of Set B (K626aI/53) is clearly based on K626aI/54--54 contains a number of substantial quotations from the movement, of which most are expunged from 53. Then for Set C (K626aI/52, 56, and Eingang K626aI/55) in this 1st movement cadenza (K626aI/52) some passages of 53 are extended , making 52 the longest of the three. Thus the sequence of the cadenzas is Sets A-B-C. As Mozart played K456 in February 1785 in Vienna and in May 1789 in Leipzig, it is possible the cadenza B and Set C date from these times.
Piano Concerto in F #19 K459
Concerto listed in Mozart's work catalogue as December 11, 1784
Mozart wrote cadenzas for 1st and 3rd movements and an Eingang for 3rd movement (K626aI/58, 59,60). It is likely this cadenzas origin at time of Concerto, but possibly belong to a alleged later performance of the work in Frankfort in October 1790.
Piano Concerto in A #23 K488
Concerto listed in Mozart's work catalogue as March 2, 1786
Mozart wrote 1st movement Cadenza (K626aI/61) directly into autograph.
Piano Concerto in Bb #27 K595
Concerto listed in Mozart's work catalogue as January 5, 1791
Mozart composed cadenzas to 1st and 3rd movements and Eingang to 3rd movement (K626aI/62, 64 and Eingang 63). No doubt these date from origin time of Concerto or its performance in March 1791 in Vienna. Third movement Eingang thought not authentic on stylistic grounds until autograph discovered.
Dennis Pajot
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