Classical Music | Violin Music

Recorded on 05/02/2006, uploaded on 01/14/2009

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Mozart wrote his five concertos for the violin while in Salzburg around 1775. The following year, he composed a single Adagio movement for violin and orchestra. It is likely the Adagio in E major is the piece that Mozart's father, Leopold, references in a letter to his son as "the Adagio you wrote specially for Brunetti." It is further believed that it may have also been intended as a replacement for the slow movement of the Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, which Brunetti found to be "too artificial." This is a likely conjecture given the prominent key relationships between the Adagio and concerto, as well as the fact that Brunetti often performed Mozart's violin concertos after becoming leader of the Salzburg orchestra in 1776. 

Scored for a pair each of flutes and horns, along with muted strings, the Adagio in E major is a piece of serene beauty. It opens with a lyrical theme given first by the orchestra and then repeated and embellished by the soloist. Following the pattern of a sonata form, a second theme emerges under a sustained tone in the soloist. This theme, in the dominant key, becomes a little livelier than the preceding E major tune but does not disturb the tranquil scene. After the close of the exposition in the dominant key, a central episode in B minor takes the place of the usual development. A mere eight measures long, this episode introduces a new melody in the soloist over an agitated accompaniment from the strings. As if dispersing the grim shadows of this episode, the principal theme in E major returns, first, in the lush low register of the solo violin but then soars back into its higher register where it was first heard. The second theme returns in the key of the tonic and a final statement of the opening theme brings the Adagio to a close.      Joseph DuBose

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Adagio in E Major, K. 261                           Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart was not only an accomplished pianist, but also a fine violinist. He was taught by his father who wrote treatises on violin that became the standard of the time. His violin playing was competent enough for him to be appointed court violinist and concertmaster in his native Salzburg. It is little wonder then that Mozart wrote a substantial body of work for the violin. There exist 3 single-movement compositions for violin and orchestra, KV 269, 373, and 261, the last of which will be played today with piano.  It was said to be an alternative slow movement for Mozart's fifth violin concerto; they are in the same key and same tempo. This movement is believed to have been written for violinist Antonio Brunetti, who did not like the original slow movement in the fifth concerto. The slow adagio shows off Mozart's beautiful operatic singing quality, and is still very popular in present day concert programming.    Yang Liu

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.