Mozart- Piano concerto in A Major Movement 1

Orchestral Exposition
1 A:
8 bar melody on first violin accompanied by remaining strings
Repeated tonic on low strings
Violins play rising sequence in 3rds
Bar 8: Imperfect Cadence
Bar 9: Melody repeated in flute an 8ve higher but 2 bar extension
Rest of Woodwind and horns accompany
Horn plays a tonic pedal
1 B:
Not a transition theme as it doesnt change Key
12 Bar melody on violins with upbeat
Rising and falling sequences, repeated notes, syncopation
Ends with an imperfect cadence
1 C:
8 bar melody with upbeat on first violins
Remaining strings accompany
Dotted notes, repeated notes, chromatism, falling sequences
Repeated on violin, bassoon and flute
Ends with a perfect Cadence
1 D:
Can be split into 3 parts:
Part 1: 5 bars on violin with an upbeat
Syncopation, repeated notes, arpeggios in melody
Syncopation, repeated notes, in accompaniment
Part 2: 1 bar dialogue on woodwind and first violin played 3 times
Rising chromatic scale
Part 3: Opening figure returns
Piano exposition
1 A:
8 bars on piano with string accompaniment
Let hand Alberti Bass
Sequence in bars 71/72 are a decoration of original
Bar 75: 8 bar decorated melody with string accomp.
Triadic and semiquaver movement
1 B (transition theme):
16 bars which are a repeat of 19 22
Bar 87: Piano plays remaining 12 bars in sequences on right hand
Scales. Broken chord passages in sequence on right hand
Alberti Bass, Descending accomp. , dominant pedal
Descending B major Scale & chord of B.
Imperfect Cadence



1 C:
8 Bar Melody on piano
Left hand: Accompanying block harmony
Bar 75: Melody repeated on flute, Bassoon and Violin
Right Hand Descending semiquaver scales
1 D:
Melody on piano with orchestral accomp.
Alberti Bass on left hand
Horns play tonic pedal
Dialogue between piano and violins
Triplet chromatic scale
Bar 137: Soloists stops and orchestra play a cadetta
Violin plays a rising sequence
Music ends abruptly on dominant chord of B maj.
Exposition comes to a close
1 E:
6 bar melody on strings
First violin and viola play in 6ths
Strong contrapuntal feel
Bar 149: Piano plays a series of scales lowing between both hands
Contrapuntal Feel
Development
Part 1 C material:
4 bar phrase in E major
Dialogue between clarinets, Bassoon, horns. Answered by Piano and strings
2 bar contrapuntal idea on woodwind and horns
Answered by homophonic piano and strings
Strings play staccato
Bar 160: Repeats idea in C maj with flute joining in & horns omitting
Bar 164: Repeats idea in A maj
Piano continues with contrapuntal idea, woodwind ending in maj.
Strings take idea and end in D maj
Part 2 C Material:
Bar 170: Material is again developed
Clarinet and flute play a motif in free canon at the 4
th

Clarinet leaps a 10
th

Flute imitates but leaps a 12
th

Right hand plays scales & broken scales
Left hand plays double 8ves
Bar 177: After F maj. Chord the piece begins a long dominant preparation on E
Brings music back to home key of A for recap.
Repeated Es on low strings & horns in bars 178 181, 182 185
Held Es in Bars 180 181, 184 185 on left hand
Right hand plays scales and broken chords
Bar 197: Rising chromatic scale

Recapitulation
Mozart merges the 2 expositions using elements from both
1A and B:
Bar 198: 8 bars on 1
st
violin with flutes and clarinets
Full orchestra
Woodwind is double in places merging the first 2 statements of 1A
Bar 206: Piano repeats 1A but is highly decorated
Grace notes feature in bar 206
Scales in parallel 10
th
s
Bar 214: Music of 1B
No modulation so it has a different Ending
Piano plays an ascending scale ending on chord 5( E maj.)
1C and D:
Bar 198: 8 bars on 1
st
violin with flutes and clarinet
Bar 206: Piano repeats 1A but is highly decorated
Grace notes feature in bar 206
Bar 214: Music of 1B
No modulation so it has a different Ending
1 E:
Bar 261: 6 bars on piano followed by woodwind. Similar to bar 143 but in A maj
Contrapuntal section
Bar 272: A strong dominant prep with a pedal on low strings and horns
Alberti Bass under rapid right hand scales
Ends similar to bar 136
Bar 290: 1 E played on the orchestra no Piano
Extended by 1 bar
Stops on chord of A maj in second inversion at bar 297

Cadenza
Rapid scale passages, triplets and chromatic movement
Cadenza comes to an end with a long trill on chord 1
Harmony from bar 297 resolves in 299

Coda
No piano from bar 299
Similar to music from bar 55
From bar 310 there is dialogue between flute and first violins, low strings and horn