A reinvestigation of early Mozart: The three keyboard concertos, K. 107.

Abstract

This study reveals Mozart's developmental process in building the concerto structure through a comparison of J. C. Bach's sonata version and Mozart's concerto version. Through the cultivation of his unique stylistic characteristics along with adoption of compositional devices from J. C. Bach, Mozart established K. 107 as the foundation of his original keyboard concertos. The basic compositional features of K. 107 are closely related to K. 175 and his later concertos.

Recordings by Koopman and Perahia provide models of two representative styles, traditional and modern interpretations of K. 107. The paper discusses historical factors regarding performance practice, such as instrumentation, basso continuo playing, cadenzas and lead-ins, and ornamentation by comparing the two performances. The three keyboard concertos of K. 107 are significant works among Mozart's compositions, and they serve as excellent repertoire for early advanced students as well as for performing artists.

This study explores the context of the K. 107 concertos in order to examine historical and stylistic features and to seek their relationship to Mozart's later concertos through a structural analysis of each movement. The three keyboard concertos of K. 107 were neglected for many years in part due to misdating and resulting underestimation but have been redated and are gaining attention from recent musicologists. The current dating, around 1771--1772, attained through the handwriting analysis by Plath and the paper type study by Tyson, instigated this evaluation for and establishment of a perspective for K. 107. The document examines the historical background, manuscripts and editions, recordings, scoring, the influence of J. C. Bach and other composers, concerto form, and keyboard instruments.