Horn Concerto No. 3 in E-flat major

The Medical College of Wisconsin Orchestra
Spring 2023 Concert

Horn Concerto No. 3 in E-flat major 
W. A. Mozart
Featuring Dr. Brian Volkman on French Horn

Conducted by: Alexander Mandl, DMA

Mozart's Horn Concertos, composed in Vienna between 1781 and 1791, are exuberant works which reflect his characteristic humor and optimism. His extraordinary genius in overcoming the natural horn's melodic limitations and in exploiting the instrument's beautiful clarity of timbre is clearly heard in his scoring. Written for the horn virtuoso Joseph Leitgeb, the third concerto is perhaps the most famous.

The opening orchestral tutti of K. 447 introduces the work with suave assurance, the two main themes arriving in quick succession, before a series of anticipatory gestures in the strings introduce the solo horn, which reintroduces and expands on the two main themes. The short development throws the key structure into the melting pot orchestrally for a short while before the recap leads to a cadenza for the soloist. The coda rounds the movement off elegantly.