Mozart, Piano Concerto in A Major, K. 488

Listening

Mozart, Piano Concerto in A Major, K. 488

Mozart completed the concerto on March 2, 1786, in the same productive year that brought The Marriage of Figaro and two other piano concertos (K. 482 in E Flat and K. 491 in C Minor). It stands out for its warm lyricism, tenderness, lyricism, and elegance. The central movement in F-sharp minor is poignant and melancholic, and the finale brings back the brightness and wittiness.

It was written for piano and orchestra, with flute, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, and strings, and it lasts about 24–26 minutes. The inclusion of clarinets is especially important, since their soft, velvety tone helps shape the concerto’s more intimate character.

The opening Allegro begins with an orchestral exposition that presents the principal themes before the soloist enters. Like many of Mozart’s concertos, it uses a double-exposition design, but the movement feels less like a display piece than a conversation between solo piano and orchestra. The music’s A major brightness is often shadowed by brief turns into darker harmonies (F# minor, its relative minor), giving the movement a subtle tension beneath its polished surface. This shift between major and minor blends lyricism with a touch of sadness.

First Movement
(Double-Exposition Concerto Form)

Tutti Exposition

0:00  First theme

•  the main melody is played by the stringsin p; graceful and legato

•  a balanced and symmetrical theme: antecedent phrase ending on V, followed by a consequent phrase on I

0:34  Transition

•  the transition played by the full orchestra in f

•  the transition concludes with a dominant pedal (over E) of the home key

0:57  Second theme

•  played by the strings in p

•  the second theme is lyrical, tender and sweet, featuring chromatic passing notes (E-D#-D) that brings a tinge of sadness to the cantabile theme

•  similar to the first theme, the second theme is structured as two balanced phrases: a 16-bar antecedent ending on V, followed by another 16-bar consequent phrase ending on I   

1:28  Closing theme

•  played by full orchestra in f

Solo Exposition

2:09  First theme

•  the piano enters solo, without orchestral accompaniment

2:36  Transition

•  the transition begins with full orchestra, then the piano, then the piano enters and extends the transition in order to bring about a modulation

•  at 2:56 the piano introduces #4 (A#) in the left hand, signalling a modulation to the dominant key (E major) 

3:07  Second theme

•  the piano plays the main melody for the first phrase, then the flute joins in during the second phrase while the piano embellishes the melody with octaves leaps and scale passages

3:37  Closing theme

•  first turned to the minor mode, then reverts back to the major at the end

•  end with a perfect cadence in the dominant key (E major) 

Development

4:32  A new theme appears (development theme)

•  texture is contrapuntal, featuring imitation between the upper and lower voices 

•  the development theme is presented by the orchestral, then the piano plays an embellished version of the same theme 

4:57  Imitation based on the opening motif from the development theme

•  a dialogue between piano and orchestra 

5:38  Retransition

•  A pedal point over the dominant key; shadows by the minor mode

Recapitulation

6:17  First theme

•  the main melody is first played by the piano, then the strings joins in

•  the piano later embellishes the melody, accompanied by the orchestra

6:46  Transition

•  the transition does not modulate to the dominant key; instead it ends on the dominant of the home key (A major)

7:10  Second theme

•  the second theme is brought back to the home key of A major

7:44  Closing theme

8:18  Reappearance of the development theme

Cadenza

9:26  Cadenza (solo piano)

•  features rapid scales and arpeggios

•  wide contrasts in dynamics, tempo, and register

•  the cadenza ends with a long trill, signalling the orchestra's return

Coda

10:51  Coda