Piano Concerto No. 22 in E‑Flat Major

Composed in December 1785 and first performed early the following year, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 22 is the 12th such work he wrote for his subscription concerts after settling in Vienna, and which defined his successful early years as a freelance musician. Its formal expansiveness and orchestral richness—clarinets replacing oboes for the first time in a Mozart concerto—are evident from the opening “Allegro”, whose imposing introduction and often elaborate solo writing are allied to a tonal subtlety and searching evolution of themes. Mozart left no cadenza here or for the finale, which is usually supplied by the pianist or, on occasion, another composer. The central “Andante” consists of five variations on a soulful melody, unfolded by strings, which enables the wind instruments to come into their own, as had previously been possible only in a serenade or divertimento. The “Allegro” finale commences with a buoyant main theme and then an elegant alternating idea. Yet what starts out as its development is actually the transition to a central episode whose slow-minuet tempo and eloquent woodwind contribution create an effect as enchanting as it is unexpected. The main theme then resumes its lively course, taking in another cadenza before the delectable closing bars.