Horn Concerto No. 3 in E‑Flat Major

The second of Mozart’s works in the medium (his Horn Concerto No. 1 is now known to date from his last year), the Horn Concerto No. 3 was written around 1785 with the considerable artistry of his friend Joseph Leutgeb in mind. Less overtly virtuosic than its predecessor, the piece is notable for its replacing oboes with clarinets alongside bassoons and strings, affording a ruminative warmth to the “Larghetto” and making it one of the composer’s most ingratiating slow movements. The opening “Allegro” matches this in its restrained dialogue between soloist and orchestra, not least the teasing exchanges of the development. The final “Allegro” is a spirited rondo whose main theme has a hunting character. The composer left no indication as to any cadenza for the first movement, leaving the soloist to create a link from the reprise to the coda.