Mozart’s third concerto in G major is a work of very considerable charm, a fine example of how Mozart was experimenting with adventurous ideas while still adhering to a Classical idiom. It reveals common ground between symphonic and operatic music, since the opening theme of the first movement (Allegro) also appears in the aria “Aer tranquillo e dì sereni” in his opera Il rè pastore, which had been premiered in the palace of the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg on April 23, 1775—so just four and a half months before this concerto was completed.
The Adagio is a lyrical aria-for-violin spun out at a leisurely pace. Its orchestration differs from the movements that surround it, with orchestral violins and violas (but not the soloist) installing mutes, and cellos and double basses plucking their strings (pizzicato). This makes the ensemble generally quieter, but it also changes its timbre, rendering the string sound less lustrous. What’s more, the pungent oboes that are prominent in the first and last movements are here replaced by flutes, another alteration that softens the overall timbre.
The Rondo finale, which re-establishes the instrumentation of the first movement, is interrupted by tempo and meter changes that give the movement a distinctive character. Although in triple time overall, the music comes to an unexpected halt midway through, the meter turns to duple, the tempo slows down from Allegro to Andante, and the key morphs from major to minor. The orchestral strings play a pizzicato accompaniment as the soloist essays a tip-toeing theme, which sustains a sense of mystery across thirteen measures. Suddenly the atmosphere swings into a slightly quicker Allegretto, with the orchestral strings (now back in the major key) bowing their accompaniment while the soloist plays a lusty tune. This melody is developed at considerable length before the rondo theme returns (and with it the triple meter) and the movement approaches its close.
Here is Janine Jansen to play this delightful music for you:
