Iskender wrote: >..., the question I have mind now and which has prompted this query is, >why Mozart may have written concerti for 2 and 3 pianos. In the case of Mozart, we know that he rarely wrote anything substantial unless it was for a specific purpose. The concerto #7 (K. 242) for 3 pianos was written in February 1776 for the Countess Antonia Lodron (hence the "Lodron" moniker) to be played with her two daughters, Aloisia and Josepha. The Lodrons were a prominent Salzburg family, and I assume that the concerto was written on commission, or at least with the hope of some remuneration. Mozart also wrote two divertimenti to celebrate the Countess's name days, K. 247 & 287. Interestingly, Mozart though enough of this work to arranged it for two pianos so that he and his sister Nannerl could perform it together in Salzburg on September 2, 1780. Recordings of both versions are available. The concerto for 3 pianos (K. 365) is presumed to have been also intended as a vehicle to showcase the piano talents of both Mozart siblings, and was written early in 1779. Subsequently, beginning early in 1781, Mozart was a boarder in the household of Josepha Barbara Auernhammer, a wealthy Viennese amateur pianist who became a pupil of Mozart's. After something of a slow start, Mozart became impressed with her technique. It is known than Wolfgang asked his father to send him a copy of the concerto K. 365 so that he could play it with her, and it was then performed in her home on November 23, 1781 and May 26, 1782. Auernhammer's tutelage under Mozart apparently gave her sufficient confidence to perform in public and compose seriously as her music lessons had gone beyond basic keyboard technique to include improvisation as well as studies in theory and composition. She became a successful concert pianist in Vienna, sufficiently famous to retain her maiden name after she got married. >Isn't it unusual in terms of 18th century practice? Mozart's are the only concerti specifically written for more than one piano that I am aware of. Bach wrote his concerti for 2, 3 and 4 harpsichords with strings and continuo in the 1730s as didactic pieces for him and his sons to play together. The next example I know of is by Jan Ladislav Dussek: his tenth piano concerto published in 1809 is scored for 2 pianos and orchestra. Then we have Mendelssohn's two concertos composed in 1823 and 1824, and Czerny's from 1827 and Frohlich's from 1886. That's it as far as I know until the 20th century where the scoring was used for concertos, suites, etc. by composers such as Bruch, Villa-Lobos, Tansman, Poulenc, Martinu, Bartok, Vaughan Williams, Tveitt, Matton, Badings, Rawsthorne, Arnold, and Klebe. With the caveat there may have been many concertos written that have never seen the light of day, then, yes, I guess it was fairly unusual in the 18th century to score concertos for 2 or more pianos. Mozart the innovator. Incidently, I got most of this info from the New Grove, the web, and from H.C. Robbins Landon's excellent "The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart's Life and Music". This last is highly readable, even given the reference nature, and recommended to anyone interested in Mozart's music. It is accessible to the layman, or I wouldn't like it so much. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0028713214/classicalnet Dave http://www.classical.net/ *********************************************** The CLASSICAL mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's HDMail High Deliverability Mailer for reliable, lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html