Structure
The concerto is scored for two oboes, two horns and strings.
The movements are as follows:
- Allegro Aperto - Adagio - Allegro Aperto
- Adagio
- Rondo - Tempo di Minuetto
The aperto marking on the first movement is a rare marking in Mozart's instrumental music, but appears much more frequently in his operatic music. It implies that the piece should be played in a broader, more majestic way than might be indicated simply by allegro. The first movement opens with the orchestra playing the main theme, a typical Mozartian tune. The solo violin comes in with a short but sweet dolce adagio passage in A Major with a simple accompaniment in the orchestra. (This is the only instance in Mozart's concerto repertoire in which an adagio interlude of this sort occurs at the first soloist entry of the concerto.) It then transitions back to the main theme with the solo violin playing a different melody on top of the orchestra. The first movement is 10-11 minutes long.
The rondo Finale is based on a Minuet theme which recurs several times. In the middle of the movement the tempo changes from 3/4 to 2/4 and a section of "Turkish music" is played. This is characterized by the shift to A minor (instead of the original A major), and by the use of grotesque elements, such as unison chromatic crescendi, repetition of very short musical elements and col legno playing in the 'Celli and Double Basses. This section gave the concerto the nickname "The Turkish Concerto". The famous Rondo alla Turca from Mozart's piano sonata in A major features the same key and similar elements.
Mozart later composed the Adagio for violin and orchestra, K. 261 as a substitute slow movement for this concerto.
The whole piece is about 28 minutes long.
Read more about this topic: Violin Concerto No. 5 (Mozart)
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